YWCA ready to break ground at new centre
The YWCA is preparing to break ground at its new Centre for Women and Families.
The centre is the YWCA’s answer to a variety of pressures in the community over the past several years.
“It’s about keeping families together. It’s about deinstitutionalizing our responses to poverty and violence, and building a concept of what community looks like and how it can really be a factor in supporting marginalized and vulnerable women and families in our community,” said Melissa Coomber-Bendtsen, YWCA CEO.
Each year the YWCA turns away close to three thousand women and children from their shelter system, and this centre aims to cut down those numbers over time.
The centre is going to take a more innovative approach when it comes to serving women experiencing homelessness, domestic violence and sexual assault.
“If we can prevent the crisis then we prevent families from splitting up, we prevent children from going in to the system, we prevent women from having to access shelter services, so if we can do that then the end result would be that hopefully we can start shutting down some of our shelter beds,” she said.
The new facility will be located in the Cathedral area, on a piece of land gifted from the City of Regina.
Partner organizations Regina Mobile Crisis, the Regina Sexual Assault Centre and All Nations Hope Network will also operate out of the facility to help increase accessibility.
It will feature outdoor green space and an all-season sweat lodge and ceremony site.
“I think this is an incredible example of reconciliation and what reconciliation in action looks like,” said Coomber-Bendtsen.
Coomber-Bendtsen said the project is ready and awaiting confirmation for funding from the provincial and federal governments to start building on the plot of land donated by the city.
“This is the time now for us to build a healthy, sustainable and supportive community.”
The federal government is reviewing the application, while the province is working to gather information on its status.
“We’re very hopeful and looking forward to our partners coming to the table so that we can put the shovel in the ground,” said Coomber-Bendtsen.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Bodies recovered in Mexico likely 2 Australians, 1 American who went missing: officials
Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
London Drugs begins 'gradual reopening' on 7th day after cyberattack
Almost a week after all London Drugs stores across Western Canada abruptly closed amid a cyberattack, they began a "gradual reopening" on Saturday.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Auston Matthews was back on the ice with his teammates Saturday.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.