After serving the community for more than 100 years, Regina’s only shelter for women and children is looking to build a new facility. YWCA Regina is in the process of securing funding for its new Centre for Women and Families.
The centre will have a capital cost of $54 million, of which it has already raised $21 million.
A section of the new centre will be a dedicated healing space and ceremony lodge that comes with a price tag of $4 million. That is the amount the YWCA is hoping to secure from the City of Regina.
During Wednesday’s executive committee meeting, council voted unanimously in favour of recommending the approval of the funding request.
The money would come from Regina’s Investing In Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP).
Regina Mayor Sandra Masters said the YWCA provides an important service to the city, “as it’s related to individuals fleeing inter-partner violence, domestic violence, ensuring they have not just a safe space to go and not be turned away but also to have that healing component. It’s vitally important.”
According to the YWCA, 80 per cent of individuals who utilize their services are Indigenous.
“The healing space and ceremony lodge will allow people using our services to access ceremony, elders, traditional knowledge, medicine and teachings,” said YWCA CEO Melissa Coomber-Bendtsen.
To help the centre reach its funding goal, an application to Infrastructure Canada has been submitted for $15 million and the YWCA anticipates an announcement shortly.
If it is successful with securing that funding and receives confirmation of the City of Regina’s ICIP funding, the YWCA said it would have enough initial funding to start construction.
The YWCA hopes to begin construction next spring.
City council will be voting on the funding application at next Wednesday’s council meeting.
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