Stepping Stones receives provincial dollars for new shelter build

Stepping Stones Crisis Society is one step closer to achieving its goal of building a new and expanded facility. 

The provincial government announced on Mar. 9 that Stepping Stones, which provides safety for those fleeing domestic and family violence, will receive $2 million as part of a large-scale investment in affordable housing. 

Formerly the Dr. Margaret Savage Crisis Centre, Stepping Stones has been planning for multiple years for a new build. 

“The current building is over 30 years old and it no longer meets the needs of our region,” said Cindy Yang, director of strategic priorities. 

“That need to build has been a prevalent issue for us, even pre-pandemic. It’s been ongoing for a while. It’s just that the pandemic exacerbated a lot of the challenges and barriers that we’ve been seeing. It really just reaffirmed our ability to build.” 

What is in the works is a net zero build with a conceptualized shelter model to better support survivors of family violence. 

That includes a four-story emergency shelter, second stage shelter, as well as putting all of their programs under one roof, so they can limit the number of turnaways they see. 

“Over the last five years, our turnaways for women and children have increased over 350 per cent,” said Yang. 

“One of the benefits of this new build that we’re really excited about is it will be more accessible for those with limited mobility, which includes more shelter and second stage housing units.” 

Currently, the Society is looking to access more funding from various levels of government, including federal as well as private donors. 

Timelines are incomplete as they look to secure more funding. 

Right now, their facility is a seven-bedroom, 27 bed shelter for women with or without children fleeing domestic violence or in crisis.

For those suffering in silence, contact their helpline at 780-594-3353, which is available 24 hours.