Stepping Stones’ big new home nears completion with Grand Opening slated Sept.

Image: It’s the home stretch to completion on the new build — a total of $34 million spent from stakeholders — with the move over aimed for August, and Grand Opening soiree scheduled for Sept. 6. 

The new home for the Stepping Stones Crisis Society is almost complete, as Lakeland Connect got the opportunity to tour the first floor of the building on Friday.

It’s an impressive building, one of the largest in Cold Lake, which greatly expands the service they can provide women and children fleeing domestic violence, from the region and beyond.

At approximately 93 per cent complete, this 50,000 square foot, multi-story building, can accommodate more than double the number of clients in the emergency shelter — from 27 beds to 63 beds — they currently serve.

“The Government of Alberta has been very generous of allowing to expand our services in order to meet the need. Unfortunately, as the need has continued to grow post-pandemic, we’ve had to grow our services,” said CEO Melissa Francis.

That bears out in the number of women they’ve helped. In the last year, 332 clients were served, however, just as many clients were turned away due to capacity.

Along with the upper floors dedicated to the emergency shelter, is the second stage housing, of which there will be 12 units.

Security is a major aspect that’s been focused on, with the discreet ability of clients to access their units, but also protect the major investment many have made into this needed project.

Walkaround tour

Wrap-around community services

An additional emphasis throughout the process is being put on community.

Visitors when they walk in will see the welcoming embrace lobby, the touchpoint of all the other wrap-around services they offer.

Some of the new services they hope to eventually bring to our new center is a legal navigation and education program, a nurse practitioner, a psychologist, community kitchen, and multi-purpose community programming, said Francis.

These services will be open to the public and will bring more much needed resources to the area. 

“I’m super proud of our team. We’ve been rallying and having lots of conversations about this is what we do, but what can we do more. One of those things we say we can do more of is programming,” said Francis.

“Stepping Stones has a responsibility and a duty to provide the best programming available to our clients and our community, and that’s really what we’re looking to do. We provide a safe shelter, absolutely, but we need to bring knowledge and wisdom and education to it as well.”

Nails Enterprises Inc has been leading the way on site since the sodturning ceremony with stakeholders took place in July 2023.

Millions of dollars from the provincial and federal government have gone into the building, along with private sponsorships, and the City of Cold Lake and M.D. of Bonnyville to fund their operations and make the ideas a reality.

What Stepping Stones is asking from the community is for furnishing, those touches that make it a truly a local place.

“We have a whole range of community giving opportunities available on our website. We already have some great community partners on board, schools, businesses, who have all stepped up with furnishings, putting their name in here and helping us out,” said April Simard, community engagement and events.

They will receive the keys to the new building in August and begin the move over from their current location.

A big grand opening, open house, and soiree evening social to giveback is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 6.

A limited number of tickets will be available for an evening of dining, entertainment and dancing at the Cold Lake Ag Society. Tickets go on sale on Wednesday.