Manitoba has committed approximately $8 million to construct a new 24/7 secure facility for Indigenous women and their children in Thompson, Manitoba. The Mino’Ayaawag Ikwewag Northern Lodge will feature 10 short-term private studio suites, a shared kitchen and living space, counseling and program rooms, laundry amenities, and a designated child-minding area with Indigenous cultural teachings and play-based learning.
Individuals residing at the facility will have access to trauma-informed assistance, cultural activities, parenting support, peer assistance, and connections to housing, health, education, employment, and legal services. Manitoba Families Minister Nahanni Fontaine expressed her delight during a news conference held in Winnipeg at the Mino’Ayaawag Ikwewag Lodge’s Selkirk Avenue location.
The new site in Thompson, a central location in northern Manitoba, will be established through a partnership with the Infinity Women Secretariat, an affiliate of the Manitoba Métis Federation, and the Ma-Mow-We-Tak Friendship Centre in Thompson. This collaboration aims to provide Indigenous women and their families with safe, inclusive, and culturally responsive services.
Anita Campbell, a representative for the Infinity Women Secretariat, expressed her excitement about the upcoming 24/7 safe space for women in Thompson and emphasized the availability of various programs through the neighboring friendship center for individuals at the safe space. Fontaine highlighted that the project is currently in the design phase and aims to be operational within the next 18 to 24 months.
The initiative aligns with a commitment made by the NDP before taking office in the last election to establish 24/7 centers in Winnipeg, Brandon, and Thompson. Fontaine mentioned that the Winnipeg site where the news conference occurred is still under construction and is expected to open between February and April.
The province emphasized the pressing need for such facilities in Thompson and surrounding northern areas due to disproportionately high rates of gender-based violence experienced by Indigenous women, girls, two-spirit, and gender-diverse individuals. The new facility addresses the calls for justice outlined by the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls by offering culturally safe and trauma-informed support services.
