A new support centre in Saskatoon is giving Indigenous women and families a place to turn for resources, connection and support. The Coming Home Centre officially opened Monday, marking the culmination of a project years in the making. The unique-to-Saskatoon centre is located on the seventh floor of the First Nations Bank building in downtown Saskatoon. It was created specifically to help Indigenous women, girls and two-Spirit People navigate services and access support. Melissa Cote, the City of Saskatoon’s director of Indigenous Initiatives, says the centre was created in response to what the community identified as gaps in existing systems. “The community told us that existing systems are difficult to navigate; that services were often fragmented,” Cote told CTV News. The goal is to connect people with community resources, advocacy and culturally responsive services, including support during some of the most difficult times in their lives. Groups like the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) and the Central Urban Metis Federation (CUMFI), have also been involved with planning and will play a vital role in operations. “And know that you can just stop in here. You don’t need to make an appointment. You know, you can come and look out the windows and see the City of Saskatoon from a higher point,” Shirley Isbister with CUMFI said. Located on Fourth Avenue, the centre was created as part of Phase 2 of the city’s Indigenous Women, Girls and two-Spirit People Coming Home Report. For Deb and Brian Gallagher, whose daughter Megan was murdered, a space like this could have provided crucial support during one of the most difficult periods of their lives. “This is the perfect place for something like this to take hold. And I hope it grows, and I know it will grow. And I hope this is copied in other centres across Canada,” Brian Gallagher said. Deb Gallagher says she hopes the need for a service like this eventually decreases. “I prayed to the Creator that the numbers keep going down and we don’t need a space like this, but right now we do.” The idea for the centre came from Auntie Advocate Dorthea Swiftwolfe. She says having a safe, culturally appropriate space close to the courthouse will make it easier for families to access support and ceremony when they need it. “This is a place where we can sit together and share, to have a conversation. Share the tears and some ceremony and simply be together.” Survivors, advocates and other women will also be available to support people who come through the centre’s doors. Saskatoon Police Chief Cam McBride was among those on hand for the opening. He says there are areas where police and other institutions still have more to learn. “You know, we know a lot of things about a lot of things, but we don’t know very much about some things that we should know.” The centre is located on land leased through Yellow Quill First Nation, one of Saskatoon’s eight urban reserves. Mayor Cynthia Block was also at the opening, highlighting the arrangement as part of the city’s commitment to reconciliation and its relationship with Indigenous communities. The Coming Home Centre was established as part of the city’s broader work to support Indigenous women, girls and Two-Spirit people experiencing violence, trauma or exploitation. The hope is that the centre will help those who need it to feel safe, connected, and, as its name suggests, at home.
