First-of-its-kind emergency safe space for Indigenous women to open next summer

Indigenous women in Manitoba at risk of violence, exploitation or homelessness will soon have a safe space to go 24 hours a day.

A new emergency safe space for Indigenous women at risk of violence, homelessness or exploitation is expected to open in Winnipeg next summer.

“We are creating a space here that will literally save lives,” said Families Minister Nahanni Fontaine during a news conference on Thursday.

“Once complete, (it) will become a warm, welcoming, culturally safe, low-barrier, emergency safe space … where Indigenous women can walk through the doors and immediately find safety, dignity and support,” Fontaine said.

The first-of-its kind 24/7 safe space for Indigenous women—to be known as the Mino’Ayaawag Ikwewag Lodge—will feature eight private bedrooms, a kitchen and dining area, as well as counselling and cultural wellness spaces with cultural supports, according to a news release.

Fontaine said the provincial government is contributing $3.5 million toward the build at 510 Selkirk Ave., with a commitment to continue to fund the lodge’s operations.

The staffed facility will also include a dedicated crisis response line operated by trained Indigenous staff and a mobile transportation service for travel to the venue.

“This lodge will serve as a bridge, a soft handoff, helping women to connect to a broader web of supports that they may need,” Fontaine said, noting that it is meant for stays of up to 48 hours by referrals.

“The Mino’Ayaawag Ikwewag Lodge is about building trust, walking alongside women, and ensuring they’re supported every step of the way in their healing and safety.”

She said the site’s location is the “perfect place” for the lodge due to multiple support centres in the area.

“It’s about creating that web of support. And I would submit that there’s no better street in Winnipeg to be able to start building that web of support and utilizing it in a more efficient way,” Fontaine said.

The provincial government has partnered with Ikwe Widdjiitiwin Inc. on the project, an Indigenous-led organization with decades of experience supporting women escaping violence.

The investment is being made through the Mino’Ayaawag Ikwewag, the Manitoba government’s $20 million strategy to “support the safety, protection and empowerment of Indigenous women, girls, two-spirit and gender-diverse people.”