With only one unit of emergency shelter housing available for women in the Bow Valley, the YWCA does not at this time qualify for provincial funding to provide the service.
With only one unit of emergency shelter housing available for women in the Bow Valley, the YWCA does not at this time qualify for provincial funding to provide the service.
But by adding more beds and transitional housing, which is currently non-existent, officials with the campaign to see more housing developed in the valley say they will qualify for operational funding.
“With a purpose-built building, we know more people will access these services,” said the Y's director of operations Steve Crotty during a presentation to Canmore council in January. “If they have a safe environment that is protected they are able to move forward and they will access it.”
Provincial funding is based on the number of beds and Crotty said at initial planning stages, the hope is to have four units of emergency shelter plus additional transitional housing to help women stay in the community instead of leaving because those resources are not available here.
Even now, said Crotty, the YWCA is unable to take the highest risk levels of women seeking shelter at their facility, as it does not meet security requirements. A new shelter would be purpose-built to provide that security.
Executive director Connie MacDonald also praised the work Canmore has done in supporting YWCA Banff, especially raising the most money for the Walk a Mile Event last year.
She hinted it might be possible to see that fundraising event happen in Canmore instead of Banff, as she wants the organization to take a whole Bow Valley approach.
While a name change may be in the works for the future, MacDonald said she is committed to earning the trust of the regional community through the work being done before “we worry about changing our name.”
The Y has three priorities in the valley – providing programs and services, housing and social enterprise work, which helps funds programs. That work includes the small 42-room hotel it operates.
In terms of full-time housing, the Y has 120 full-time residents at its location in Banff, and MacDonald said these are not transient people, but actual residents of the community.
“It is very simple, we provide an affordable place to stay and convenient location in Banff,” she said.
Housing is an area identified in the new five-year strategic plan for growth, she added, and more emergency shelter space and transitional housing is key.
“We believe we need a women's emergency shelter in the Bow Valley,” MacDonald said.
Crotty said it is not as simple as adding to the existing facility in Banff in order to meet the needs of a population base of 30,000 from Lake Louise to Morley. A small number of purpose-built shelters in Alberta offer a model that is being considered for new shelter space and the Y hopes to find a location in Canmore to build.
“It meets the needs for women and children from an emergency perspective and moving them into transitional housing,” he said. “Our biggest challenge is women do not have access to the second stage of services in the entire Bow Valley.
“As a community, our role, objective and strong mandate should be to provide those services through the whole spectrum.”
MacDonald told Canmore council the Y is at square one of this process and they want local organizations and politicians to have a seat at the table to help make the housing a reality.
The Y is also launching a new fundraising event at Silvertip on March 14 called VINEart, which is a gala and auction. The event encourages valley residents to combine their passion for fine art, wine and food to benefit the shelter project.
Go to www.ywcabanff.ab.ca for more information on the event as well as the programs and services offered by the Y.
