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Indigenous led women's shelter to be built in Whitehorse

Friday, 25 June 2021 12:51

By Dylan MacNeil

The CYFN team held an online press conference this morning to announce funding of the project. (Photo: Facebook - Council of Yukon First Nations)

CYFN has received funding for the project.

Whitehorse is set to get a new emergency shelter for Yukon First Nations women and children escaping family violence.

The Council of Yukon First Nations have announced that they won a bid for federal funding to support the project. They will get $6.5 million in capital and $1.7 million in operations funding. It is part of a federal commitment to build 12 shelters across the country.

The money will be granted to CYFN over the next five years to build an over 15,000 square foot shelter. It will have 15 units of both low and higher barrier spaces and 32 beds. The Government of Yukon has donated land to build on, but the location hasn’t been confirmed. In an online press conference, CYFN said it will not be in the downtown core.

CYFN says they will work with all Yukon First Nations and women’s organizations to make sure the facility meets their needs.

“Right now, there is not an indigenous led shelter in the Yukon. Not to say the current shelters don’t support, and indigenous women aren’t accessing those services, but ideally, what we’ve conceptualized is to have culturally appropriate space. So, we’ve been working with an architect to develop a concept that includes spaces for healing, ceremony, gathering, and outdoor spaces that are culturally appropriate,” said Shadelle Chambers, executive director at CYFN.

CYFN says they hope to staff the shelter with Yukon First Nations.

Construction is set to start next spring and the project is expected to be completed by June or July of 2023.

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