Shelter for women in north could open by June

SASKATOON A 24-bed emergency shelter, being built for women and children in the remote northern community of Black Lake First Nation is a “long-standing dream come true,” the head of the Athabasca Health Authority says.

Darryl Galusha says construction on the shelter began last month and is expected to be complete by the end of March. He hopes the shelter will be staffed and operational by June 2019.

When that happens, women and children in need from communities around the Athabasca Basin will be able to get support close to home. At present, women who face dangerous situations or spousal abuse are put on planes with their children and flown to a shelter in La Ronge (600 kilometres away) or Prince Albert (800 kilometres away).

“You’re taken away from everything that you know, you’re taken away from your family, your social structure, your support systems, so we want to be able to provide that,” Galusha said.

“We want to keep people together and families where they ’re comfortable, where their language is spoken, where they know people.”

Galusha said he hopes that the 24 beds that will be at the shelter will be more than the community needs.

The shelter, located across from the Black Lake Denesuline Health Centre, is expected to create six new jobs in the community when it opens.

Construction of the shelter is being funded by a $2.3-million investment from the federal government through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.