After many years of planning and two years of construction, the new Stepping Stones Crisis Centre is officially open in Cold Lake.
The centre has emergency shelter capacity for 63 women and family members, and second-stage housing and support for a dozen families. As impressive as the physical space is, speakers at the grand opening reinforced the importance of programming to help women escape violence and abuse.
“The opening of our new facility today marks not just the unveiling of the building, but the realization of a vision: a safe, supportive space for those seeking refuge, healing and hope,” said Stepping Stones’ board president Leona Kolbinson.
The new centre will address a critical lack of capacity, Kolbinson said.
“It was just over two years ago at the groundbreaking ceremony that I spoke of a heartbreaking devastation for our staff members and for the brave women who are taking their first steps to leave a harmful situation—of being turned away in their hour of need due to lack of capacity. Today, knowing that this will no longer be a reality brings such joy and hope to our organization and to our community.”
The City of Cold Lake donated the land for the project. At the opening ceremony, mayor Craig Copeland applauded the work of the current Stepping Stones board and staff as well as the efforts of those from the Dr. Margaret Savage Crisis Centre who laid the organizational groundwork.
Bonnyville – Cold Lake – St. Paul MLA Scott Cyr said three provincial government ministers had been involved in the project including current Children and Family Services minister Searle Turton.
On Turton’s behalf, Cyr said, “For all that you do to walk alongside survivors of family violence during some of their toughest times, Alberta’s government is proud to open this new chapter with you as you continue this important work.” He said the province is spending an additional $1.2 million to support the centre’s operations “on top of the $1.7 million government provides annually to Stepping Stones Crisis Society.”
Cold Lake First Nations Elder Adelard Blackman opened the ceremony with remarks and a prayer. Fort McMurray – Cold Lake Member of Parliament Laila Goodridge, who is the Opposition shadow minister for social development and families, also offered remarks.
Other speakers were Joni Brodziuk, Assistant Deputy Minister, Preventive Family Services for the provincial government; Kyla Tanner from Womens’ Shelters Canada; Cat Champagne from the Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters; and Matt Brown from Nails Enterprises, the project’s principal construction contractor.
Before cutting the ribbon, Stepping Stones’ executive director Melissa Francis—herself a survivor of domestic violence—spoke of the new centre’s opportunity to create a legacy.
“It’s creating a place of safe haven and it’s creating an opportunity for someone to better their life,” she said.
“If I had not stepped into a shelter 25 years ago, I may have been a very different version of myself and I attribute that to the organization that helped me. While they provided an amazing safe place over my head, what they did better was provide programming that taught me skills and attributes that I didn’t know at 19 years old. I continue to tell my staff every day: if we want the women who leave our shelter to do better, to be better, to act better, then it’s our responsibility to teach them better and different behaviours.
“I stand on that principle, that programming is going to be the keystone to what we do here,” she said. “And I have an amazing staff behind me to do that.”
