“I think it really hits home on the concept of equity and really summarizes the idea that it’s more than just a service, more than just a why.”
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The YWCA has announced that its new Centre for Women and Families, under construction in the heart of Regina’s Cathedral neighbourhood, has been gifted a new name ahead of its completion.
The new 85,000-square-foot facility, set to become the hub of YWCA services once open, will now be known as the Kikakihtânaw Centre.
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The word in Cree means “we will all succeed,” and was shared in ceremony by knowledge keeper Nina Wilson at Kahkewistahaw First Nation at the end of January.
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“The knowledge that has been shared with me is that name was already there, it has existed since the inception of the building,” said YWCA Regina CEO Melissa Coomber-Bendtsen.
She said the moniker really encapsulates the spirit of the centre, both in what it hopes to provide for the community and the way it’s come together with the support of staff, donors and external partners.
“I think it really hits home on the concept of equity and really summarizes the idea that it’s more than just a service, more than just a why. This centre is about community and how to bring that together,” she said.
“All of us have a place and a piece of this puzzle. Our staff, the community, our donors, the people we serve — all are part of that.”
She called the reveal of a new name “such a landmark” for the project, which has been years in the making.
“Now it is a place where it’s a reality, it’s happening and you know, there’s the finish line,” she said.
Set to open this September, the new centre will be a hub for the YWCA and other partner organizations, offering wraparound services to women and children.
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It will have 40 emergency shelter spaces, 68 supportive affordable housing units, two childcare centres, a multi-purpose community space, a commercial kitchen and a coffee shop, as well as a pop-up space for other vendors or organizations to temporarily cycle through.
Announced in the preliminary designs, Saskatchewan’s first year-round healing lodge and ceremony site will also be inside the centre. All Nations Hope Network will oversee and steward the space.
New to the vision is the addition of a “youth hub,” to operate in partnership with the ministries of health, justice and social services.
“It will be a space for youth by youth, that will have medical practitioners and support systems in place for young people,” said Coomber-Bendtsen.
The hub will offer mental health supports, medical services and even employment programs, she explained.
Once operational, the new centre is expected to impact more than 10,000 women and families in Regina, including through partner organizations.
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YWCA broke ground on the project in 2022, beginning construction shortly after.
The facility is now “ahead of schedule and under budget” according to Coomber-Bendtsen, though a final $9 million is still needed to wrap up their fundraising.
Contributions so far include $35.5 million from the federal government, $18 million from community fundraising, $5 million from the Saskatchewan Housing Authority, and $6.2 million from the public capital campaign, including $5 million from donors Jill and Gordon Rawlinson.
The City of Regina donated the land, valued at $2 million, on which the centre now sits, and pledged another $1 million in the 2024 budget for the project.
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