'It's just the start': Yellowknife's Centre for Northern Families expanding

The Centre for Northern Families is expanding.

The building on Yellowknife's Franklin Avenue currently pulls double duty housing an emergency shelter for women as well asfamily programs, such as a daycare, and classes for new and pregnant moms.

But that's all going to change.

"What we're looking to do is move the Centre for Northern Families, which is going to focus on the daycare and family programs, into a new building," says Bree Denning, the executive director of the Yellowknife Women's Society.

"And the current building will be devoted solely to our shelter programs."

In addition to the new building, they're going to make significant renovations to the shelter space in the current facility, converting it into individual bedrooms so the women have more privacy.

"It's actually quite crowded," Denning says of the current space. "Women sleep between two and eight to a room, as well as we have bunks in the common area. So it's quite chaotic at times."

Once the daycare moves out,they also plan to add up to six bedrooms, a kitchen and a bathroom in the basement.

Denning says the Centre for Northern Families has sheltered 166 women over the last year all of whom come for a variety of reasons and lengths of stay.

"I think it's clear based on what we're seeing in terms of organizing around homelessness that there's a massive need," she says.

"It's a community problem. It's really, really complex."

Just the beginning

Denning says this expansion is just the start. The Centre made a strategic plan in 2010 and has stowed awayfunding in a reserve in order to implement it,but Denning adds that they still need to grow their programs responsibly.

They're talking to contractors about plans for the new building, and hopethey can get the renovations done on the current facility without too many disruptions.

"We're hoping to provide just more space, more privacy and more options," Denning says.

"We need to be a safe place for women."

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