Ann Terry Project likely to lose funding and close in July

A women's employment-support agency in Cape Breton says it may have to close its doors after 30 years due to a change in government policy.

The Ann Terry Project, named after renowned broadcaster Ann Terry MacLellan, specializes in helping women.

But the province has decided to stop funding suchspecialized services for employment as of July 1, 2016.

The executive director of the project, Ann MacPhee,says the province met with the agency, and the agencyargued against the change.

"Did they listen to what we had to say? There are only two women's services across the province it would appear to me that they didn't," MacPhee says.

MacPhee says women face major challenges because there's a high poverty rate in Cape Breton. Plus, she said many of those women bring in the household's sole income.

She said they serve about 250 clients a year, finding work for about 145.

'It's obvious that it is a place for women'

When clients walk in, "it's obvious that it is a place for women it's a place where women belong."

She doesn't see that happening in the new model.

"The research has shown that a lot of women will go into bigger centres where it's very busy and there are a lot of people.Everybody seems to know what they're doing.They're using computers,using job boards and the research shows us that the women often feel they don't belong," she said.

"They gather up their three children and go home."

MacPhee says the support workers at Ann Terrytake the time to establish a relationship with the clients. Many live in poverty and have been out of work for a while. Some have experience violence at home, she said.

The board of the Ann Terry Project will continue to fight the province's decision.

She argues that specialized services should remain for women,along with help for peoplewith disabilitiesand African Nova Scotians.