Cara Loverock
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, November 14, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - The territories' new health minister is vowing that Alison McAteer House, the only shelter for women fleeing abuse in Yellowknife, will stay open despite warnings from its director that the facility will close if more money isn't found soon.

Sandy Lee, minister of Health and Social Services, said she refuses to even consider the possibility.

Health Minister Lee: "I am not ready to accept or go anywhere near saying that any of the programs we have now are going to be closed."

I don't accept that premise," said Lee.

"I am not ready to accept or go anywhere near saying that any of the programs we have now are going to be closed. We just need to focus our energy on that and address that shortfall and I expect that we will have something done in short order."

The shelter is run by the YWCA of Yellowknife and takes in women from the city, as well as surrounding communities. It receives funding from the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority, which has a contract with the YWCA providing the group $582,873, up from $544,867 in 2005. In addition the authority provides $20,000 to cover utilities and $25,000 a year for maintenance by the Department of Public Works and Services. The Yellowknife health authority receives its funding from the territorial government.

The shelter's executive director, Lyda Fuller, has complained in recent months of losing staff to government agencies with higher salaries.

In September, she announced that the YWCA would be raising salaries but without more help from the territorial government, such a move would lead to a budget shortfall and the subsequent closure of Alison McAteer House.

Fuller said she viewed Lee's comments as a positive step but said she is still working with the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority to try and resolve the funding issue.

"It's really the fiscal year coming up that nobody seems to have an idea about ... how that will be resolved," said Fuller.

"I think people aren't even sure whether it will be a provisional budget for a short period of time and then a full-budget for the year or a full-budget for the year right away.

"Until the budget comes out in February, I won't know what will happen next fiscal year."

Fuller said the YWCA will be meeting again with the local health authority soon and is staying positive, she said, "I have my fingers crossed and am hoping for the best."

While discussing the issue of women and homelessness, Lee also commented that women will be receiving more help and will have more resources made available.

"The (Yellowknife) Homelessness Coalition and the community groups at large have been prioritizing the housing needs," said Lee.

"So they went with men first, then persons with disabilities and the next in line is women," said Lee, "Not so much women's shelters but women in transition - A more permanent home for women."

Dayle Handy, the city's homelessness coordinator, said there are plans to improve transitional housing resources for women in the city.

"The Yellowknife Homelessness Coalition has recently updated our community plan," said Handy. "Although it hasn't been approved by Ottawa yet, it is in the process as we speak."

Currently, a trailer owned by the Yellowknife Women's Society is all that is available for transitional living for women.