Fort Smith (Oct 20/03) - In the South Slave, two shelters offer women and their children an escape from abuse. Refuge can be found at Fort Smith's Sutherland House and the Family Support Centre/Safe Home Network in Hay River.

Ernestine Gladue, the executive director of the Family Support Centre/Safe Home Network, in the children's play area of the Hay River women's shelter. - Paul Bickford/NNSL photo

"I find it hard to picture if there was not a shelter," says April Davies, the executive director of Sutherland House. "Where would these people go?"

That sentiment is echoed by Ernestine Gladue, the executive director of the Hay River shelter.

"It's really important work," Gladue says. "You're dealing with people's lives. There's no job more important than that."

Women and their children from around the NWT can stay in the shelters for up to six weeks.

Last year, 70 women and children stayed at Sutherland House. In addition, there were many more walk-ins and calls to a 24-hour crisis line.

Support counsellor Marilyn Harry notes women from all walks of life seek shelter and help. They could be single or married, young or old, and from all races.

"It could be anybody," says Davies.

The types of abuse they are fleeing include physical, psychological, emotional, financial and sexual.

The six-bed Sutherland House looks much like any other home. "We make it as comfortable as possible," says Harry.

The facility, which is operated by the non-profit Tawow Society, is staffed by five permanent and six casual workers.

It offers counselling and referrals to other agencies. The goal of counselling is to give women choices and to break the cycle of violence.

"Success would be a woman who would be happy with her choices," Davies says.

At the Family Support Centre/Safe Home Network in Hay River, 64 women and 53 children stayed at the 12-bed shelter during the year ending in April. "That was pretty normal," Gladue says of the yearly numbers.

Among the programs the shelter offers are family violence awareness, parenting and general life skills.

Clients requiring counselling are referred to the Family Counselling Centre.

"We do a lot of support work. We listen," explains Gladue.

"We never tell them what to do."

The shelter also has a 24-hour crisis line for ongoing support. Gladue would like to see more funding for the non-profit shelter. "I see the funding as not being adequate," she says, noting it is difficult to retain staff. The shelter has six full-time employees, along with casual workers.

Women in Fort Resolution and Lutsel K'e usually rely on shelters in larger communities.

However, women needing an emergency safe house for a night or two in Lutsel K'e stay in an empty bedroom at The Healing Centre. That is a four-bedroom house containing the offices of Health and Social Services and other programs.

"It's meeting our needs here," says Addie Jonasson, the community social services worker.

The centre has been used for several years as a shelter, and as emergency housing for families. Jonasson says, although it hasn't happened yet, a problem might arise if more than one person or family needs emergency accommodation.

If a woman needs a longer stay in a safe house, she is sent to Yellowknife, Fort Smith or Hay River.

Jonasson says, over the last year, several women have stayed at The Healing Centre, but no one has gone to a shelter elsewhere.

In Fort Resolution, Wilfred Simon, a drug and alcohol counsellor, says a woman in need of a shelter is sent to Hay River.

In an emergency, a woman may be housed overnight in a local residence. As far as Simon can recall, that has only happened once.

Last year, there were three or four women sent to a shelter elsewhere.