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Ernestine’s Women’s Shelter is launching an emergency fundraising appeal after a flood last month revealed extensive water and mould damage.  Multiple areas of the emergency shelter for people experiencing gender-based violence have been affected, with mould remediation and infrastructure repair costs estimated at $250,000.

“Every wall we open reveals more damage, and with it, a greater risk of losing the very spaces that help families heal,” said Laverne Blake, Ernestine’s interim executive director. “We’re already stretched to the limit with a growing a gender-based violence crisis, and we can’t possibly absorb a $250,000 bill for emergency repairs.”

While much of the building is livable for the time being, including all bedrooms, to ensure safety of residents and staff, affected areas have been, and continue to be, sealed off until remediation and repairs are completed.

These closures have led to a loss of programs for residents, among them Ernestine’s Child & Youth Program Room and Homework & Computer Lab. Last year, young people staying at Ernestine's spent hundreds of hours in these spaces as they healed from trauma.

The shelter’s Counselling rooms and Outreach spaces are also at risk of closure. These spaces allow Ernestine’s to connect one-on-one with survivors, as well as provide housing and legal support.

“Every program closure means fewer opportunities for families to heal and rebuild their lives. These programs aren’t extras. They are lifelines,” said Blake. “If we can’t complete these repairs, we may be forced to close meaning many survivors in crisis will have nowhere to go.”