A Central Alberta organization that provides shelter and support to women and children fleeing domestic violence is celebrating major growth from a significant expansion.
Last fall, staff and clients moved into Phase One of the Central Alberta Women’s Emergency Shelter (CAWES) expansion — which includes 50 emergency beds and 17 transitional housing suites.
Phase Two, now under construction and scheduled for completion in late October, will add 23 affordable housing units, wellness and meeting spaces, and additional storage capacity.
“Once fully operational, CAWES will ensure women and children fleeing violence not only have immediate safety but also up to two years of continued support,” said Stacy Waddell, interim executive director. “This facility is urgently needed. With a local vacancy rate below one per cent, survivors are often left with nowhere to go after leaving CAWES.”
The $29.87-million project is largely funded by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, which is covering the full design and construction costs. Furniture and equipment were not included in the grant, but thanks to generous community support and other funding, CAWES has nearly reached its $2 million fundraising goal.
“Our community has truly stepped up,” Waddell added. “We’re on budget, on schedule, and getting closer every day to offering wraparound support.”
CAWES provides emergency shelter, crisis phone and text lines, risk assessments, safety planning, outreach services and educational programming for women and children fleeing domestic violence in Central Alberta.
Waddell said the spaces built and under construction aren’t just secure suites — they’re places where families can begin to heal and imagine lives free from violence. CAWES is here to help them get there.
To learn more about CAWES, visit their website.
** With information from Central Alberta Women’s Emergency Shelter.
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