Calgary children's emergency shelter expands services with new location
A resource for Calgary families working through personal crises will soon have more shelter space to offer when parents reach out for help.
The Children's Cottage Society broke ground on its brand new Child and Family Centre, located in the northwest community of Montgomery on Friday.
The new building, which is approximately 35,000 square feet, will be able to house about 1,900 babies and children each year while also offering supports to 8,850 children and families.
The space is sorely needed, the group says, as it admits there have been times where it hasn't been able to keep up with demand because of a lack of space and resources.
In 2016, the society said it turned away 1,795 children while in 2019, that number increased to 1,915.
"We have been turning away children from our crisis centre in Bridgeland – about 1,900 children every year. The children who are coming to it because their parents are having a crisis or emergency that prevents them from taking care of them," said Patty Kilgallon, CEO of the Children's Cottage Society.
She says when the children are turned away, it puts them at risk of neglect and could result in them being hurt.
Kilgallon says the new building will also be able to cater to some of the vulnerable populations that their current location doesn't have space for.
"We see many Indigenous children coming to us and we have never had the ability to have elders in our building to support those children and their parents. So now elders will have a space to be and we'll have a ceremonial room as well."
The facility, which includes a 20-bed crisis nursery, access to the Calgary West Family Resource Network, counselling services and a number of other programs, costs approximately $31 million.
So far, $15.2 million has been raised through grants from the provincial and municipal governments as well as community partners.
More information about the Children's Cottage Society, including an opportunity to donate to pay for the facility's costs, can be found online.
https://childrenscottage.ab.ca/
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
Blind Sask. boy heading to international braille competition hopes to increase accessibility for visually impaired
A Saskatchewan boy who qualified for an international braille competition in Los Angeles next month hopes he can inspire change in his home province.
'A step forward': New screening criteria for sperm donors takes effect
Canadians looking to grow their families with the assistance of sperm or egg donations should soon have more options for donors as the federal health agency does away with longstanding restrictions criticized as discriminatory.