Established in 1982, the Swan Valley Crisis Centre (SVCC) provides critical services, including emergency and transitional housing, to women and children who are experiencing or have experienced family violence.
Between 2019 and 2023, there were 979 victims of intimate partner homicide, 719 of whom were women.
That meant in that period, a woman in Canada was killed by her intimate partner every 2.5 days. In 2023 in Canada, of the 123,319 people aged 15 and over who experienced intimate partner violence (IPV), 78% were women.
Within the SVCC is the Women's Resource Centre, which provides drop-in services, such as computers, and ways to navigate the different systems.
Crystal Duchesne is the Executive Director at the SVCC and says the programs offered are incredibly important.
"To not have these services in this community would mean women and children having to leave our community," said Duchesne. "They would be transferred to Dauphin, and many times they're full, so they would be transferred to Brandon. That takes them away from their family, their friends, their jobs, and their community."
As noted above, they also provide transitional housing, and the 2023-24 year was one for the record books.
"We've seen a sharp increase in women and children spending the night here," continued Duchesne. "Bed nights from 2023-24 almost hit 3000, which is a 100 percent increase from the year before."
They are also the only organization in Swan River that offers parenting courses, and all services are free. They are one of two organizations that provide anger management sessions and the only organization that does domestic violence information sessions.
In the 2023-24 year, there were 341 women's counselling sessions, 90 children's counselling sessions, 95 parenting sessions, 79 anger management/domestic violence sessions, 34 women's group sessions, and 28 public/classroom presentations.
They service the Swan Valley and surrounding First Nations communities. So if you are in need, you can call them at 204-734-9368. You can also visit them at 119 9th Ave N in Swan River.
Crystal also confirms that they are in the planning stages of expansion. The current building is older and isn't accessible to people with mobility issues, meaning it does not meet the needs of all community members.
Under their current vision, the new space would include a healing room and 12 additional emergency and transitional housing units, which would bring the total to 16 units for women and children suffering from family violence. The new building will ultimately go on property donated by the Elbert Chartrand Friendship Centre.
