TORONTO, ON – (November 30, 2021) —For almost half a century, Nellie’s has sheltered women and their children fleeing violence and homelessness in a beautiful historic residential building. But what was designed as a space for 16 beds quickly grew to house 36 women and their children, kids from newborns to teenagers, within the same footprint.
Today, after a decade of searching for a new building, an investment from the provincial government, and more than two years of renovations to make the building more accessible, Nellie’s officially cut the ribbon on its new building.
“I am so thrilled that Nellie’s now has the facility to continue doing what they do best – supporting women and their children with compassion, and providing them with the resources they need to heal and rebuild their lives,” said Jane McKenna, Associate Minister of Children and Women’s Issues. “This beautiful new space represents safety and security to those that need it most.”
“The new shelter building will allow us to treat women and their children fleeing violence and homelessness with the dignity they deserve,” says Jyoti Singh, Nellie’s executive director.
The new building retains the charm and coziness of the previous shelter but in a much larger space. The number of shelter beds has increased to 40 beds spread across 22 bedrooms, and 20 bathrooms, giving all residents more privacy. This includes four barrier-free bathrooms. The increased living space also gives shelter staff a greater ability to implement health and safety measures during the pandemic, and beyond.
Until now, Nellie’s has operated out of two separate buildings: one for the shelter and another for the administration and community support and outreach services for women living in the community at risk of becoming homeless. To add to that, in order to safely implement pandemic physical distancing measures, for the last year-and-a-half residents have had to be divided between the shelter and a nearby hotel. Nellie’s new home merges everyone back under one roof.
“Nellie’s has helped thousands of people over the years, and the needs for our services continues to grow,” says Suzanne Johnson, Nellie’s board co-chair. “Women and children should be able to live free from violence and we are grateful to the provincial government and to all of our donors for their commitment to Nellie’s.”
Ontario’s violence against women’s shelters serve more than 17,000 women and children yearly across the province. Founded in 1973, Nellie’s has a strong focus on supporting marginalized women who have experienced violence, including women who may have been impacted by other issues, such as addiction and mental health challenges.
“If there’s one thing that a year and a half of pandemic living has brought to the forefront, it’s that the issues and struggles faced by the women and children Nellie’s serves are complex,” says Donnalea Sparling, board co-chair. “Our new home now also has so much more space for in-house and community programming, including a space dedicated to children’s programming, to meet both existing and emerging needs in order to provide an even greater circle of care.”
About Nellie’s
Nellie’s was founded in 1973 by a group of women activists who realized that in the City of Toronto, there were only 40 beds available for homeless women and over 400 beds for homeless men. Named after Nellie McClung, the pioneer feminist who challenged the Canadian government to have women declared persons under the law, Nellie’s has provided shelter, dignity and hope to over 15,000 women and their children.
