YWCA Westman Inc. has been in existence for more a century as a non-profit, charitable organization that advocates for, supports and empower women, children and future generations through community collaboration and networks to address and prevent gender-based violence. YWCA Westman is dedicated to providing safety for women and their children, and those marginalized by gender who are experiencing domestic or family violence.
YWCA Westman built Meredith Place in 1917 at 148 11th Street in Brandon MB and for more than 100 years it provided shelter and transitional housing for those within the Brandon community. Due to ageing infrastructure that was too costly to maintain, the building was demolished in late 2023, leaving a flat lot in downtown Brandon that YWCA Westman plans to reimagine into a multi-purpose space.
YWCA Westman is now ready to engage with a consulting firm that approaches unique community developments in a collaborative, culturally inclusive and trauma-informed way. The organization envisions a space that will meet the needs of survivors of family and intimate partner violence in Brandon (population 50,000) and the region of southwestern Manitoba (population 180,000) as well as their children. This campus will imagine a space that has never existed for women and their children in our region. Not only will it provide immediate and longer term housing, it will support health, education and cultural learning, provide a safe space for women and their children to heal, grow and feel empowered to embrace the future.
