Former Manitoba Catholic youth camp to be transformed into healing village
A former Manitoba Catholic youth camp is being repurposed as a healing village for Indigenous women.
Clan Mothers, a group of Indigenous women who work with those dealing with intergenerational trauma, held a ceremony Saturday on the grounds of the former camp in Belair, near Lake Winnipeg, to mark the beginning of a new kind of care.
Co-founder May Louise Campbell said the healing village will be a place that offers mid-term and long-term support for Indigenous women.
“We have to take those buildings down, we have to change this whole area and do it our way,” said Campbell.
The demolition of the existing building will begin next spring.
The Réseau Compassion Network, formally known as the Catholic Health Authority, donated the land to the Clan Mothers so they could build their healing village.
Campbell said the village will help the women living there discover who they are as Indigenous people.
“To reclaim so that we can continue to share our knowledge and our wisdom with all those who are open to wanting to learn,” said Campbell.
Elder Mary Brian, a Sixties Scoop survivor, said the healing village will also help the women who attend deal with their trauma.
“I think they will learn a lot about their culture, and how to use their cultural ceremonies and dance ceremonies. That will help them heal,” said Brian.
CEO of Réseau Compassion Network Daniel Lussier said he’s been working alongside the Clan Mothers on this project for close to five years.
He said returning the land to Indigenous people was the right thing to do, and a step towards reconciliation.
“We have a history we own with our organization, which is affiliated with the Catholic Church and its role in residential schools. Not that this is solving that, but it is part of the long journey ahead of us,” said Lussier.
Prairie Architects has been working with the Clan Mothers on a voluntary basis to realize the vision for the new space.
Principal Architect Melissa McAlister said the first phase of the project is expected to start in the spring of 2022.
“It’ll be five cabins to start. An elder’s cabin and a staff cabin, as well as a long house that will have kitchen facilities and multi-purpose space,” said McAlister.
Campbell said the demolition of the old buildings is part of the change that is needed for people to begin healing.
“Change has to happen and we need to be responsible for that change. Not you, not the government, not anybody else, we.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
Pearson gold heist suspect arrested after flying into Toronto from India
Another suspect is in custody in connection with the gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport last year, police say.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.
Justin and Hailey Bieber are expecting their first child together
Hailey and Justin Bieber are going to be parents. The couple announced the news on Thursday on Instagram, both sharing a video that showcases Hailey Bieber's growing belly.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Debate on abortion rights erupts on Parliament Hill, Poilievre vows he won't legislate
A Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre would not legislate on, nor use the notwithstanding clause, on abortion, his office says, as anti-abortion protesters gather on Parliament Hill.
New analysis of Beethoven's hair reveals possible cause of mysterious ailments, scientists say
High levels of lead detected in authenticated locks of Ludwig van Beethoven's hair suggest that the composer had lead poisoning, which may have contributed to ailments he endured over the course of his life, including deafness, according to new research.
B.C. man used Bobcat as 'weapon' while chasing away homeless people, judge says
A B.C. man has been convicted of assault with a weapon after using a skid-steer Bobcat to chase two homeless people from his lawn, injuring one of them in the process.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.