A location has been unveiled for Candace House, a space for victims of crime going through the court process in Winnipeg.
The Kennedy Street location is a short walk from the Law Courts building in order to give victims easy and convenient access to the facility.
The project is the brain child of Wilma Derksen in honour of her daughter Candace. The 13-year-old Winnipeg girl went missing on her way home from school in November of 1984. Candace’s body was found six weeks later in a shed near the Derksen home.
“This is a journey of 33 years to get here,” Derksen said at a news conference Wednesday.
Derksen said she was inspired to create the refuge for families after going through the court process herself. She said families attending court hearings and trials don’t have a private place to go in the current Law Courts building.
“We felt like refugees within the city,” she said.” “We went to so many different places, dark dark places.”
She said Candace House will offer a place for victims to speak with each other, lay down during long breaks and to unwind.
“We need that first safe door, that entry into that world of law that we have been thrust into,” she said.
The announcement was made in conjunction with Victims and Survivors of Crime Week.
Candace House Executive Director Cecilly Hildebrand said construction and design on the space are already underway. The plan is to open in the fall of 2017, but funds still need to be raised.
The facility will be able to accommodate one to three families based on referrals. Candace House will also offer holistic and culturally relevant resources and information to victims. It will also be a place for victims to meet others going through similar situations.
“It’s important for victims to be able to share their stories with each other and offer emotional support,” Hildebrand said.
Details of a capital campaign for Candace House will be announced in the coming days, she said.
