Canada’s second infant safe surrender site coming to rural Manitoba fire hall
A fire hall in a rural Manitoba community is set to become home to the country’s second safe surrender site for infants.
Called Hope’s Cradle, the site is a temperature-controlled bassinet where a parent or caregiver can surrender an infant.
The first in Canada was installed at a fire hall in Strathmore, Alta. in December 2021. The second is being installed at the Landmark Fire Hall in the Rural Municipality of Taché.
“Everybody within the fire department, within the RM administration have all embraced it, and we're just happy to be able to provide that type of service if and when required,” RM of Taché Fire Chief Allan Rau told CTV News Winnipeg.
Hope’s Cradle is an initiative by Gems for Gems, a Calgary non-profit aimed at ending the cycle of domestic violence by empowering survivors.
(Source: Taché Fire/Facebook)
How it works - the cradle is opened by a small, exterior door at the fire hall, which immediately sets off a silent alarm and alerts first responders, who will be dispatched immediately. A built-in camera allows them to monitor the baby until help arrives.
The parent or caregiver receives an envelope with documentation informing them of their rights, detailing how the process works, a list of resources as well as a form to send in the baby’s medical history. There is also a guided letter where they can write a message to their baby and then send it anonymously to the fire hall afterward, if they choose.
They then have two to three minutes to place the baby inside the cradle and leave before help arrives. Once the door is closed, it cannot be reopened. The mother will have 30 days to reclaim their child.
There are no cameras, and the process is meant to be anonymous.
“That is really the big difference maker and what we really believe will be the reason why women will choose Hope’s Cradle as opposed to what has been happening, which is ditches and dumpsters, which is obviously creating an unsafe environment for the baby,” explained Jordan Guildford, founder and CEO of Gems for Gems.
She notes they plan to install Hope’s Cradles in many more cities and towns across Canada. She said similar initiatives in the States have saved 1,600 lives.
“We need to make sure that this becomes widely accepted and accessible. Without that, I think we’re going to fall short of our goal.”
TRAGIC DISCOVERY INSPIRES SAFE SURRENDER SITE
Rau told CTV News the catalyst for the project came after the body of a newborn girl was found in a garbage bin in an alley in Winnipeg’s North End in June of 2022.
Jeanene Rosa Moar, 31, was charged with manslaughter and concealing the body of a child. Those charges were stayed in October.
READ MORE: Charges stayed in death of Winnipeg infant found in garbage bin
Life Culture executive director Susan Penner was deeply affected by case. The Steinbach-based organization advocates for the pro-life movement and beginning of life to end of life protection.
Memorial for Baby Moar from Friday June 10, 2022. (Source: Josh Crabb/CTV News)
Penner heard about the first Hope’s Cradle in Alberta, and felt it was in step with her organization’s work.
“I thought this would probably be a great resource to have in the province, in our area, in case other women are in that situation,” Penner said.
The organization approached Rau to see if a Hope’s Cradle could be installed in their municipality.
“I thought immediately that it was a great idea, and that I would pursue it with the administration and council to see if they would be willing to allow that to happen,” Rau said.
The safe surrender site came with a price tag of $20,000.
Life Culture started fundraising in November. Penner said it didn’t take long to reach their goal.
“I've done fundraising for years, and you always know when something resonates, when the money comes in quickly,” she said.
“It's a really tangible way to support women who are in these really desperate circumstances. It really brings up compassion in people.”
Life Culture executive director Susan Penner is pictured with Zach Ronaldson and Allan Ward, who installed a Hope's Cradle at the Landmark Fire Hall.
The initiative was eventually approved by the municipal council, and installation began by Gems for Gems Monday morning, and was finished two days later.
Rau said the cradle is now in a two-week trial phase and from there, they will decide when to put it into operation.
“We're very proud that we have that box, and as I previously stated, we hope it never gets used,” Rau said.
- With files from CTV's Danton Unger
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Made-in-Newfoundland vodka claims top prize at worldwide competition
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.