Both the second-stage housing and transitional home capacity programs at the Lloydminster Interval Home Society will each receive $40,000.(Facebook/ For the Interval Store)

By Kenneth Cheung

END GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE

New funding helps Lloyd Interval Home strengthens support for domestic violence survivors

Feb 4, 2025 | 5:00 PM

Survivors of domestic violence in Lloydminster will soon have greater access to enhanced support services due to a $80,000 investment in the city’s Interval Home Society.

The funding, part of Saskatchewan’s $3.8 million commitment under the National Action Plan to end Gender-Based Violence, will help improve the region’s second-stage housing and transitional home capacity.It was announced on Feb. 8.

Angela Rooks-Trotzuk, the chief executive officer (CEO) of the Spark Foundation of Lloydminster(formerly known as the Lloydminster Interval Home), said the money will have a transformative impact on their services.

“The money spent towards transitional housing capacity building for us is really allowing an opportunity to revamp our whole program,” she said.

“It’s about better equipping staff to respond to trauma with different levels of training, such as motivational interviewing and trauma response training.”

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She noted that the funding will boost their second-stage housing program, which supports women and children transitioning from emergency shelters.

The program provides on-site support for a semi-independent living environment in a five-unit apartment complex.

“We know that when women transition to second-stage housing, that’s when they’re at their most vulnerable and the highest risk for homicide,” Rooks-Trotzuk explained.

“So, safety is number one. We provide one-on-one supportive counselling, case planning, life skills training, and help them reconnect to the community.”

With the financial boost, she said the organization could enhance safety measures and offer more services, such as counselling, case planning, and life skills programs.

Domestic homicide victims’ families and loved ones from the cases reviewed were invited to develop this memorial for those lost. “This memorial expresses loss, grief and memories. It also depicts hope for the future and for change.” (Government of Saskatchewan- 2024 Domestic Violence Death Review Report)

Cultural Safety Initiative for Indigenous Women

Rooks-Trotzuk shared that a significant portion of the new funding will be directed toward improving services for Indigenous women, who are disproportionately affected by domestic violence.

The latest 2024 Domestic Violence Death Review Report examined 31 domestic homicide cases and revealed that Indigenous peoples were “overrepresented as victims.”

“We want to make sure that we are serving them the best that we can. That’s why we’re embedding cultural safety and competence into our programming,” she noted.

As part of this effort, they plan to integrate traditional healing and wellness practices into its services.

“It’s about making sure we provide a culturally safe space for Indigenous women who come into our shelter,” she said.

Emergency shelter services (Transitional Home Capacity)

The funding will also improve the organization’s emergency shelter, a 33-bed facility that provides immediate crisis support for women and children fleeing domestic violence.

“This is a 24-hour crisis response service where women can come for immediate safety and support,” said Rooks-Trotzuk.

“We provide safety planning, crisis intervention, case management, transportation assistance, and connections to long-term housing options.”

The average stay in the shelter is about 12 days, though clients can stay for up to three weeks, she added.

With the new funding, the shelter will be able to expand its capacity to respond to immediate crises, improve safety planning resources, and ensure faster access to long-term support systems.

A step toward ending gender-based violence

Funding for the Lloydminster Interval Home Society is part of the Saskatchewan government’s initiative to combat domestic violence, focusing on prevention, early intervention, and support for survivors and their families.

Acknowledged that while gender-based violence remains a pressing issue, she said these investments represent progress.

“I definitely think when we’re focusing on building capacity in existing programs, that’s the way to go,” she said. “Investing in prevention and capacity building is a huge step toward decreasing and eventually ending domestic violence.”

She also highlighted the importance of collaboration between government and community organizations.

“We’re not going to see an end to domestic violence in my lifetime, unfortunately, but we can make real progress when we have support from our government partners,” she said.

With these new resources, Trotzuk believes the Lloydminster Interval Home Society is poised to expand its reach, strengthen its services, and provide renewed hope to survivors seeking safety and stability.

The following are all the community-based partners and agencies that this new investment will fund.

• Natural Supports Program ($635,000): Saskatchewan Toward Offering Partnership Solutions to Violence;
• Enhanced Early Intervention Supports ($1,100,000): Collaboration between Family Service Regina Inc. and Family Service Saskatoon;
• Healthy Relationships Program ($513,000): The John Howard Society;
• Adverse Childhood Experiences Awareness and Prevention ($485,000): Praxis Consulting Inc.;
• Common Intimate Partner Violence Assessment Tool ($300,000): Provincial Association of Transition Houses and Services of Saskatchewan Inc. (PATHS); and
• Human Trafficking Prevention Toolkit ($297,000): Saskatoon Downtown Youth Centre (EGADZ).

Second Stage Housing Capacity ($215,000):

• Lloydminster Interval Home Society Inc. ($40,000);
• Prince Albert Safe Shelter for Women Inc. ($40,000);
• Sofia House Inc. ($40,000);
• YWCA Regina Inc. ($38,855);
• YWCA Saskatoon Inc. ($36,000); and
• Saskatoon Interval House Inc. ($20,000).
• Transition Home Capacity ($214,000):
  • Lloydminster Interval Home Society ($40,000);
  • Regina Transition House ($40,000);
  • YWCA Regina Inc. ($39,644);
  • YWCA Prince Albert Inc. ($39,000);
  • Moose Jaw Women’s Transition Association Inc. ($35,000);
  • Saskatoon Interval House Inc. ($20,000); and
  • Safe and Together Training ($42,000): PATHS.

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Kenneth.Cheung@pattisonmedia.com