A 24/7 supervised housing program in Whitehorse will soon be available for women leaving the Yukon’s corrections system.

The program will be run independently out of the Takhini Haven building, a former group home on the property of the Whitehorse Correctional Centre off Range Road.

The renovated building is expected to take in its first resident at the end of March, depending on staffing levels.

It will help women transition out of the justice system, offering safe housing and supports to those on bail, conditional sentences, mandatory supervision and temporary absences.

The territory is partnering with the Connective Support Society, which will operate and administer the program in partnership with the Council of Yukon First Nations (CYFN).

Connective already runs four other programs in the Yukon, including a similar facility for men that opened in 2020.

Formerly known as the John Howard Society, Connective also manages the shelter for the homeless on Fourth Avenue at Alexander Street, in partnership with the CYFN.

Justice Minister Tracy-Anne McPhee told reporters at a news conference in the building this week that although such transitional services have been available for decades to men leaving the justice system, this new program will be the first of its kind for women in the North. 

“(For) women involved in the justice system, there is often a different safety factor than there is for some men,” she said.

“This programming will allow women who might otherwise be unsafe returning to their community, who are involved in the justice process, to be in a safe place and to start to address some of their concerns and issues in a way that will ultimately allow them we hope to … reintegrate into their communities in a safer way”

McPhee said the government has budgeted $1.2 million to fund the facility through March 2024.

A variety of “culturally sensitive and trauma-informed supports” will be available to residents, she added.

Gigi McKee, the assistant regional director at Connective, said those supports will be tailored to each resident. They could include anything from classes for cooking to knitting to bead-making. 

“Our staff can assist residents to navigate obstacles in their path to community reintegration, while providing targeted programming, support, advocacy, and information on community resources as they work to achieve their self-identified goals,” McKee said.

Supports culturally specific to First Nations women will also be developed with the CYFN, she said.

In a follow-up email, Connective spokesperson Chris Kinch said “the over-representation of Indigenous women in the justice system” led the society to partner with the CYFN to create work on providing those supports.

The new facility will offer single-room residences for up to eight women at a time, as well as a shared kitchen, dining table and living area.

The small residence has been renovated to provide a “home-like environment that is safe and supportive,” McKee said.  

McPhee was asked if choosing a facility so close to a correctional facility could have a harmful impact on women trying to transition out of the justice system.

The minister said similar criticisms were raised when a halfway house for men opened at the Whitehorse Correctional Centre in 2020.

But in the three years since, she said, there has been no evidence to suggest those concerns had any validity.

NDP Leader Kate White briefly attended Wednesday’s announcement.

In an interview Thursday, she said she’s happy to see the site being used to help women transition, but that it’s been a long time coming.

“I’m relieved to see that there’s finally a place for women leaving the justice system in the territory,” she said, but wondered why it had taken three years to renovate the building.

White worked out of the Takhini Haven facility for Corrections before becoming an MLA in 2011, and said the building did not require three years of work.

A Justice department spokesperson said in an email the government first started “exploring the feasibility of the women’s programming in 2020.”

White said, in some ways, the wait has been much longer.

“In my very first speech in the legislative assembly, I said what we needed was a place for women to go when they leave corrections,” she added.

“And that was 2011.

“So I’m relieved to know that after 12 years, we finally got there.”

The wait will be a little bit longer. Although a program manager has been hired for the facility, McKee said Connective is still interviewing additional staff who will need to be onboarded before anyone can move in.

Once women do start accessing the program, they will be able to stay at the residence as long as they are involved with the justice system, she said.

“CYFN works to improve outcomes for Yukon First Nations by supporting cultural safety through the provision of cultural supports for Yukon First Nations,” said Grand Chief Peter Johnston.

“CYFN is pleased to expand our partnership with Connective to provide cultural supports for the women’s program at Takhini Haven.”

“We build on two-plus years in the community, four additional programs, over 100 Yukon-based staff, and our strong partnership with CYFN,” said Mark Miller, Connective’s CEO.

“We are humbled and grateful for this opportunity to expand our services in the territory, to continue serving Yukoners facing barriers, and to give women on conditional release the opportunity to return home.”