New shelter for women opens

The province is helping provide a new safe haven for vulnerable women in Hamilton.

The Good Shepherd’s new women’s centre includes Mary’s Place — a 20-room shelter for homeless women; and Martha’s House — a 15-apartment, 40-bed shelter for women and children escaping abuse. They replace the Good Shepherd’s two women’s shelters elsewhere in the city, both of which are old and overcrowded.

Hamilton MPP Sophia Aggelonitis says the province has already invested more than $11 million in the project, and Thursday morning, they pledged another million. “We have to make sure that there are places of healing for women who are trying to get out of terrible abusive relationships or situations. ”

“What we’ve got here is a home that is going to protect women and children when they start their lives again.”

Since 2004, the Ontario government has invested more than $46 million to improve shelter and counselling for women and children escaping domestic violence.