'Give them a quality of life': STC women’s facility offers fresh start for Pine Grove inmates
The Saskatoon Tribal Council (STC) is planning a new facility that will help women transition from the Pine Grove Correctional Centre.
In partnership with the Government of Saskatchewan, STC’s program will be called Īkwēskīcik iskwēwak, which means “turning their life around” in Cree, according to an STC news release.
Chief Mark Arcand told CTV they were hoping to open the facility by April 15.
“Eighteen brand new units of living, whether you call them apartments or whatever, brand new suites. So it's going to be really, really great to see the programming and services there to help women that are in need.”
It is the first pilot program of their pathways and partnerships approach, STC said. The goal is to reduce the number of women returning to custody.
There will be up to 18 months of support for women who have been jailed for minor offences. Programming will focus on healing and wellness, education, training and employment and cultivating positive family relationships, the release said.
“Everything is completed and moved in and going from there we can have a welcoming to invite the community to come and see it, do that kind of stuff and make sure that we're having all parties invested in really making sure that this is a great initiative for our community,” Arcand said.
“We're just trying to help the people that are incarcerated to give them a quality of life. You know, going back into the jail system is not a good answer.”
The province will pay $1.2 million for the program.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Mexico president says Canada has a 'very serious' fentanyl problem
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly is not escalating a war of words with Mexico, after the Mexican president criticized Canada's culture and its framing of border issues.
Freeland says it was 'right choice' for her not to attend Mar-a-Lago dinner with Trump
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland says it was 'the right choice' for her not to attend the surprise dinner with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at Mar-a-Lago with U.S. president-elect Donald Trump on Friday night.
Quebec doctors who refuse to stay in public system for 5 years face $200K fine per day
Quebec's health minister has tabled a bill that would force new doctors trained in the province to spend the first five years of their careers working in Quebec's public health network.
NDP won't support Conservative non-confidence motion that quotes Singh
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says he won't play Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's games by voting to bring down the government on an upcoming non-confidence motion.
Speaker's ruling clears path for Trudeau's government to face successive tests of confidence in days ahead
After rallying his party's caucus and staffers on Parliament Hill Tuesday, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh signalled that he's still not ready to help the other opposition parties trigger an early election, yet.
Opposition leaders talk unity following Trudeau meeting about Trump, minister calls 51st state comment 'teasing'
The prime minister’s emergency meeting with opposition leaders on Tuesday appears to have bolstered a more united front against U.S. president-elect Donald Trump’s tariff threats.
Calgary man who drove U-Haul over wife sentenced to 15 years
A Calgary man who killed his wife in 2020 when he drove over her in a loaded U-Haul has been sentenced to 15 years behind bars.
Man severely injured saving his wife from a polar bear attack in the Far North
A man was severely injured Tuesday morning when he leaped onto a polar bear to protect his wife from being mauled in the Far North community of Fort Severn.
Canada is pausing private refugee sponsorship applications until 2026
Immigration Minister Marc Miller says that the recent pause in most private refugee sponsorships is because there is an 'oversupply' of applications and they don't want to give people fleeing war zones false hope.