Whether it's getting out of the elements, finding somewhere safe to stay the night, or to do some laundry and freshen up, Cowichan's most vulnerable youth now have a place they can go and feel at home.
In a project many years in the making, Cowichan YES - Mischa Lelum, a new youth emergency shelter has officially opened its doors in Duncan.
The facility is open to youth aged 15-18 in crisis, or at risk of harm or homelessness and will offer a suite of wrap-around services.
In June of 2024, the Ministry of Children and Family Development and Canadian Mental Health Association - Cowichan Valley Branch announced plans to establish an emergency shelter for youth but local organizations have been working on it for much longer than that.
"Initially the vision came from youth," said Cindy Lise of Our Cowichan Communities Network, the umbrella group managing a plethora of project partners.
"They dreamt of a shelter where classmates that they knew were struggling could go; and they had a vision of a house, kitchen tables and lamps and a living room. And since 2017 we've been on this journey to get this magnificent building."
Some of the bigger stakeholders include: the Ministry of Children and Family Development, Island Health, Cowichan Valley Youth Services, Canadian Mental Health Association, Cowichan Tribes and many others.
"There's a team of us that have been planning and working and advocating, and when the pandemic came to our community and we were able to work on housing adults, it was really evident that we had young people who had no place to go," Lise explained.
"And so our efforts became even more determined. And then with the poison drug pandemic, where we continued to lose young people out on the streets without connection, we were even more relentless in our journey to get here. And here we are."
More than $200,000 was raised between 2022 and 2024 through the CMHA-CVB campaigns and those funds were used as a down payment to purchase a home. In addition to up to $4 million funding from the province, the Mischa Weisz Foundation donated $450,000 — enough to cover the mortgage and to purchase a van to provide outreach to youth in Duncan and outlying communities within the Cowichan Valley Regional District.
"The young people's dreams of a house when you're under stress and you're in crisis, to be able to walk in the door and feel like this is home: this is what our community has created," Lise said. "Kids want to make cookies, watch a movie, hang out on the couch, play video games, and do laundry or get cleaned up."
"Youth can stay for up to two weeks and there's so much more that goes on besides just a place to stay," she noted. "It's about connecting to services, connecting to next steps...bringing in other resources that are unique to each individual young person who comes through this door."
The house features three cozy bedrooms, two kitchens, an outdoor sitting space and garden, and a gym. It will be run by the CMHA.
On Friday, April 4, Cowichan Valley MLA Debra Toporowski, Cowichan Tribes Chief Cindy Daniels, and Jodie Wickens, the minister for Children and Family Development were on hand at the shelter's official opening.
“We know that many young people in our community have been facing significant challenges since the pandemic,” Toporowski said. “It’s so gratifying to see the dedication and hard work of Cowichan Tribes, CMHA, community partners, the B.C. government and even an individual donor, come to fruition to make a difference for vulnerable youth.”
"For me, it feels like we're closing an important gap," added Daniels. "Through the partnership, we're helping the kids get off the street, which is really important."
Wickens said the project really showcases what people working together can achieve.
"I think it sends a message. It sends a message to our youth and our kids that we'll never give up on them. We will fight for our kids to never give up on doing the right thing.
"It is really challenging time right now for youth," she said. "We've come out of a global pandemic. We're seeing increasing rates of mental health challenges. Youth are struggling like never before, and so now is the time for us to ensure that we are working together collaboratively, being responsible for their safety and well-being. Ideally, we wouldn't need emergency shelters, but we do, unfortunately, and when we do need those services, it's really important that they're here."
