Brandon safe house Franny's Place will offer women 'new beginnings': mother
'When I first walked in here, I just felt ... a warmth come over me,' mother of Francine Demas says
A new 24/7 safe space is opening in Brandon, Man., for Indigenous women, two-spirit, and gender-diverse people at risk of harm, which advocates and province say will help them escape violence, build relationships and heal.
The new space will be called Franny's Place, named after Francine Demas, a former resident of another recovery home in Brandon, who died after struggling with addiction.
"When I first walked in here, I just felt, like, a warmth come over me," said Priscilla Ireland, Demas's mother, who attended a Thursday news conference at Franny's Place to officially announced the new safe space.
"She would have loved this."
The 15-bed safe house is an extension to Chelsea's House, an existing safe house in Brandon that opened earlier this year.
It will offer seven transitional beds as well as eight overnight beds in two rooms. One of those rooms will be designated for women with substance use or other health issues, officials said.
It will also offer a 24/7 drop-in service with outreach services, intake assessments and other supports for people waiting for placements at Franny's Place or another home, the province says.
"We know that when all women do well, Manitoba does well," Municipal and Northern Relations Minister Glen Simard said during Thursday's news conference, where the province announced $500,000 to support the space.
The new space will help people like Francine Demas in the city, say those who knew her as "Franny."
"If she knew you, it was 'Fran' — if she liked you, then you could call her 'Franny,'" said Samantha van den Ham, the manager for Brandon's Housing First, a program that helps people find housing in the southwestern Manitoba city.
Demas was a "fierce protector of those that she loved" and stood up for people, van den Ham said.
"She was such a sweetheart," said her aunt, Elaine Dowan. "Anything that she has, she'll give."
Demas's mother said her daughter, who was 41 when she died, was a happy, free spirited, giggly woman, and full of excitement, but began suffering from addiction when she was about 17.
"And then it just continued on and on and on until … the addictions took her life," she said. "We tried everything … we can as a family to help and encourage her to stay off the streets."
She said her family had hoped to start a similar project in her daughter's name, so she's happy to see Franny's Place open.
"I think it's going to benefit a lot of young women that are out there on the streets," said Ireland.
"This is going to be new beginnings for our family and for the public."
Van den Ham said the new safe house builds on the success of Chelsea's House, which has hosted 12 women, two of whom have transitioned into permanent housing.
But the province has "realized that there's … a significant need in Brandon" for such spaces, said Families Minister Nahanni Fontaine.
The programs that are offered in safe spaces like Chelsea's House, and will be at Franny's Place, are sometimes a last lifeline for people, she said.
"A lot of these individuals were very unsuccessful in previous programs … because there were a lot of barriers when attending those programs," van den Ham said.
Megan McKenzie, the Brandon Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation's lead researcher, interviewed 52 Indigenous women who shared their experiences of being homeless in Brandon as part of the organization's research on chronic homelessness — work that played a major role in the development of Franny's Place.
People she talked to said they wanted a safe place, with music, culture, laughter and support from others with lived experience.
"They wanted a home where they could help each other heal. They wanted to craft together and heal together," McKenzie said.
Much of the programming offered at the safe house will be based on the knowledge gathered during interviews, she said.
Chelsea's House "has succeeded because of the wisdom of our women," she said, adding women at Chelsea's House have been engaged in activities of their interest, such as beading, cooking, painting, growing plants and woodworking.
Women also receive health care, social support and cultural teachings at Chelsea's House, which Franny's house will also offer.
"Through these safe houses, we aim to reduce the number of our sisters being murdered, going missing or dying preventable deaths," she said.
The project is a part of the province's broader Mino'Ayaawag Ikwewag initiative, which aims to support programs promoting safety and empowerment for Indigenous women, girls, two-spirit and gender-diverse people.
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With files from Chelsea Kemp