The Saugeen Times

Mitchell enjoying new job as agriculture minister
By Liz Dadson

Feature

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Women's House Serving Bruce and Grey executive director Casey Weichert (L), Huron-Bruce MPP Carol Mitchell, and Pauline Witzke, chairperson of the second stage housing committee, stand in front of the location for the second stage housing, just east of the current shelter in Kincardine

Huron-Bruce MPP Carol Mitchell is enjoying her new cabinet post as agriculture minister in the Liberal government of Ontario premier Dalton McGuinty.

"It's everything I had hoped for as the representative for Huron-Bruce," she said earlier this month. "It took three days for the smile to come off my face. It's an important position; agriculture, food and rural affairs has a large budget, about $2 billion."

She said the first week on the new job was filled with briefings. From there, the focus has been on traceability of products and funding programs to trace food from the Field to the Fork.

Mitchell was then to be involved in federal/provincial meetings, and she noted there are six new agriculture ministers across the country.

"What we're hearing from the agricultural community is that the federal programs are not working," she said. "They're not providing agricultural stability. That's what we have to talk to our federal counterpart about - putting in place a risk management program with stability and predictability."

Mitchell was in Kincardine to announce provincial money for the second stage housing development beside the Women's House Serving Bruce and Grey shelter in Kincardine.

The Ontario government is investing a total of $1.8 million over two years to help build transitional (second stage) housing in Kincardine, Saugeen Shores and Wiarton.

The four-unit facility in Saugeen Shores is already complete and occupied, said Casey Weichert, executive director of Women's House. The four-unit facility in Kincardine should be under construction by mid-March, and the three-unit facility in Wiarton is pending.

"The additional funding provided by the Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services to complete building the second stage housing units is such a welcome relief to the financial pressures we were experiencing for this major capital project," said Weichert. "Although we have been successful in obtaining donations and grants - about $500,000 to $600,000 - several from our own community, we still had a long way to go to ensure a mortgage-free program. Many women and children will benefit from this new program for many years into the future."

The second stage housing provides longer-term, supportive, safe and affordable housing to women and their children who are ready to move beyond the emergency shelter into more independent living situations, said Weichert. "Each building in Kincardine and Saugeen Shores has four self-contained apartments: a one-bedroom, two two-bedroom and one three-bedroom. The Wiarton unit has the same, minus one of the two-bedrooms."

She said the buildings provide safety and security features, affordable rents, and on-site supportive counselling to allow women and children a longer period of recovery from the effects of experiencing abuse.

"It can sometimes take many years, or even a lifetime to overcome the effects of abuse," she said. "This time and space provides a supportive environment to begin the healing. Although we are delighted to have the ability to provide this much-needed program in Bruce County, it saddens me that second stage programming is necessary at all. Perhaps one day we will see an end to violence against women, and programs such as ours will no longer be needed. Until that day comes, though, we appreciate the ongoing financial support from the ministry."

Weichert said the women who stay in the second stage housing will pay rent geared to their income, and that money will be used to maintain the buildings. The women will also receive help finding jobs, and they can stay in the second stage housing for up to a year. Women and children are allowed to stay in the shelter for only two to three months.

The Kincardine facility should be open by late summer or early fall, said Weichert, and will accommodate four families - there is already a waiting list. The Wiarton facility could take longer to build because there is an Ontario Municipal Board appeal lodged against it.

Artist's rendering of the second stage housing in Kincardine

Weichert said the cost to construct each building is about $900,000, and the Women's House is using the same contractor in Kincardine as completed the facility in Saugeen Shores,

She said about $1 million has been fund-raised toward these projects, and the land was donated for all three locations. Plus, Bruce County and the three municipalities agreed to waive all fees for the buildings.

"The community has been very supportive and that has helped make this happen," she said.

Mitchell also brought good news of an additional $124,000 for the Women's House to fix up the 13-bed shelter in Kincardine.

Weichert said that money will go toward maintenance and repairs to the shelter which is housed in a building that is 100 years old.

Over the next year, the following upgrades will take place to ensure a safe and accessible environment for staff and residents:

Purchase and install accessible bathtubs for those with mobility challenges
Replace several windows
Repair the uneven sidewalk
Replace the security fence
Replace some of the electrical wires and plumbing pipes
Resolve drainage issues created by water seepage into the basement

In addition, the outreach counselling building in Owen Sound, also an old heritage building, will receive repair and maintenance on the brickwork and some structural repairs, said Weichert.

"I am pleased to announce this funding," said Mitchell, "and I thank the staff at the Women's House for all their hard work. It is truly appreciated by the community."

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Saturday, February 27, 2010