ManitobaMorgan’s Warriors, an Indigenous-led outreach group in Winnipeg, is partnering with St. Boniface Street Links to run a temporary safe space where women can access wraparound support services. Safe space will open this weekend in Street Links’ St. Mary’s Road buildingListen to this articleEstimated 3 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.The St. Boniface Street Links building is shown in a January file photo. The non-profit is partnering with Morgan’s Warriors, an Indigenous-led outreach group, to open a temporary safe space for women in the building. (Santiago Arias Orozco/CBC)Melissa Robinson believes her cousin Morgan Harris might still be alive if there had been a space in Winnipeg where she could spent the night years ago. Instead, Harris met a serial killer, now convicted of murdering her, at a shelter.”She utilized those spaces with the intent of being safe, and in the end she was being preyed upon,” Robinson told CBC.”That’s where we said, you know what, we want to change things and we want to make a safe space for most women.”Morgan’s Warriors, an Indigenous-led outreach group co-founded by Robinson, is partnering with the outreach group St. Boniface Street Links to run a temporary safe space where women can access wraparound support services. The space will open this coming weekend in the St. Mary’s Road building where Street Links already operates a stabilization hub. Melissa Robison is seen in a file picture from November 2023 looking at a poster of her cousin Morgan Harris. A temporary safe is needed for women like Harris, says Robinson. (Josh Crabb/CBC)Robinson Morgan’s Warriors will help identify vulnerable women in need of support through their community outreach on the streets.The group will then be in charge of getting the women to the temporary safe space, and will make sure someone stays with them at the facility at all times.Street Links founder Marion Willis said her non-profit will work with Morgan’s Warriors to figure out next steps for the women at the new space.For example, Street Links could offer them its recovery services, or help them get to a rapid access to addictions medicine, or RAAM, clinic.”The whole idea is to ensure as much as possible that this young woman isn’t being returned right back to the street into the same circumstances,” Willis said. “If you begin to offer help, people believe that you’re really sincere, they begin to gravitate towards that help. Sometimes it takes two or three tries, but I would suggest the success is likely.” ‘A very different kind of shelter’There are other spaces where vulnerable women can stay in the city, but Willis said the demand is high and resources are stretched, which makes them less safe.”Our safe space … is a very different kind of shelter — there’s no drama, nothing terrible happens there,” Willis said. “I think we stand to be able to do some really good work together.”Since Morgan’s Warriors hit the streets in 2024, the outreach group has stayed in touch with Street Links to refer vulnerable adults in need of care, said Willis. Now, both organizations have formalized their joint work in this partnership through the safe space. “This is the way you prevent more murdered and missing Indigenous, and all other, women,” Willis said. Street Links founder Marion Willis says the non-profit will offer wraparound support services for women at the new temporary safe space. (Travis Golby/CBC)The province recently dedicated $3.5 million to open the Mino’Ayaawag Ikwewag Lodge next year, a 24/7 safe space where Indigenous women at risk of violence, homelessness or exploitation can stay for up to two days and access community services.Robinson said until that space is available, the Morgan’s Warriors-Street Links space can help address the needs of vulnerable women. “A year from now is far too long when I think of how many people, how many women we can house,” she said. “It needs to start now.” ABOUT THE AUTHORSantiago Arias Orozco is a journalist with CBC Manitoba currently based in Winnipeg. He previously worked for CBC Toronto and the Toronto Star. You can reach him at santiago.arias.orozco@cbc.ca.With files from Faith Fundal
Morgan’s Warriors, St. Boniface Street Links partnering on new safe space for women
