Today, on behalf of the Honourable Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of Public Safety, the Honourable Evan Solomon, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, announced $4,737,448.00 over five years in federal support to the Maashkaawizii Kwe "Woman of Inner strength" project, led by Thunder Women Healing Lodge Society (the Healing Lodge) through the Aboriginal Community Safety Development Contribution Program (ACSDCP).
This funding will help the Healing Lodge provide comprehensive supports for Indigenous women reintegrating into our communities from federal and provincial corrections. It will offer safe, supervised accommodation, culturally appropriate counseling, and workshops to heal from trauma, foster belonging, and build skills for successful reintegration back into the community.
By adapting Public Safety's Federal Framework to Reduce Recidivism - which outlines priority areas that support reintegration - to Indigenous ways of knowledge and culture, participants will learn to develop independent living skills and build their community relationships in a supported environment.
The ACSDCP funds Indigenous organizations, Indigenous governments and municipalities, and post‑secondary institutions to create community‑safety solutions that respond to the specific needs and priorities of Indigenous communities.
