Status of Women Committee on June 2nd, 2026

[The Chair, Conservative, Dominique Vien]

I call this meeting to order.

Good morning, everyone.

Welcome to meeting number 41 of the House of Commons' Standing Committee on the Status of Women. Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2) and the motion adopted by the committee on Thursday, April 23, 2026, the committee will resume its study of women's shelters and transitional housing.

Today's meeting is taking place in a hybrid format, pursuant to the Standing Orders. Members are attending in person in the room and remotely using the Zoom application.

To ensure that the meeting runs smoothly, I would like to make a few comments for the benefit of members and witnesses. We are not terribly strict, but certain instructions should be followed.

Please wait until I recognize you by name before speaking. For members in the room, if you wish to speak, please raise your hand. For interpretation, you can use the earpiece and select the desired channel.

I would like to remind witnesses that committee members may ask their questions in French or English. If you will need interpretation, please take a moment now to prepare your earpiece and select the listening channel so that we can save precious minutes and seconds.

I remind you that all comments by members and witnesses should be addressed through the chair. However, I won't break the pace of a conversation between members and witnesses.

Before we welcome our witnesses, I'd like to provide this trigger warning. We will be discussing topics related to gender-based violence. This may be triggering to viewers with similar experiences. If any participants feel distressed or need help, please advise the clerk. For all witnesses and for all members of Parliament, it is important to recognize that these are difficult discussions. Let's try to be compassionate, as we always are in our conversations.

I will now welcome our witnesses.

From the Alberta Council of Women's Shelters, we have Catherine Champagne, executive director. We have, from Lanark County Interval House and Community Support, Erin Lee, executive director. Welcome.

We will begin with opening statements.

Ms. Champagne, the floor is yours for five minutes.

I apologize, Ms. Ménard, I didn't notice that you had your hand up. The floor is yours.

[Marie-Gabrielle Ménard, Liberal, Hochelaga—Rosemont-Est, QC]

Good morning, Madam Chair. I keep a lower profile when attending remotely.

Following a discussion with my colleagues, and before hearing from our witnesses with great interest, I would like to propose to committee members that we add a meeting to this important and fascinating study.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dominique Vien]

Is it the will of the committee to add a meeting to this study?

(Motion agreed to)

[The Chair, Conservative, Dominique Vien]

Thank you, Ms. Ménard.

Ms. Champagne now has the floor.

[Catherine Champagne, Executive Director, Alberta Council of Women's Shelters]

Good morning, Madam Chair and members of the committee. Thank you for the opportunity to appear today as part of your study on the role and capacity of women's shelters and transitional housing.

My name is Catherine, or Cat, Champagne, and I'm the executive director of the Alberta Council of Women's Shelters. The Alberta Council of Women's Shelters represents over 40 members serving over 60 women's emergency shelters across the province of Alberta, where we serve children, seniors, women, gender-diverse individuals and others fleeing domestic abuse in Alberta.

I commend this committee for undertaking this important study, because the relationship between gender-based violence, housing insecurity and shelter capacity is undeniable.

For many women, intimate partner violence is one of the leading pathways to homelessness. Every day, shelters across Alberta support women who are faced with impossible choices, including remaining in an abusive relationship or becoming at risk of homelessness. For indigenous women, newcomers, women with disabilities, older women and women living in rural, remote and northern communities, these barriers are often even greater. The reality is simple. Survivors cannot leave violence if they have nowhere safe and affordable to go. The question is no longer whether women and children are ready to leave violence. The question becomes whether there is somewhere for them to go when they decide to leave.

Over the past several years, access to safe and affordable housing has been one of the most significant challenges identified by shelters in Alberta. The shortage of housing means survivors are remaining in shelters longer while they search for somewhere to go next. For many women, leaving shelter is no longer determined by whether they are ready but whether the appropriate housing is available. The challenge is particularly significant for women with children. Families stay longer in both emergency and second-stage shelters because affordable housing options that can accommodate families are becoming increasingly hard to find.

As a result, the housing crisis has fundamentally changed the role of women's shelters. Shelters were designed to provide short-term safety and crisis support. Increasingly, however, they are functioning as long-term housing providers because survivors cannot find safe and affordable housing after leaving shelter.

In Alberta, the average length of stay in an emergency shelter has increased by 22% since 2019. When survivors stay in shelters longer, fewer beds become available for new arrivals. The consequences of that capacity are significant. In the 2023-24 fiscal year, Alberta shelters were unable to provide accommodation to more than 31,000 individuals seeking safety, and more than 40% of those individuals were children. Between 2021 and 2024, one in every two people who requested admission to an Alberta shelter could not be accommodated. To meet our current demand, we would need to more than double emergency shelter capacity in our province. These numbers do not indicate that violence is decreasing. They demonstrate that shelters are increasingly constrained by housing shortages and growing demand.

The housing crisis and shelter capacity cannot be discussed separately. When affordable housing disappears, women's shelters become the waiting room for a housing system that simply can't keep up. When housing systems are constrained, women's shelters become that pressure-release valve. Survivors stay longer because housing is unavailable, shelter capacity decreases, turnaways increase and operational pressures grow. Every turnaway represents someone who found the courage to ask for help. Our concern is not whether women are reaching out. Our concern is whether the system is ready to respond when they do. Without investment in both of these services, the system becomes increasingly unable to support women, seniors and children fleeing violence.

I'd also like to highlight the importance of transportation in this conversation. Earlier this year, we released a report examining the transportation barriers survivors found in rural and northern Alberta. The report, entitled “A Ride Can Save a Life”, found that transportation is one of the most common barriers preventing survivors from accessing shelter, housing, health care, employment, child care, legal services and other essential supports. In many rural communities, there is no transportation available. Survivors may need to travel hundreds of kilometres to reach safety. Even when shelter beds or housing units exist, survivors may become physically unable to access them without reliable transportation. For survivors in rural communities, a shelter bed that cannot be reached might as well not exist.

Survivors do not experience government services in silos. They experience the gaps between them. This is where most women and children are at risk.

From my perspective, there are four key priorities.

First is to increase investments in affordable and supportive housing options that make housing more accessible to survivors of gender-based violence.

Second is to strengthen funding for emergency shelters and transitional housing so that services can meet current capacity demands.

Third is to support transportation solutions for rural, remote, northern and indigenous communities to ensure that survivors can access the services they need.

Last is to recognize women's shelters as essential social infrastructure that plays a critical role in the homelessness response system.

The women we serve do not experience violence, housing insecurity and transportation barriers as separate issues. They experience them all at once.

Thank you so much for your attention to this important issue and for your commitment to improving safety and stability for survivors across Canada, and specifically in Alberta.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dominique Vien]

We are the ones who thank you for your remarks, Ms. Champagne.

Ms. Lee, the floor is yours for five minutes.

[Erin Lee, Executive Director, Lanark County Interval House and Community Support]

Thank you to the chair and to the members for the opportunity to present today as you undertake a study on the role and capacity of women's shelters and transitional housing.

My name is Erin Lee, and I'm the executive director of Lanark County Interval House and Community Support, the only dedicated anti-violence agency in rural Lanark County. In addition, I'm a current member of the Ontario domestic violence death review committee.

Safe, stable and affordable housing is central to a woman's capacity to access her courage to flee. It is part of the survival tools for women attempting to break the cycle, and it often forces women to choose between enduring violence or attempting to leave and facing unplanned homelessness. Safe refuge and shelter reduce the isolation and provide the physical sanctuary for women to land, to find their strength, to begin to heal and to rebuild their lives.

In rural communities, the realities are layered. There is often only one shelter or dedicated service. Many are consistently full. Remote and rural shelters and transitional housing are not adequately funded. Distance for women to be safer, lack of transportation, gun use, generational families, court delays and lack of dedicated justice support, coupled with the lack of affordable housing, are among the top barriers to a permanent disruption of the cycle of violence. However, rural communities have capacity to lean in, and we have, together with local politicians on the municipal level as well as local businesses, created second-stage and beyond second-stage housing in our community.

Housing insecurity, poverty and gender-based violence are all interconnected, and they perpetuate the cycle of violence. Financial realities in an abusive relationship often limit access. Women cannot flee poverty without having a safe place to go. Accessing housing is challenging, and that reality often leads back to returning to an abusive situation.

Finding the courage to leave often means leaving everything behind, resulting in unplanned homelessness. The cycle then impacts employment, separation of bills and increased risk at separation. Added to this scenario are family court, criminal court and children. In up to 30% of the cases we receive, women report they return to the abusive situation due to the systemic challenges once they've fled. Basic income and investment in transitional and second-stage housing options create pathways to break this cycle permanently.

As a member of the Ontario domestic violence death review committee, I see the ultimate price women pay when adequate supports are missing. The reality is that lethality is at its highest point at the time of separation. Women could make safer decisions if there were adequate, appropriate housing options available. There are hundreds of recommendations that have been made to change the lived realities of women and their children across the system. Unfortunately, the recommendations are not enforceable, so advocates continue their efforts to make things change and encourage implementation.

As a witness who provided testimony at the CKW inquest in Renfrew, Ontario, in 2022, I can say that oversight, implementation and creation of a commission on IPV and GBV are critical. Having experts informing the government and making evidence-based recommendations to effect meaningful change in community is essential.

Amplifying the lived experience of survivors is also a pathway that must be considered. The reality is that women's shelters and transitional housing sectors have a long history and proven capacity. Shelters have been doing the work for 40-plus years, and they are the experts.

Intentional and modified funding equations must be in place to recognize the differential realities across the country, especially for rural, remote and fly-in communities. Shelters and transitional housing organizations must have adequate funding, as they are often the keepers in elevated risk and emergency situations. The ultimate price women pay when adequate supports are not available is death.

Recommendations must be considered as solutions and pathways to change, from the 231 calls for justice to the Mass Casualty Commission. Please, I implore you to engage and work united to build an IPV and GBV commission rooted in expert voices informing direction.

Thank you very much for your time and your attention.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dominique Vien]

Thank you for sharing your remarks with us.

Mrs. Goodridge, the floor is yours for six minutes.

[Laila Goodridge, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you to both witnesses for being here today.

It's remarkable that both of you, who are from very different parts of Canada and very different provinces, have very similar testimonies. It goes to show that, in many of these cases, while the location might be different, it is clear that the problems are very similar. Having forums like this, where we can get together and hear best practices, is of the utmost importance.

I want to start off by asking if you are seeing the ever-increasing cost of living having an impact on the shelters. Is that having an impact on people, preventing them from leaving abuse sooner or from being able to get out on their own?

Perhaps I'll start with Ms. Champagne.

[Catherine Champagne]

Yes, 100%, you can see it on both sides. The biggest thing is that it's affecting the cost of how you get out.

Look at your own life and the difference in cost from 10 years ago. We're seeing that for survivors. We see it when there isn't any increase in the supports provided to them. Even in Alberta, with income support, that number hasn't changed. This doesn't allow them more flexibility in terms of what they put into the properties they're looking into or the way they support their families.

There are more costs as far as our shelters are concerned, even for those working at shelters. The ability to keep shelters open and to have the operational capacity to deal with the number of survivors.... When the cost of living keeps going up, and when increases to wages and funding to shelters do not align with that, it makes it really hard for them to stay up to date. Then, think about the cost, more and more, for a survivor to leave, as my counterpart indicated. The worst time is when they choose to leave. It's so expensive. If you don't have your damage deposit, utilities deposit and everything else set up and ready to go at that time, it is really discouraging. We see a lot of women staying.

The cost of living applies to everyone right across the board.

[Laila Goodridge, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

All right.

Ms. Lee.

[Erin Lee]

I will add that in rural communities, we often see more women living in community with their families rather than living in a shelter. We have had to be really creative. We've established a perseverance pantry, which is like a mini food bank, because people are unable to afford the groceries they need in terms of survival and living in community.

Transportation, as my colleague mentioned, is hugely problematic in our rural communities. We see that as a barrier for women trying to get out safely. Escape planning is much more intricate. The details of the escape plan have to be much more intricate so we can help people land safely.

[Laila Goodridge, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

Do you think it's incumbent on the Liberal government to tackle inflation so we can bring the cost of living down?

[Erin Lee]

The cost of living is a reality that always needs to be considered in any kind of planning or any kind of government decision-making that occurs. I think that's a great question. The world is floating around, trying to figure out what to do.

The correlation between financial realities and the ability of people to flee violence is 100% aligned.

[Laila Goodridge, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

The reason I ask this is.... Look at gasoline. Gasoline prices have skyrocketed. I'm from a rural community. The cost of getting around is exponentially higher. If you are someone who is now on a very fixed budget....

Conservatives put forward a proposal to cut gasoline prices by 25¢ per litre for the rest of the year. The government rejected that idea. Twenty-five cents per litre would make a huge difference for families. Do you think the government should adopt that policy, Ms. Champagne?

[Catherine Champagne]

I believe there's a definite need for that.

You're completely right. When you're in a small, remote or rural community, access to anything needs to be through transportation, which is an added cost. The cost of living is definitely affecting shelters. I look at this in two ways. It affects an individual survivor when they leave and secure their own property or place—all those pieces—but it also affects a shelter's ability to deliver services. If a shelter doesn't have the ability to put gas in the tank to pick those women up or get them to services, it's lose-lose for both situations.

The cost of living, from one end to another, even if you loop in the staff who work, it's every part of women's shelters and how we support survivors.

[Laila Goodridge, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

Thank you.

Ms. Lee.

[Erin Lee]

It's really important to consider the establishment of a commission that can explore the issues related to finance, gasoline and other realities, in terms of the number of incidents of intimate partner violence in our country, the resources currently put into shelters and how to change the equations for funding. I think that is part and parcel.

[Laila Goodridge, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

I fully appreciate that.

I had the opportunity to meet Cat for the first time in Cold Lake. I had my son at the groundbreaking of the newest women's shelter in Cold Lake. I brought him when we cut the ribbon on the brand new building. A number of women who were survivors from that shelter came up to me and said, “I had no choice but to bring my child. The fact that you brought your child makes this more normal, so thank you for showing that leadership.” Actually, Cat's husband helped wrangle my son when he decided it was no longer fun for him—so, thank you, Matthew, for that.

It goes to show that there is really a community that's required. These are spaces where.... If you have any best practices you want to share—my time is very quickly running out—please send them in writing to our committee. It would be ridiculously helpful. One of the reasons I bring up the gasoline piece is that there are a lot of things—there are systemic problems—but this could be solved today by a government with the stroke of a pen and could make a huge difference.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dominique Vien]

Thank you, honourable member. Your recommendation to provide us with this additional information is a good one.

Ms. Gladu, the floor is yours.

[Marilyn Gladu, Liberal, Sarnia—Lambton—Bkejwanong, ON]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Welcome to our witnesses. Thank you for being here today.

I'm going to start with Catherine Champagne.

You had four priorities that you wanted to put forward, and one of them was strengthening funding for shelters. Our government was pleased to support your organization with almost $3 million. What other sources of funding are the shelters getting?

[Catherine Champagne]

When I comment that, I'm looking at all levels of government. Whether that's federal, provincial or municipal, there's a requirement to contribute to that, especially when you look at some of those rural communities. I'll used the example of Cold Lake again. It's a very rural community in Alberta. There is an expectation that the municipality supports what's happening there, because you do always have to make sure that you have space for your local survivors who may attend.

As far as provincial government goes, in Alberta, the majority of our shelters are funded through the provincial government for about 80% of the work they do. We're always grateful for that funding, but there is a large gap there that needs to be filled by fundraising.

We just did a study with our shelters. As of last week, we're in the tens of millions of dollars that shelters in Alberta need to fundraise in order to operate on a regular basis. Their deficits are growing in between. It's something that we need to look at, at all levels, as well as how you contribute. Again, we're grateful for the funding that comes from the federal government in very different ways because we can use it for different types of things.

Looking at how we can, if the funding isn't available.... I'm an Albertan. I know we're in a deficit, but are there other things that can be done to cut back on some of those costs as opposed to injecting more funds when there isn't an unlimited amount of funds to be put in?

[Marilyn Gladu, Liberal, Sarnia—Lambton—Bkejwanong, ON]

Thank you.

My next question is going to be about transportation because both of you mentioned that as a real barrier, especially in rural areas.

Do you have any ideas about what kinds of solutions you would need? It seems to me that when you're in crisis and have to go, you can't just book a bus that eventually leaves. If you're in a fly-in zone, that could be problematic as well.

I'll start with you, Ms. Lee.

[Erin Lee]

In fly-in communities, one of the layers includes bans. Getting permission to leave a community is one thing. It's not just flying, and it's not just making arrangements for transportation. It's also about getting permission to leave. That is a reality for many women.

In our rural community, we are trying a new project where we are working with our local transportation provider to help people who are not in need of an ambulance but need service to get to a hospital or to an appointment. We have been looking at how we employ—and I'm sure this happens in Alberta as well—creative solutions to get people free. That could be the police attending or the police sitting at the end of the very long rural driveway to help her once she gets to the end. We're limited in taxis; we don't have very many. We once used, and on occasion will consider using, a mail delivery truck because we really need to be creative in terms of how we keep the whole of the community safe when we are trying to navigate a situation where gun violence is a reality.

In rural communities, you're 30% more likely to be threatened with a rifle. I know that experience as an advocate. I watched a woman and her children arrive and watched the father arrive with a rifle right behind—

[Marilyn Gladu, Liberal, Sarnia—Lambton—Bkejwanong, ON]

Thank you. My time is a bit limited.

Ms. Champagne, I'm back on the subject of transportation. Could you tell me what kinds of solutions you think would be workable in Alberta?