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The kikaskihtânaw Centre is now open and serving the community. Named through ceremony, kikaskihtânaw means “the place we all succeed.” This Centre is home to YWCA Regina and brings together the services, spaces, and supports women and families need—under one welcoming roof. It is a response born of community need, cultural guidance, and a vision for safety and healing.
Knowledge Keeper Nina Wilson described the name kikaskihtânaw (kay-gush-key-dah-know-uh), given in ceremony, as representing a place where life is given. Everyone who enters—whether to work, visit, seek support, or volunteer—is uplifted by it. It reminds us that our strength, as individuals and communities, comes from one another. When we are connected, we all succeed.
From its name to its healing lodge, the kikaskihtânaw Centre reflects the values, voices, and traditions of the people it serves. Rooted in Indigenous ways of knowing and the principle of “nothing for us, without us,” the Centre creates space for healing that honours truth, connection, and cultural strength.
Our province has the highest rate of domestic violence and sexual assault in Canada—and 90 per cent of those victims are women and girls. Indigenous women and girls are six times more likely to experience violence. At YWCA Regina, over 80% of the women who come to us for support are fleeing violence.
And every single day, women and families who urgently need safety and care cannot get it.
In 2022 alone, more than 3,000 women and children were turned away from our shelters due to lack of space. The need is growing—this year, 171 women and children are turned away every single month. These numbers are not just statistics. They are lives interrupted, families in crisis, and a clear call to action.
This is a community emergency. But we can change this.
Since 1910, YWCA Regina has been at the forefront of supporting women and families in our community. After years of listening, research, planning, and ceremony, the kikaskihtânaw Centre is our answer: a trauma-informed, culturally grounded, community-led solution.
This Centre allows us to do our work in a better way—one that promotes healing, education, prevention, and wraparound support. By bringing together essential services under one roof, we are creating not just access—but pathways to dignity, safety, and long-term change.
Take a walk through the spaces where safety, healing, and connection happen every day.
Contact Chelsey Lemke at ChelseyL@ywcaregina.com to book a tour.
