A Brief history of YWCA Saskatoon

YWCA Saskatoon was established in 1910. Miss Millicent Simcox, a deaconess with the Church of England, had established Traveler’s Aid as support for women unfamiliar with the city. The Christ Church Women’s Association and The Golden West Chapter of the I.O. D. E. recognized the work Miss Simcox had undertaken and began the process to establish YWCA Saskatoon.

Historical Highlights Include:

1910: YWCA was officially established. It began in a cottage with four cots, then moved to rented rooms on 22nd Street. Young women paid $20.00 per month for a room. A gift was made of a small cottage on 4th Avenue for a period of six months – this helped members raise enough money to build a permanent building on 24th Street. The last move, before the YWCA building was finished was to the old Bell Home, the former Rosary Hall on Spadina Crescent.

1911: A lending library was provided until 1913.

1912: The first YWCA Saskatoon facility was built at a cost of $47,000, which included the lot, building, and furnishings. It served primarily as a residence, and the YWCA also offered women: facilities to meet a friend, write a letter or use the telephone; get a well cooked meal or a bath; use the sewing machine; and referral services for employment.

1913: Negotiations began with the YMCA for use of their pool and gymnasium. Initially, such progressive steps were not well received. Personal and professional programs began. A Strangers Welcome Club was formed and continued well into the war years.

1914: Groups of well chaperoned young women were granted use of the YMCA pool and gym on special nights.

1917: Extra beds were placed in the residence to accommodate relatives of soldiers. The YWCA residence was used as a hospice during the flu epidemic. This lasted until 1919.

1920: Clubs were established at the YWCA, including the Homemaker’s Club, Cooperative Club, Club for New Canadians, and the Blue Triangle Club. These remained in existence for many years, providing skill development, leadership training and social activities.

1927: The residence became the official hostel for the Women’s British Immigration league in Northern Saskatchewan. Women were given free accommodation for the first forty-eight hours upon arrival in Saskatoon.

1930s: During the Depression, clubs flourished with 12 different clubs meeting at the YWCA and 1,600 girls and women involved in various YWCA activities. Programs were developed to assist young women and girls to develop skills necessary for entering the work force. The YWCA established a job bureau and housing registry for women and their families. Dances at the YWCA were a popular and affordable activity.

1939: YWCA joined the Saskatoon Community Chest, now known as the United Way of Saskatoon and Area.

1941: YWCA established a hostess house at the Dundurn army camp. A hostess house was a home in which women could meet their sons and husbands who were in the services. The following year a similar one was established at Dafoe air base camp.

1940s: A new club, the War Brides Club, was established. It is still in existence today.

1957: A major addition was made to the YWCA building including a swimming pool, a gymnasium, and additional residence rooms.

1970: More major renovations were made to the original facility.

1972: Further renovations were undertaken.

1974: YWCA played a major role in development of the Big Sisters Organization in Saskatoon.

1970s: During the late 1970s, the YWCA responded to the need for support services to new Canadians, primarily refugees from Vietnam. An Integration Settlement Adaptation program was developed and remained in operation until 1981 at which time the Open Door Society was formed as a separate community organization.

1985:With the financial assistance of three levels of government and the community, a new home was built for YWCA. The new location (where we still reside) included space for a Child Development Centre – new programming focused on providing families with accessible and affordable child care.

1992: Westridge housing complex, a grouping of 7 multi-unit housing developments, was built for women and their families – a project that received funding from three levels of government. YWCA Saskatoon became the legal owner of 30 of these units, built in partnership with the Saskatoon Housing Authority and Mennonite Care Services. The Bridge City Cosmopolitan Club supported a community kitchen.

1993: YWCA opened an additional 26 affordable housing units in the Pleasant Hill Community. The Berryridge complex was developed in partnership with the Pleasant Hill Community Association and funded by the three levels of government. The financial assistance of the Bridge City Cosmopolitan Club and labour from the New Careers Corporation of Saskatchewan provided a community kitchen.

1996: A community study was launched. The study researched the possibility of creating a facility to house a number of social services. The “Saskatoon Community Service Village project” lead to the construction of the Saskatoon Community Services Village in 2000-2001.

2000: $341,000 from the Centenary Fund of the provincial government enabled the YWCA to renovate its Crisis Shelter.

2001: YWCA celebrated 90 years of serving the Saskatoon community. During this year the original stone archway from the old YWCA was rebuilt. The project was made possible thanks to the hard work of Earl McGinnis (former YWCA Building Operations Director), who took down the archway in sub-zero weather in 1995. The arch was dedicated by His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales in April 2001.

2001: The Saskatoon Community Service Village opened, with YWCA as one of its founding partners. The Village adjoins YWCA Saskatoon and resides on what was originally YWCA Saskatoon property. Also during 2001, the YWCA underwent extensive renovations to modernize its 16 year old building.

2002: Deloitte & Touche conducted research and prepared a business plan for the YWCA Shelter and Residence that resulted in the Government of Saskatchewan committing to core funding. A major finding of the study was that YWCA Saskatoon operated the largest women’s shelter in the province. Today the YWCA Crisis Shelter & Residence remains the province’s largest shelter.

2005: $850,000 contributed through joint programs of the provincial and federal government enabled YWCA to complete extensive renovations to the second and third floors of its shelter and residence.

2008: Pursuing a desire to adjust its shelter focus to emergent and transitional housing, the YWCA divested itself of all off-site affordable housing units.