A group of women who use the services provided by Tri-City Transitions' women's centre in Port Coquitlam are hoping to meet with municipal and provincial politicians to win support for their efforts to keep the long-serving institution open.
Although the centre has only been temporarily closed to the public for a month to allow Tri-City Transitions staff to review its programs, frequent visitors to the centre are worried it will be closed for good.
Last Friday, a dozen of them showed up at the centre to talk about strategy and sign petitions. So far, about 90 women have signed the petition requesting the centre not be closed and demonstration organizer Chantale-Lyne Gosselin said she expects more names as an appeal broadens to include politicians, women business owners and others.
The temporary closure put a stop to International Women's Day celebrations the women had planned to organize for March 8 but Gosselin said the women will continue to meet to talk about this issue because the centre has been a vital resource for immigrants, low-income women and others who benefited from legal help, business computers, the community kitchen, free diapers and clothing that were available through donations.
Many of the women who use the centre have left abusive situations and are living at the transition house while they rebuild their lives, Gosselin said, while others benefit from resources and referrals to counselling programs run by Tri-City Transitions.
Bree Dechambeau, who moved to Port Coquitlam from Vancouver two years ago, said the house provided a safe place for her to deal with post traumatic stress and other mental health issues arising from abuse she suffered as a child.
"I could talk to the ladies about my problems," said Dechambeau, who said that if the centre is closed, she will lose a valuable resource.
One of the group's supporters is Coquitlam-Maillardville MLA Diane Thorne, one of the founders of the 36-year-old centre, who met with the women on Friday and offered advice on getting help from politicians.
Thorne said she was surprised to learn the women's centre was closed for a month while its future is under review and only learned of it through the media. But she said she hopes funding and staffing issues will be resolved to keep the centre open.
"The name and location have changed but it's always been a valuable service," said Thorne, who noted that the first drop-in meetings were held in a hot dog stand in Aggie Park.
The women's centre closed March 1 while staff review its future but some programs are still running out of the city-owned house on Mary Hill Road, according to executive director Carol Metz Murray. As well, Tri-City Transitions is continuing to operate counselling services, a transition house and many other programs.
