When Every Shelter Says No: This Government's Ideological War is Failing Women and Children in Crisis.
A Mom and her kids fleeing violence called every shelter in Alberta and was told there is no space. This isn’t a gap in the system, it *is* the system, and it’s failing the people who need it most.
I want to talk about something that’s been sitting heavy with me this week, and something I’m seeing far too often and not hearing nearly enough about from the people in charge.
I spoke with a Mom who is fleeing domestic violence. She called every single shelter she could find. Every single one said the same thing: no beds. No space.
There is no room for her or her kids. This woman is doing everything right. She’s trying to get herself and her children to safety, but the system told her there was nowhere to go, or gave her throwaway, and frankly careless recommendations, such as “try the one in Lethbridge.” However, when she called, they were full, too, despite the potential difficulty of actually going to Lethbridge.
Shelters Are Full. That's Not New. That's the Norm.
This isn’t a one-off story. It’s becoming the new normal in Alberta. Women's shelters are full. Completely full. And not just in Edmonton or Calgary, it’s province-wide. That should be headline news. But somehow, it’s not.
What really irks me is how this will likely get buried. It won’t be passed along up the chain. It won’t reach the people in power. Each woman who calls in crisis will be met by some low-level staff, person who will say, “Sorry, we’re full,” and that’ll be the end of it.
She’ll have to repeat her story again and again, and so will many others. That’s not just frustrating, it’s retraumatizing.
Cuts, Crisis, and a Dangerous Disconnect
I lay this directly at the feet of Premier Danielle Smith and Minister Jason Nixon. In my opinion, this isn’t just an administrative failure, it’s ideological. They’ve made ongoing cuts while spinning some warped story about fiscal responsibility or “protecting families.” But who are they protecting?
Because it’s certainly not the women I’m talking to. It’s not the dozens of others I hear from, who are in danger, and have nowhere to turn. These aren’t abstract policy decisions. These choices have very real and very dangerous consequences.
Ideology Doesn’t Keep Anyone Safe
There is a bizarre, ideological war going on. This obsession with shrinking government, punishing those in poverty, and ignoring gender-based violence. It’s making Albertans less safe. Full stop.
We have families in real-time crisis, and the systems meant to catch them are vanishing right under our feet.
I don't think it's dramatic to say this. If you’re fleeing domestic violence tonight in Alberta, it’s entirely possible there is not a single bed for you or your children, and that’s not new. That’s not just a failure of policy. That’s a failure of basic humanity.
What Needs to Change
We need a system that works the first time. A Mom fleeing abuse shouldn’t have to call every shelter in Alberta just to hear "no" over and over again.
Information needs to be shared. Resources need to be funded. Leadership needs to act on the emergency that it is.
Because if you’re governing a province where no woman can find safety tonight, then what exactly are you governing?
Final Thoughts
I’m not writing this just to vent. I’m writing it because these stories matter. These women matter. Until the people in power stop treating shelters like optional line items, and start treating domestic violence like the crisis it is, I’ll keep speaking up and acting, and I hope you will, too.
Every “we’re full” call is a policy failure with a name, a face, and a life on the line, and that’s not something I can stay quiet about.
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