True North receives $75,000 from province to extend programming support

By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The True North Society has received a $75,000 grant from the Province of Alberta in order to support ending gender-based violence within the community.

The grant is described by the province to be a part of Alberta’s 10-year strategy to provide $1.36 million in funding to community-based organizations through the Community Pathways to Justice Grant program.

“It was a one-time funding that was announced this spring … we were really lucky that we were able to apply for this funding and then to be successful in our grant application,” said Courtney Helfrich, executive director of True North.

Earlier this year, True North was also successful in acquiring a $3.5 million capital contribution from the province to aid in their construction of a new transitional housing facility.

Helfrich explained this influx of $75,000 will be utilized in order to support True North’s rural outreach team.

“This team works to increase preventative, intervention, and information support and services to rural and remote communities in Strathmore and surrounding areas,” she said. “It is going to help us reduce those barriers to high quality, survivor-centered education and intervention programming. It is going to help with some of those operations – so, transportation costs, satellite office space to really meet people where they are at, safety planning, support, risk assessment, court support, and resource navigation.”

True North is among 18 grant recipients across Alberta for the 2025-26 fiscal year. These also include five grant applications in Calgary, six in Edmonton, two in southern Alberta, three in central Alberta, and two in northern Alberta.

A release from the province detailed that successful grants ranged in contribution from $37,000 to $145,000 and must be utilized for operational activities.

“Women’s shelters play a vital role in helping families escape violence and rebuild their lives. By supporting these services, we’re ensuring that women and children across Alberta have access to safety, compassion, and the care they deserve,” was attributed to Chestermere-Strathmore MLA, Chantelle de Jonge, via the release.

“This grant … allows us to be able to support this rural community, and then also support other remote communities that just do not have access to these types of supports in their areas,” added Helfrich.

She added the physical emergency shelter currently operating in Strathmore is often filled to capacity and must redirect people asking for help to other, similar facilities, sometimes in very distant communities.

The additional facility aiming to be developed is currently still in its late design stages, with operations also still to be fully fleshed out for when it is completed.