The Alberta government says it is keeping a promise to provide an additional 10 million dollars over four years to strengthen women’s shelters and provide more beds.

Rocky Mountain House joins Banff, Brooks, Calgary, Camrose, Cochrane, Cold Lake, Edmonton, Fairview, Fort McMurray, Grande Prairie, High River, Lloydminster, Morinville, Sherwood Park, St. Paul and Whitecourt among communities to see the additional funding.

Already spending over 55 million dollars annually on women’s shelter programs, the government says it plans to roll out the full additional 10 million dollars over four years- 5 million dollars in 2023-24, 1.5 million dollars in 2024-25, an additional 1.5 million dollars in 2025-26, and 2 million dollars in 2026-27.

They say this investment is funding an additional 104 beds at shelters across the province, including doubling the number of beds available in Whitecourt and adding new beds at the Banff YWCA.

“Alberta’s government is engaging extensively to create a made-in-Alberta action plan that supports survivors and addresses the root causes of gender-based violence,” says Tanya Fir, minister of Arts, Culture, and Status of Women “this funding would help women’s shelters across the province continue to address the needs of women and girls escaping violence, building stronger communities.”

Albertans can get 24/7 support by calling or texting the Family Violence Info Line at 310-1818. Phone support is offered in more than 170 languages, including all Indigenous languages spoken in Canada.

A 24/7 confidential webchat is also available in English online.