Rise Together
A Hub for Hope, Healing & Rebuilding
For over 40 years, the Antigonish Women’s Resource Centre & Sexual Assault Services Association has been a place of safety, support, and connection.
Our work is rooted in three core areas: Direct Services, Education and Community Development.
Now, with your help, we are raising $5 million to build a first-of-its-kind collaboration hub with wrap-around services—strengthening our ability to deliver dignity, care and healing for generations to come.
Building for the Future in Rural Nova Scotia
This $5 million investment is more than bricks and mortar—it’s about strengthening services in a rural community where resources are often limited. By coming together to fund this build, we can ensure survivors, families and future generations have access to the support and opportunities they need, close to home.
We’re not just building a facility—we’re creating a net-zero, fully accessible space that embodies our commitment to community and sustainability. This new centre will be a hub for care, connection and collaboration—helping people heal, educating and empowering our community and fostering a stronger, healthier future for rural Nova Scotia.
Why Now?
More people than ever are turning to us—women seeking safety, newcomers searching for a sense of belonging, families healing from trauma and youth learning to build healthier, more respectful relationships. Their stories are powerful reminders of why our work matters.
Our centre provides full-circle support at every stage of life’s journey—before, during and after challenges, changes and struggles. With compassion and adaptability at our core, we meet the evolving needs of our community today and lay the foundation for the support they will need for years to come.
But our current space can no longer keep pace. Demand for our services is growing and our capacity is stretched beyond its limits. Each year, we support thousands—and unfortunately, that number will only continue to rise. The time to act is now.
This new centre will:
- Expand programs in women’s health, crisis response, violence prevention and youth leadership.
- Offer trauma-informed therapy and crisis support.
- Enhance women’s health services through a dedicated medical clinic.
- Provide frontline advocacy for navigating justice systems.
- Assist with securing safe, stable housing.
- Support healing after sexual violence.
- Unite crisis response, advocacy and survivor support under one roof.
The Impact
This new facility is a critical step forward in advancing women’s health and safety in our region. Purposefully designed to meet the growing and diverse needs of our community, the space will allow us to expand and strengthen the services we provide every day.
An expanded Lindsay’s Health Centre for Women
This expanded space will offer enhanced clinical support and private consultation rooms, ensuring compassionate, confidential care tailored to the unique needs of every woman.
A new Health & Wellness space
Guided by our Wellness Coordinator, this will be a welcoming hub for women’s health and well-being. Featuring a Menopause Doula and Birth Doula, it will offer workshops, information sessions and ongoing support for women at every stage of life.
Respectful, Private Care for Survivors
A dedicated, private space for our Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) Program to provide victims with safe, respectful and confidential care during vulnerable moments.
Collaborative Care Hub
A space for women’s support workers, trauma therapists and violence prevention educators, all housed in the main building, enabling collaboration while honouring the privacy and dignity of our clients.
Spaces for Hope, Healing and Rebuilding
Versatile rooms for trauma therapy, violence prevention education and youth programming, creating space for education, growth and healing.
A Space for Belonging
An immigrant support office, providing newcomers with accessible, safe and welcoming services tailored to their needs.
A Room For Community & Connection
A warm, welcoming community room designed to reduce social isolation and foster meaningful connections. Programs like Together Tuesdays—featuring group activities such as paint nights and music therapy—will thrive here, offering opportunities for joy, creativity and community engagement.
Senior Safety & Support Office
Dedicated space for our new Senior Safety Coordinator, focused on supporting the older population, particularly those living in rural communities.
Explore Our Services
From health care and crisis response to education, advocacy and community programs—discover the full range of supports we offer at the Antigonish Women’s Centre.
Visit our main site >
Designing with purpose
We’re proud to partner with Passive Design Solutions,
a leading Nova Scotia firm known for its expertise in sustainable architecture, to help bring our vision to life.
This is more than a building—it’s a promise. A net-zero, fully accessible space designed to provide dignity, privacy and comprehensive care. Together, we’re creating a place where people can heal, connect and thrive—a stronger, healthier, safer community for generations to come.
The design process is underway, with plans to break ground by the end of 2025. We hope to open our new centre and welcome the community by January 2027.
Campaign Cabinet
- Anita Stewart, Executive Director, The Antigonish Women’s Resource Centre & Sexual Assault Services Association
- Jennifer Desmond, Student Equity Consultant, Strait Regional Centre for Education (SRCE)
- Adam Rodgers, Managing Lawyer, Nova Scotia Legal Aid
- Stephanie Hart, Registered Nurse currently completing her Nurse Practitioner studies at Dalhousie University.
- Barbara McLean, Former senior executive with the Toronto Police Service, and Co-Chair of The Antigonish Women’s Resource Centre & Sexual Assault Services Association
- Natalie Leonard, P.Eng, Consultant and Engineer, Founding Partner, Passive Design Solutions
- Amy Carver, Executive Director, St. Martha’s Regional Hospital Foundation
- Gillian Reid, Consultant and Founder of REID Ltd.