A new transitional home being built in Edzo is designed to give families leaving gender-based violence more than a place to stay. It is meant to feel like home.
The nine-unit Edzo Transitional Home is being developed by the Tłı̨chǫ Government and will be operated by the Tłı̨chǫ Community Services Agency, or TCSA. Edzo is part of the broader Tłı̨chǫ community of Behchokǫ̀.
Funded through Indigenous Services Canada’s Family Violence Prevention Program, the home will provide transitional housing for Tłı̨chǫ citizens, primarily Indigenous women, their children and 2SLGBTQQIA+ individuals fleeing gender-based violence.
The building’s proponents say it will take a trauma-informed approach, with design choices intended to make residents feel safe, comfortable and at home.
Soft-edged furniture and fixtures, rounded mirrors, bright stairwells and clear colour-coded doors are among details chosen to create a gentle, more residential environment. Each apartment is identified by a different colour, a feature intended to help children recognize their homes.
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“We’ve really focused on not having a lot of harsh edges,” TCSA manager of mental health services Sarah Hyden told Cabin Radio.
The bright stairwells were inspired by a visit to YWCA transitional housing in Yellowknife. Hyden said the team wanted to avoid the dark, enclosed feeling that can make stairwells intimidating.
The design is also rooted in Tłı̨chǫ culture, with the “granny hanky” inspiring the home’s vibrant colour palette.
Commonly worn by Tłı̨chǫ Elders, the granny hanky motif is reflected in the diagonal pattern of the building’s exterior cladding. Inside, the granny hanky inspired vibrant colours used throughout the home, with pinks, oranges, reds and navy on apartment doors, chairs and elsewhere.
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Hyden described the granny hanky as “a symbol of resilience and vibrancy.”
Fireweed imagery in the apartments is intended to add connection to the land, representing regrowth and rebirth.
For Dorothy Liske, who provided local input during the design process, those details help make the building feel familiar.
“It’s us,” she told Cabin Radio. “I don’t know how to explain it. It’s home.”
Liske said the thought put into the design is particularly meaningful for families arriving from situations where their safety may have been in doubt.
“How do we accommodate them to keep them safe in every way?” she said.
Interior designer Charlotte Henry worked with TCSA to select the furniture, lighting and colours, with durability and a residential feel in mind. Furniture was sourced in Yellowknife from Canadian manufacturers, while local company Arcan served as the builder.
The home includes two two-bedroom units, five one-bedroom units and two studios, including barrier-free units. Shared spaces will be used for programming, counselling, activities and community gatherings.
Staff are being hired, with training expected in October. Hyden hopes residents can begin moving in on a staggered basis in November.
“I hope this building becomes a community within itself,” Hyden said. “People supporting people and growing themselves and the next generations.”
