North Point Douglas Women's Resource Centre
Mission: "To create opportunities for women in North Point Douglas to develop their potential and to engage fully as citizens in  the neighbourhood and in the broader community"

Vision: "A safe, healthy vibrant community for women and their families in North Point Douglas"

Guiding Principles:
We believe...
1) that woman can achieve personal growth through sharing knowledge, contributing to their community and establishing social connections;
2) that the Centre must be responsive and accountable to its constituents: the women it serves; its volunteers and staff; the community and its funders;
3) that transparency must be maintained through an open and dynamic working strucuture among the board, committees, staff and volunteers;
4) in decision-making by consensus;
5) that every woman has value and has the potential to make a positive contribution to the Centre;
6) that all tasks and activities undertaken by volunteers and staff are equally important;
7) that the Centre has a role in working collaboratively with other community organizations in North Point Douglas and the broader community;
8) that volunteers and staff are mutually accountable and responsible to each other for the work of the Centre;
9) that it is important to respect each other's feelings, opinions, ideas and experiences; and
10) that it is important to be welcoming, accepting and supportive.


The North Point Douglas Women’s Centre was initiated as a project in 2000, sponsored by the Social Planning Council of Winnipeg. At that time, the need for a women’s centre in the North Point Douglas neighbourhood was identified by community women who were brought together through development of the North Point Douglas Project for Women. The primary issues identified were the lack of resources and services in the area and poverty and poverty-related conditions.

In response the North Point Douglas Project for Women was developed as an empowerment project in recognition of women’s generally unequal position in society, their unique needs, and the important role they have in planning at the community level to enhance social, economic and environmental conditions for themselves and their families. Project principles included: local control and leadership; participatory processes that are inclusive of women from the diverse ethno-cultural backgrounds who live in North Point Douglas; intersectoral and interdisciplinary partnerships within the community and with the larger Winnipeg community; and development of programs and activities that recognize and build on existing skills.

The North Point Douglas Project for Women was housed in Norquay School from December 2000, when an interim facilitator was hired and the Project officially launched, until December 2002. The building that is now the North Point Douglas Women’s Centre is a former grocery store and family residence, located at a key intersection in the North Point Douglas community at 221 Austin Street. There is 1118 square feet of space and, when completely renovated, it will adequately meet the Centre’s functional needs. This building has been associated in recent years with some activities that have had a negative impact on the neighbourhood. Acquisition of the building, by the North End Community Renewal Corporation for the Women’s Centre, is one of the positive steps being taken to reclaim the community as a vital and affirming place to live and to raise families. $84,070 was obtained from Neighbourhoods Alive!, Manitoba Intergovernmental Affairs; and The Winnipeg Foundation toward the purchase and renovations. A further $15,700 was received from Neighbourhoods Alive! for operational costs over the next two years. The Winnipeg Foundation has contributed a further $7,930 toward furnishings. The Housing and Homelessness Initiative provided $30,000 for renovations costs.

The Centre is envisioned by community women to be a hub where women and their families can gather. The Centre's mandate is to provide women in the North Point Douglas neighbourhood with a secure place to build and access social networks, resources, programs and activities to create a safe, healthy community for themselves and  families.  NPDWC was developed to bring women together to identify community issues, develop solutions and set and act on priorities to address poverty and poverty related conditions in the neighbourhood.