YWCA Westman Women's Campus
A Bold Vision for the Future
YWCA Westman built Meredith Place in 1917 at 148 11th Street in Brandon, MB and for more than 100 years it provided shelter and transitional housing for those within the Brandon community. Due to ageing infrastructure that was too costly to maintain, the building was demolished in late 2023, leaving a flat lot in downtown Brandon that YWCA Westman plans to reimagine into a multi-purpose space.
YWCA Westman has now engaged with Number TEN Architectural Group and their sub-consultants to reimagine this space for a Women’s Campus for southwestern Manitoba. Throughout 2025, Number Ten and their team approached this unique community initiative in a collaborative, culturally inclusive and trauma-informed way. The organization envisions a space that will meet the needs of survivors of intimate partner and sexual violence and their families, as well as transitional housing, wrap-around supports, empowering programming and a healthcare component. This campus will imagine a space that has never existed for women and their children in our region. Not only will it provide immediate and longer term housing, it will support health, education and cultural learning, providing a safe space for women and their children to heal, grow and feel empowered to embrace the future.
A conceptual design has been developed, through the completion of a thoughtful and inclusive functional space program exercise. The vision for the YWCA Westman Women’s Campus grew out of a collaborative process of dialogue and discovery with YWCA Westman staff, board members, Elders and community organizations, building on lessons learned from other, similar trauma-informed facilities across the prairies. The resulting program brings together priorities of housing, healing and community within a single connected campus. It reimagines the historic Brandon Club building (built in 1904) – the current home of YWCA Westman on 1th Street – as a centre for outreach and community health services, while introducing a new, purpose-built facility that expands services across the Westman region, strengthening supports for survivors and their children, as well as the staff team.
Located adjacent to the heart of downtown Brandon, the site offers access to nearby health, justice and social services – connections that support independence, health and long-term stability. The conceptual design and functional space program serves as a framework for this vision – defining how the Campus will operate by setting out the size, relationships and intent of each space. This process will continue to evolve as the project moves forward, ensuring that design decisions remain aligned with YWCA Westman’s operational needs and long-term goals.
Follow YWCA Westman’s social media channels to learn about the progress of this exciting project, and find out how you can engage in this transformative project in our community.
Paving the Way for a Brighter Future
Meredith Place, once a historic landmark and the cherished home of the YWCA Brandon, is now set to undergo a transformational process. The new development is intended to carry on Meredith Place’s mission of offering transitional housing to women and gender-diverse people.
The demands of upkeep and maintenance gradually outweighed the organization’s capacity to sustain it. With a burst pipe causing substantial water damage in 2023, the decision to redevelop the building became an imperative one.
The proposed redevelopment involves a meticulous process that began with the demolition of the existing structure. While honoring the history and significance of Meredith Place, the organization aims to salvage key architectural elements, such as the masonry on the exterior, particularly the enduring red bricks, Tyndall stone, and limestone. These pieces will be carefully preserved and integrated into the design of the new transitional housing facility according to Lois Ruston, YWCA Westman Executive Director.
One remarkable aspect of this project is the homage paid to the memory of Henry Meredith, a generous benefactor whose legacy lives on. His foresight and benevolence demonstrated through a significant financial contribution, enabled the establishment of a transitional housing facility for vulnerable members of society. The YWCA plans to commemorate his spirit and commitment to the new facility, ensuring that his legacy endures through the ages.
