Emergency Residential Shelter Program
The True North Society was established in 1992 as a community movement to support those experiencing domestic violence.
Residential Shelter Program
Over 30 years ago, True North was established (previously operating as The Wheatland Crisis Society) as a community movement to support those experiencing domestic violence.
True North operates out of a secure, 7000 sq. ft, home-like facility that can accommodate up to 25 people in seven bedrooms with shared bathrooms.
The kitchen, living room, and yard are communal spaces. Two counselling spaces are also available within the facility for personal space and reflection.
Survivors are provided up to 30 days of accommodation trough the residential program while preparing for the next step in their journey.
Individuals staying in True North’s residential program also have access to homemade meals, childcare, counselling, support groups, safety planning, yoga therapy, meditation and gardening. Additionally, survivors receive supportive educational sessions (such as How to Manage Stress, Fostering Self-esteem, and Positive Parenting).
We aspire to provide compassionate, trauma-informed programming with the goal of fostering client resiliency, mastery, independence, and a sense of peace and community.
Thank you to Shoppers Foundation for Women’s HealthTM, the charitable arm of Shoppers Drug Mart, for selecting True North Society as a community grant recipient. Shoppers Foundation funding supports True North’s Advancing Women’s Equity program throughout the 2025-2026 year.
Child and Youth Care
Child & Youth Care Programming offers parents a safe place for children to express themselves freely and have fun!
Trauma-informed childcare recognizes the physical and emotional needs of children who have experienced domestic violence. We take continued care in fostering a calm, inviting, and creative space. Kids can enjoy a variety of activities in the Rec Room, such as arts & crafts, dramatic play, board and card games, music, Nintendo, and more! In essence, the Rec Room is dedicated to allowing kids to simply be kids.
Family Enjoyment Program
Family Enjoyment allows True North to offer parents and children opportunities to create new, positive family memories free from violence while helping strengthen healthy relationships.
Some of our favourite family events have included movie nights, family baking nights, birthday celebrations, and ice-cream feasts!
Home Library
In our unending goal to support our clients as they plan the next step in their journey towards independence, True North is proud to offer our residential families a cozy and welcoming Home Library!
The Home Library:
- is filled with stories of courage, adventure, determination, and triumph,
- reflects our values of inclusivity & diversity,
- encourages healthy family bonding practices through reading together,
- reduces feelings of stress trough solo reading, and
- encourages a culture of reading for enjoyment, in and effort to
- give survivors a greater feeling of normalcy and autonomy during their transition period with us!
Home Library Wish List
If you’d like to support the Home Library, click here! Your donation replaces damaged books and purchases new stories of adventure.
Early Intervention Program
Early Intervention Programming is an integrative program between the Residential Shelter and the Child & Youth program that provides parents and children who have witnessed or experienced family abuse with supportive counseling, education, safety planning, and other tools to help foster healthy attachment strategies in children.
Intervention strategies aim to reduce risk factors (such as exposure to domestic abuse) and increase protective factors (such as positive self-esteem and strong social supports) in a child’s life. These protective factors help mitigate risk in addition to promoting the healthy development and well-being of children throughout their lives.
Residential Early Invention Workers provide families with:
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- crisis support through group and individual counselling,
- parent coaching,
- personal and family safety planning, and
- educational sessions, such as:
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- the effects of trauma on child development (with a focus on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)),
- positive parenting (role modelling, healthy communication strategies),
- expressing emotions
- fostering self-esteem, and
- resources and referrals to ongoing community support, so families can continue to thrive even after they have left the shelter.
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Our Early Intervention workers work to ensure that the psychological and emotional needs of all family members are met!
The True North Society takes pride in inclusivity and is proud to serve all individuals and families regardless of age, gender identity, or gender expression. We strive to respect our cultural differences and the experiences that make each of us unique. In 2017, True North was awarded the provincial Alberta Inspiration Award in recognition of our inclusive practices. True North’s services are accessible to men, women, and anyone within the LGBTQ+ community experiencing domestic violence. In addition, we cooperate with the Male Domestic Abuse Outreach Program offered through the Calgary Counselling Centre, which provides longer-term counselling, advocacy, and support programs for men.
