Achi news desk-
OLD, ALTA. –
A new emergency shelter for women and children broke ground in Olds, Alta. on Tuesday, named in honor of a young mother who was killed in a case of alleged domestic violence.
Kirsten’s Place will provide a safe escape for those fleeing domestic violence and pay tribute to Kirsten O’Donoghue, who was a 25-year-old mother of two-year-old twins.
She was found dead in a Bowden flat in March 2021.
Ross Arran McInnes, 27, O’Donoghue’s boyfriend, was charged with first degree murder in her death. The charge has not been proven in court.
The case returns to court for jury selection on May 9.
“It means a lot to my family,” said Brian Gardner, O’Donoghue’s father. “It’s hard every day, but we’re working through it.”
Kirsten O’Donoghue was a 25-year-old mother of two-year-old twins. (Supplied)
Despite the heavy snow, the groundbreaking ceremony was well attended, including O’Donoghue’s parents, step-parents, twins and nine other siblings.
“It’s probably Kirsten’s weather I’d say, she’s always made things difficult,” her father joked. “She loved the snow.”
Her mother, Christina Ramage, described her daughter as bubbly and outgoing.
“Kind of extraordinary, she didn’t care what anyone thought of her. She would definitely be proud that this is happening in her name,” he said.
According to Joe Charigan, president of the Mountain View Emergency Shelter Association, Kirsten’s Place will have six rooms and is the first emergency shelter for women in the county, located between Calgary and Red Deer.
“The need is huge. We have one outreach worker and one program worker and in 2023 they dealt with 212 clients in Mountain View County and 48 people attended their programs,” he said.
Charigan says the demand for support around those fleeing domestic violence has increased by more than 200 percent in the area since before the pandemic.
“It’s definitely very much needed at the moment. If we have people we take to other shelters but they don’t have support there (like) their family and their children don’t go to school so, they go back in the end,” he said.
The town of Olds donated the portion of land on which the shelter will be built and the state contributed $125,000, but the majority of the million dollars raised came from the community.
“A lot of people knew Kirsten, they grew up with her, played sports with her, so there’s a lot of local knowledge and understanding,” said Charigan.
The family say the shelter will act as a permanent memorial and hope it will encourage other women to seek help.
“Just trying to help other families. To have a place to go,” Gardner said.
“I think for most women they can hide easily because they are ashamed. There’s definitely a stigma that needs to be stopped,” Ramage said.
“There is always someone who will help, all you need to do is say, reach out, tell someone.”
Kirsten’s Place is set to open and begin accepting clients this fall.
