Second-stage shelter opens for victims of intimate partner violence on Montreal’s east end

A second-stage shelter for women who are victims of intimate partner violence and their children was inaugurated in Montreal’s Pointe-aux-Trembles on Friday.

It’s the same borough where the city’s first possible femicide of the year was recorded on Jan. 26. Exactly one week ago, 32-year-old Narjess Ben Yedder was allegedly stabbed to death by her husband. Advocates say resources like this shelter could have potentially saved the young woman’s life.

La Maison Gisèle-Pomerleau was founded by the Centre des femmes de Montréal-Est/Pointe-aux-Trembles and named after the organization’s late founder.

“It’s a feeling of pride,” says Dorette Mekamdjio, the director of the Centre des Femmes de Montréal-Est/Pointe-aux-Trembles. “Even if at the same time there’s been disappointment because when a woman is killed by violence, it’s sad. On the other hand, with the Maison Gisèle-Pomerleau, we are here, there is accommodation available to help you, to save your life.”

It will provide 20 housing units for victims and their children and they can stay there for about a year or two. 

This second stage shelter offers affordable and safe transitional housing to women who are struggling with a violent ex-partner, after staying in a first-step support shelter.

“It’s sad because the violence is there no matter what and we’re trying to help women get past this violence with a second-stage home which is so critical,” said Lisa Christensen, city councillor in Rivière-des-Prairies–Pointe-aux-Trembles. “You want to be happy because this is great news, at the same time, you feel like complete sadness that we have to have these kinds of homes that are available.”

Last Friday, Mustapha Khalil Mechken, 42, was charged with the second-degree murder of his wife Narjess. He’s detained until his next hearing in March. 

“Maybe if we would have been open last week, we could have done something for this woman,” Etni Cortés, a social worker at Centre des Femmes de Montréal-Est/Pointe-aux-Trembles. “But now she’s not with us, but we are happy to know that we will be able to help other women. Not her, but others in the future.”

A vigil was held for the young woman outside her home Tuesday.

Additional services may be offered to the women seeking shelter.

“Psychologists, social workers, and quite a few employees will be there to help and support them in their stay at the Maison,” said Patricia Higgins, a volunteer and board member of the Centre des Femmes de Montréal-Est/Pointe-aux-Trembles.

Minister responsible for the Status of Women Martine Biron and Minister for Social Solidarity and Community Action Chantal Rouleau were on-hand for the inauguration.

“Fighting violence against women is a priority for our government,” said Biron. “We have increased our efforts in this direction and today’s inauguration is another step forward.”

This space was funded by an investment of more than $11.7 million granted by the Société d’habitation du Québec (SHQ).

“The opening of this resource is certainly a relief for many Montrealers and a concrete example of what collaboration makes possible for the creation of resources for vulnerable populations,” said Rouleau.

The Quebec government says they already have about seven other shelters like this and plan to build 30 more over the next few years.

We realize that we needed more to help women to take back their life. And so the house of second state is a place where you can go secure, where you can get help every day. And that women can take more, better decisions for themselves

“We realize that we needed more to help women to take back their life,” Biron said. “It’s a place where you can go to be secure, where you can get help every day.”

“The fact that we’re working together to make these transitional places for women to have a safety net so they can get their lives back together and move forward, I think it’s so important,” said Christensen.

She said said the first step is reaching out.

“If you’re a woman in distress and you don’t know how to get out of it, you can walk into a municipal building, you can walk into a library, you can use a computer, you can ask a friend, stop a police officer, and somebody will point you in the direction to the resources that are available,” Christensen added. “You are not alone.”