One Door is no longer just a vision.
Over the past several months, we’ve been humbled by the support we’ve received from individuals, businesses, organizations, and community leaders throughout Antigonish and Guysborough, as well as supporters across Nova Scotia who believe in the One Door vision. Through generous donations, many made quietly and anonymously, we’ve been able to move from an idea to action, reaching key milestones that have allowed planning and design work to move forward and laying the groundwork for construction.
To everyone who has helped bring us to this point: thank you. Your generosity has enabled us to meet important financial commitments, including purchasing the land for the new build and advancing the planning and architectural work needed to move the project toward construction.
Driving down James Street and seeing the One Door billboard where the future centre will stand has become a meaningful moment of promise for everyone involved in the campaign. It’s a visible reminder of the generosity of our supporters, the progress we’ve made together, and the work still ahead.
Thanks to the continued generosity of our community, we recently received a transformational gift of $245,000 from a community champion. This remarkable investment positions the project for its next phase and shows the growing confidence our community has in the One Door vision.
Now, we’re asking others to join that momentum.
Our next priority is securing the funding needed to pour the foundation for the new build before the end of this fall’s construction season. Reaching this milestone will keep the project on schedule and help us manage construction costs responsibly.
Over the past several months, our momentum has extended well beyond fundraising. Through the One Door podcast, conversations with frontline providers, community organizations, researchers, and elected officials, we’ve had the opportunity to explore what it takes to build safer and healthier communities. While each conversation has focused on a different perspective, one message has been remarkably consistent: we know what needs to be done.
As campaign co-chair Barbara McLean, former Deputy Chief of the Toronto Police Service and former Investigations Director for the Mass Casualty Commission, observed, “There’s no shortage of knowing what we need to do.” The challenge is moving from ideas to action. “It really requires a whole-of-society approach” to strengthen the systems and organizations that support women and families every day.
Those conversations have also been encouraging. We’ve seen new investments announced to strengthen supports for survivors of gender-based violence and advance efforts to prevent human trafficking. We’ve also seen productive discussions with decision-makers and growing recognition of the vital role community organizations play in supporting women and families across Nova Scotia. These are important steps forward.
But programming also needs places where it can thrive.
As Anita Stewart has shared throughout this campaign, “My fear has always been that a woman is going to fall through the cracks.” The vision behind One Door is simple: “A woman should be able to walk through one door and receive as many services that she possibly needs.” By bringing counselling, healthcare, advocacy, and community supports together under one roof, the One Door model reduces logistical barriers, improves coordination, and creates a more compassionate, connected experience for those seeking support.
Barbara McLean described organizations like the Antigonish Women’s Resource Centre as a “force multiplier,” recognizing their ability to amplify the impact of services across the community. She echoed that sentiment later in the conversation, encouraging people to support initiatives like One Door not only because it’s the right thing to do, but because “we’re all safer… we have better solutions, better policy, better services that make our communities better places.”
That is why this campaign matters.
The generosity we’ve already witnessed has moved this project from vision to reality. Every donation has helped us prepare for the next stage, and every donor has become part of a growing community committed to ensuring women and families have access to coordinated, wraparound care.
Now, we need our community’s continued support to help us reach our goal of pouring the foundation this fall. Keeping the project on schedule will help us avoid costly delays and ensure every donated dollar goes as far as possible.
If you’ve been following the One Door campaign and wondering when the right time is to get involved, that time is now.
As Barbara also reminded us, “You’re backing a winner when you support the centre.” For nearly 45 years, the Antigonish Women’s Resource Centre has been there for women, youth, and families when they needed it most. Together, we can ensure that work continues in a purpose-built space designed to meet the growing needs of our communities.