Our History
Beginning
1885
Founded as a home for “destitute” and “unwanted” children by the Christian Women’s Union.
1915
The Tuxedo home on 621 Academy opens its doors.
1924
Manitoba Government passes Child Welfare Act. The Children’s Aid Society (CAS) is formed (Child and Family Services).
1940
Foster care leads to the depopulation of the “Home.”
1945
The Tuxedo Home is sold. The remaining concrete cornerstone resides on the 5th floor waiting room at 717 Portage.
Foundation
1949
With fewer children, the board faces a challenge on the organization’s direction. They research best practices and choose a new care model: “small community-based treatment centres”. They open the first of these at 766 Victor Ave, the first of its kind in Canada.
1950 – 80’s
A network of eight community homes is opened. It also has a school program for children with emotional and behavioral issues. The community-based approach is the foundation of New Directions’ current programs.
Diversification
1978
An Executive Director is hired with a mandate to diversify programs: Training Resources for Youth, Family Therapy, Resources for Adolescent Parents (RAP), Transition, Education, and Resources for Females, and Treatment Resources and Individualized Living Supports begin.
Counselling Parents in the Community, Families Affected by Sexual Assault (FASA), Opikihiwawin, and Manitoba Learning Centre all join or move to New Directions from other organizations.
1983
The Manitoba government asks the Children’s Home to create a residence for adults with disabilities.
1996
Children’s Home changes its name to New Directions for Children, Youth, Adults, and Families. The new name better reflects the services it provides. The name was suggested by a participant.
1999
New Directions begins a substantial effort to improve cultural competency, making training on Culture and Diversity and Breaking Barriers mandatory.
2000
Child Welfare Programs transferred to Aboriginal Mandated Authorities (AJI-CWI)
2002
SMH* becomes Bridges, Empowering People in the Community, Alternative Solutions, Shift Staffed Homes and Supported Independent Living.
A Peek at Colonization Training begins, which focuses on educating staff about colonization and its impact on the Indigenous community.
2004
Opikihiwawin Pow-Wow leads to New Directions sponsoring an annual Pow-Wow.
2006
St. Michael’s Road is formed out of the Greendell Community Treatment Centre. It was a home requested by the children leaving Greendell who were not able to return to their families.
2007
Resources for Adolescent Parents and Opikihiwawin move to 836 Ellice Avenue.
Alternative Solutions main office locates to 55 Donald.
2008
New Shift Staffed Homes are opened in 2008, 2009 and in Springfield 2010.
2009
Interagency Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (IFASD) program moves to New Directions.
Kai Na Quiniget, a home for youth who are Deaf and Indigenous, moves to New Directions.
Community
2010
New Directions celebrates its 125th Anniversary.
Parenting Centre opens and is the new home for the Reaching Out Project and the former Obawaanaan (Counselling Parents in The Community-CPIC).
2011
All Deaf services are brought together under one program.
Transition, Education, and Resources for Females celebrates 25th anniversary.
2012
Supported Independent Living celebrates 20th anniversary.
Shift Staffed Homes opens 4 homes in Portage la Prairie for people who previously lived in the Manitoba Developmental Centre.
Transition, Education, and Resources for Females opens a Transition House for youth exiting the sex trade.
Board of Directors approves launch of first social enterprise “Genesis”, a property maintenance service.
2013
New Directions is named one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers.
Shift Staffed Homes expands its program and opens its first children’s home.
2014
After a 4-year struggle, which included a mediated resolution through the Manitoba Human Rights Commission, New Directions is finally able to open its Shift Staffed Home for adults in the Rural Municipality (RM) of Springfield.
2015
New Directions re-locates to a newly renovated space at 717 Portage Ave.
2016
Community Treatment Centres expands to include Roots – specialized case management and supports to transition children from Child Home Services or My Home back to their family or community. The three residential options are re-branded and called Child Centred Services.
Two new Social Enterprises are opened: On the Button and Café 6.
New Directions receives official status as a high school and names the school Biindigen (“Enter/Welcome”) a high school that focuses on “A Holistic Approach to Education”.
2017
Family Connections is created with the combination of Bridges, TRAILS, and RSFC programs.
Alternative Solutions develops a Home Cleaning Business for the public. The business hires and trains the DREAM program participants to do the cleaning.
Supported Independent Living creates a “Cluster Model” of Supported Independent Living.
Deaf Support Services adds a Community Home for Deaf Adults.
2018
The Manitoba Learning Centre becomes the Multi-disciplinary Assessment and Consultation Centre (MACC). It provides psychological assessments to assist with determining eligibility for other services, and functional assessments to address any diagnosable learning, emotional, physical or sensory disabilities.
In collaboration with the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, New Directions launches “Big Feelings Come and Go” an illustrated book that helps families & organizations support children who’ve experienced trauma.
New Directions adds a Deaf Culture mandatory training for staff.
2019
In support of the Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and in conjunction with the TRC Calls to Action, New Directions launches the Red Dress project by putting a red dress in every window at New Directions.
New Directions adds an Ally Journey Workshop to mandatory training for staff.
2020
The COVID-19 Pandemic creates a shift in how New Directions works including the temporary closure of the offices and a shutdown of Adult Day Services.
Classrooms move to working online and office staff work from their homes.
Direct Support Workers continue to work in the homes with increased PPE.
New Directions opens a Supported Independent Living branch in Portage la Prairie.
New Directions goes through a reorganization. It is divided into three Areas of Service: Child Services, Adult Services, and Culture, Education & Training Services.
Child Services
- Includes Child Home Supports, Community Homes for Children, Deaf Home Supports, Roots, Family Therapy Services including Families Affected by Sexual Assault (FASA), Family Support, Education and Counselling (FASD) and Clinical Services within Multi-Disciplinary Assessment & Consultation Centre (MACC)
Adult Services
- Includes Adult Day Service, Adult Family Supports, Adult Home Share, Employment Services, Shift Staffed Homes, Cluster Housing, Supported Independent Living, Occupational Therapy Services with MACC (includes a connection to the adult side of Deaf Home Supports)
Culture, Education & Training Services
- Includes Opikihiwawin, Cultural Resources and Training, Biindigen School, Gordon Bell Associated Classroom, Job Training & Café 6, Specialized Classrooms, Transition House, Kapaapako Miikiwaap & Understanding & Working with Children & Youth Who Have Been Sexually Exploited (SEY) Training and Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Response (includes former RAP, TERF, TRY)
2022
January 3rd 2022, a fire breaks out on the first floor of 717 Portage Ave. It incinerates most of the ground level. The smoke damages the entire building, and it was not accessible for many months.
In September, staff were allowed back into the building after many months of clean-up and renovation.
2023
Transition, Education, and Resources for Females changes its name to Honouring Our Journey.
Supported Cluster Housing is formed.
*Some former program names are outdated and reflect language that is considered offensive. We strive to adapt to new and inclusive language.