Indigenous healing space coming to Winnipeg hospital

A rendering of the Indigenous Community Healing Space proposed for HSC Children’s Hospital. (Stantec/Children's Hospital Foundation of Manitoba)

More culturally friendly support for Indigenous children receiving treatment will be coming to a Winnipeg hospital.

The Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba announced Tuesday that it will be starting construction on the Indigenous Community Healing Space at the HSC Children’s Hospital.

The facility will include space for traditional Indigenous ceremonies, such as smudging, along with design elements indicative of Indigenous culture and library space for books in Indigenous languages. Stantec, a Canadian firm, and Indigenous designer Destiny Seymour are designing the space, which will be 2,000 square feet in size and is being called the first such space in Canada.

“This is more than a construction project—it is an act of reconciliation, building a better future for Indigenous children and families needing health care, and it is a commitment to mutual respect and understanding that will continue to support healing of bodies, hearts, minds, and spirits,” said Stefano Grande, president and CEO of the foundation, in a statement.

Indigenous leaders and Elders were involved in the creation of the space.

The project will cost $2.2 million and is being funded by donors to the foundation as well as $500,000 from the Manitoba government.

A construction tender has been issued and submissions are being reviewed.