During the 1970s in Grande Prairie, issues were arising concerning the availability of housing for single women. With the oil economy booming and bringing in more workers, housing was becoming less accessible. With more single women entering the workforce outside of domestic spaces, Grande Prairie was posed with the question of how to house them. In 1979, the Grande Prairie Women’s Residence Association was formed by locals who were concerned about women’s housing. By 1980, the group had secured funding to rent out the Croken House with ten beds for their cause. Croken House began with these aims:
The hostel will attempt to alleviate and/or prevent some social problems by providing a housing alternative to:
- Women needing emergency accommodation away from their usual place of residence;
- Transient women needing a bed for the night where they will feel secure and where cost is reasonable;
- Women awaiting hospital admission, visiting relatives in hospital or making use of other specialized medical and social services in the city;
- Women seeking employment in Grande Prairie’s booming job market
- High school and college students having difficulty finding accommodation
Grande Prairie Women’s Residence Association occupancy statistics from 1981.
The association quickly realized that the greatest need was a shelter for women and children seeking refuge from domestic violence situations. By 1981, the Grande Prairie Women’s Residence Association secured the funding from the Clifford E. Lee Foundation to relocate to a larger facility. This new facility opened in September of 1981 under the name “Odyssey House.” According to the representatives of the Grande Prairie Women’s Residence Association, this name was chosen to reflect the complex journey women undergo when leaving situations of domestic violence. The Odyssey House allowed the association to house 21 women.
The Grande Prairie Women’s Residence Association not only started and maintained a shelter for women, they also had several outreach programs geared at combating domestic abuse. This even included a treatment program aimed at men who batter their partners, which was a first in the province. The association also received a great deal of community support including from the local RCMP. The association frequently expressed their gratitude to their local MLA Elmer Borstad for aiding them in securing funding.
In a time of changing societal norms and shifting family dynamics, the Grande Prairie Women’s Residence Association stepped up to tackle emerging issues in the community. Discussions of domestic violence were being brought into the mainstream by groups like the Grande Prairie Women’s Residence Association through their projects and outreach programs. Today, the Odyssey House still fills a vital role of supporting women in Grande Prairie and has grown leaps and bounds in its services.