Tri-County Women’s Centre was established in 2002 through the efforts of Women for Community Economic Development in Southwest Nova. We are a community based feminist organization that understands both the need to offer direct services and programs as well as carry out community development and social advocacy as a means of achieving equality for women. To the best of our ability we respond to the direct needs of women and their families in Digby, Shelburne, and Yarmouth counties. Our Centre is an intersectional feminist, community-based, anti-racist service that is open to all women and members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. We work with our culturally diverse communities across the Tri-Counties, and the province, to ensure our services are accessible to all women and their families.
Our core services remain the same but the specific services and programs we offer and community development initiatives we are part of may change from year to year, reflecting the needs in the community. Our core services are:
- Individual Support Counselling and Crisis Intervention
- Advocacy and Accompaniment
- Information and Referral
- Programs
- Community Education
- Community Development Initiatives and Networks
To read more about our mission, vision and guiding principles, click here.
HerStory & milestones
Our first physical location was Milton School on Brunswick Street from 2003-2007. The school had been closed and converted to a community centre and we had one of the former classrooms.
In 2003, we became an active member of Women’s Centres Connect – the Nova Scotia Association of Women’s Centres.
We moved to Main Street in the summer of 2007.
In 2009, we established our Outreach Offices in Shelburne and Digby; we also acquired Charitable Status, enabling us to issue tax receipts for donations to the Centre.
In July 2010, we bought our house at 12 Cumberland Street.
In 2014, the Tri-County Wellness Clinic opened its doors as the Lahey Wellness Clinic, under the supervision of Dr. Shelagh Leahey. Services continue to this day.
In 2018, we began overseeing the SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) program for the Western Zone.
In 2021, our Mental Health program started, addressing the real and pressing mental health crisis in our community.