A place of safety and calm

The abuse of a child is one of the most horrific things imaginable. And for the victims of such a nightmare, facing time being questioned repeatedly by multiple people in an emergency room about what happened makes a traumatic situation even more unbearable. That’s exactly what kids and youth had to deal with before the Toba Centre for Children and Youth existed.

Formerly known as Snowflake Place, the Toba Centre was created in 2013 to provide a safe, child-friendly setting for children aged two to 17 who have been impacted by abuse or have witnessed violence. Services expanded in 2020 with the addition of case navigation support services aimed at ensuring the well-being and recovery of children and their families.

In 2023, the move to the current location in Assiniboine Park made things better for everyone. There, police, social workers, medical and other support services work together to serve children and families with a co-ordinated response, in a building that is welcoming in a child-centred way.

Dr. Megan Cooney, pediatrician in the field of child maltreatment, sees children and adolescents where disclosures of physical and/or sexual abuse have been made. The section head of the Child Protection Centre, a division within the Department of Pediatrics with Shared Health, she’s worked at a satellite clinic at the Toba Centre since 2024.

“This is the gold standard for how children and families should be cared for after a child or youth is physically or sexually assaulted,” said Cooney.

Before the Toba Centre came into existence, all children and youth were being seen at the Health Sciences Centre.

“Some would arrive in the middle of the night after they had been transported from rural communities,” Cooney explained. “They had not slept or eaten. It’s not a calm place to be, with alarms and buzzers going off, babies crying. It’s not the type of place to be seen after a sexual assault, seeing these kids and doing these exams, after the worst thing that’s ever happened, with something bad happening in the next room. It’s disruptive.

“With the Toba Centre, the difference is we are seeing them in a space that is designed to be child- and family-centred. It’s welcoming. Instead of coming into the emergency department, there’s a family room. We are seeing kids after they’ve had a chance to eat and sleep,” Cooney added.

The Toba Centre has not only simplified but improved both the conditions and the outcomes for children and youth.

“If I’m seeing kids at the hospital, I have to ask kids about what happened,” said Cooney. “It’s traumatizing. At the Toba Centre, all of the kids have had a forensic interview before we see them. I can really focus on what they need in that moment. The focus becomes, ‘What do you need; how are you doing; what can we do to help right now?’”

CEO Christy Dzikowicz describes the environment as homey and designed with trauma-informed care.

“We have 23 police officers that work here, a full medical clinic with two exam rooms. When a child walks through the door, they have a team: a CFS worker, a police officer, a victim advocate now and beyond, a forensic medical practitioner, and a pediatrician. We have three trained dogs on staff, all important components to ongoing support.”

A social worker by trade, Dzikowicz has worked in child maltreatment for 30 years in most of the systems, including child protection in Ontario and Manitoba, child abuse investigations, working with Manitoba Justice, and with the Canadian Centre for Child Protection.

“What we’ve developed here at Assiniboine Park is a child advocacy centre. We seek to excel in all areas of this, in a child-centred, trauma-informed way.”

Finding the $15 million needed to make it happen brought with it some unexpected learning.

“It was easier than I expected it to be,” Dzikowicz said. “People care about kids and we’d never invited the community in before,” she continued, noting that $10 million came directly from community, and $5 million from provincial funding.

“This is an extremely powerful message to kids. All of us care about you. So few people want to hurt children; the good guys outnumber the bad.

“Far too many children experience abuse, and there are horrific things happening to children. You can report all kinds of stats on suicide, homelessness— this is what happens when child abuse goes unattended.”

In the last year, Toba Centre received 813 referrals from the RCMP, Winnipeg Police Service, Manitoba First Nations Police, and the Brandon Police Service, involving 1,171 children and youth. The number of forensic interviews conducted increased by 41.7 per cent over the past three years, with 809 interviews in 2025/26.

Throughout 2025/26, Support Specialists at Toba Centre supported 650 families and care providers at a child’s or youth’s appointment and maintained contact with more than 1,200 new and existing families and care providers.

“Are we investigating crime? Absolutely. But our first priority is making sure that kids and their families are going at their pace, that we are managing their needs, and doing what’s best for them,” said Dzikowicz.

“The recovery needs of kids is our priority. By creating an environment like this, that is community supported, we are sending a powerful message. This is our community response to hurt children.

“We need to rally as many of the good folks as we can and ask, ‘How do we show this kid that they matter?’ I’ve seen some of the most horrific things I can ever imagine. I see kids move on, thriving beyond. That takes community.

“Abuse thrives in secrecy,” added Dzikowicz. “People can help raise awareness about this issue.”

Dzikowicz wants people to keep in mind that October is Child Abuse Awareness Month and it’s not too early to find out more. The Winnipeg Jets continue to be supporters of the campaign, with Adam Lowry as a spokesperson. There’s a toy drive to create comfort kits serving the entire province. Follow on social media or visit: https://tobacentre.ca

fpcity@freepress.mb.ca