Construction moves forward on innovative Indigenous-led project at HSC Children’s Hospital

New space will provide cultural connections and room for Indigenous wisdom in healing

Winnipeg, MB (February 24, 2026) – Construction is moving forward on Canada’s first Indigenous healing space designed specifically for kids and their families in a children’s hospital. The Indigenous Community Healing Space at HSC Children’s Hospital in Manitoba is a landmark project that is fully led by Indigenous Elders, Knowledge Keepers and health care experts as well as children and families from Métis, Inuit and First Nations communities.

This vision for this innovative initiative began in 2015 with project lead Dr. Melanie Morris – Canada’s first Indigenous pediatric surgeon and Physician Lead, Indigenous Health at HSC Children’s – and Lean Gazan, in her role as an educator at the University of Winnipeg. The project has been guided and supported by respected Elders Charlotte Nolin, Margaret Lavallee, Levinia Brown, Sherry Copenace, Barbara Bruce, Martha Peet, Katherine Whitecloud, Jack Robinson and the late Valdie Seymour and Barry Lavallee. Many more Indigenous Elders, First Nations, Métis and Inuit community members have been deeply involved in the project, along with Indigenous designer Destiny Seymour, to ensure every choice reflects community voices and priorities.

This 2,000 square foot culturally connected space for healing is being designed to be a place where children and families feel safe, connect with each other, and nurture their whole self – physically, mentally and spiritually – while away from their home community and cultural supports. The space will honour First Nations, Métis and Inuit values and ways of knowing and healing.

“This project represents our deep commitment to reconciliation in health care. HSC Children’s Hospital must be a place where every child feels safe, supported, and close to the heart of their community,” says Dr. Patricia Birk, Provincial Specialty Lead, Child Health, Shared Health, and Department Head, Pediatrics & Child Health. “Having access to Elders, to ceremony, to Indigenous art and the healing power of nature — these elements are not extra, they are essential to healing. This space is a profound step in understanding and honouring the needs of Indigenous kids and families who rely on Children’s.”

“As an Indigenous surgeon, woman, and mother, it has been so important that this project remain Indigenous-led from the beginning to end,” says Dr. Morris. “It has taken time because we listened, learned and implemented components that First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities told us were most important for their children. This process matters – we want to do this in a good way, with respect for community voices.”

The $2.2 million project is being funded by generous donors to the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba, including a meaningful $500,000 contribution from the Government of Manitoba.

The Foundation and HSC Children’s Hospital view this project as an essential ReconciliACTION – a tangible commitment to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, including recognition of Indigenous healing practices (Call to Action 22).

“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,” says Stefano Grande, President and CEO of the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba. “We know that at any given time, upwards of 60 per cent of the children in our hospital are Indigenous, many from remote and northern communities. This space will help families feel safe, respected, and supported while children are in hospital. It is not only important for Manitoba — it is momentous for our entire country.”

In Manitoba, Indigenous children are overrepresented in hospital but currently there are few visible signs of Indigenous lands, cultural beliefs, or worldview inside the buildings. Many Indigenous kids at HSC Children’s have also travelled hundreds of kilometers from their homes, their families and their cultural supports as it’s the only children’s hospital serving Manitoba, Northwestern Ontario and Nunavut. When a child feels safe, they are supported to become healthier. Access to Indigenous worldview and traditional medicine is essential and is part of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

The space, designed by Stantec in collaboration with Indigenous designer Destiny Seymour of Indigo Arrows, will feature:

• Design elements reflective of First Nations, Métis and Inuit culture, spirituality, and worldview
• Space for traditional Indigenous ceremonies, including smudging
• Place for Indigenous Elders, healers and Knowledge Keepers
• Library space for Indigenous language books
• Comfortable breastfeeding corner
• Private space for important conversations
• Technology that allows kids unable to physically leave a hospital ward to see ceremonies or programming happening in the healing space, and connect with their remote communities, family and Elders

A construction services tender has been issued, and submissions are in review.

CAA Manitoba, Canadian Tire Dealers of Manitoba, CIBC, C.P. Loewen Family Foundation, South Beach Casino & Resort, Tachane Foundation Inc., Wawanesa Insurance, The Winnipeg Foundation and many other major donors have generously supported the project to date, but additional funds are still required to complete construction, furnish the space, and develop culturally relevant programming.

“We appreciate the leadership of Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs for their official endorsement of the Indigenous Community Healing Space at HSC Children’s Hospital. This Indigenous-led project is the first of its kind in Canada and is an important step in reconciliation within health care,” says Grande. “Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba and Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba continue to work closely with Indigenous leaders and families to support continued improvement in health care. We invite Manitobans to join us in supporting this momentous project for kids.”

To support the Indigenous Community Healing Space, visit goodbear.ca/Indigenoushealth.