Edmonton sexual assault centre pauses counselling services, cites provincial funding cuts

The Sexual Assault Centre of Edmonton (SACE) has paused intakes for some of its clinical services, effective Monday.

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SACE said the decision to temporarily halt the services was made because of “significant and unexpected” funding cuts from the province.

“We are deeply disheartened by the reality we are facing as an agency and understand that this news may land heavily for our community,” SACE said in a social media post on Monday.

Affected services include:

• adult counselling
• child and youth counselling
• core therapeutic groups, including ASHA, Men’s Group, SASS, Sitting in Solidarity, refleQT, Skills for Change, and Who I Am Now.

SOLACE (Space Of Learning And Cultural Equity) and Wîwîp’son Healing from Sexual Trauma Circle for Indigenous Women are still running.

Current clients, clients on the waitlist for service, or those with an intake booked will have their services continued as scheduled.

The opposition NDP called the funding cuts reckless.

“This cut is more than just a number on a budget sheet—it’s a direct attack on the safety and dignity of survivors,” Julia Hayter, NDP shadow minister for status of women said in a news release.

The government said it has not decreased funding to SACE.

“Budget 2025, if passed, invests more than $88 million for prevention of family and sexual violence which includes $15.3 million, an increase of $1.5 million, for sexual assault centres across the province,” Daniel Verrier, press secretary for children and family services said in an email to CTV News Edmonton on Monday.

“The Sexual Assault Centre of Edmonton receives nearly $2.1 million in operational funding from the ministry of children and family services, and this number has not decreased.”

The Saffron Centre, which also helps people impacted by sexual violence, says the SACE pause will impact its operations.

“We have already observed an increase in calls to our centre and anticipate that our current four-five month waitlist will grow quickly,” executive director Roxanne Tiessen said in an email to CTV News Edmonton.

“The pause in intakes at SACE will lead to a surge in service requests at Saffron Centre and while our intakes remain open, we foresee challenges in responding promptly to callers in need of support.”