Na’kuset and the Native Women’s Shelter of Montreal: a door open all year

What they do

The Native Women’s Shelter of Montreal has been around since 1987, and it never closes: it is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It welcomes First Nations, Inuit and Métis women and their children, and it describes itself as the only women’s shelter in Montreal that serves Indigenous women exclusively. Women can refer themselves or come through another community group.

Inside, the basics come first: a bed, food, clothing, hygiene and some calm. Around them sits a full calendar, with about twenty workshops a month, from art therapy to traditional teachings. The shelter’s approach mixes traditional healing with contemporary methods. Its programs reach beyond its own walls too, including the Iskweu Project, which supports families and survivors of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, trans and Two-Spirit people in Quebec, and an outreach program around Cabot Square.

The person at the head of it all is Na’kuset, the shelter’s executive director. She started there as a front-line worker while she was still a student and became executive director in 2004.

How it started

In 2019, when a day centre left the Cabot Square area, unhoused people around Atwater metro lost a warm place to go. Na’kuset co-founded Resilience Montreal with David Chapman to fill that gap. It opened across from the square on Sainte-Catherine Street West and serves many unhoused Indigenous people. In June 2026 it moved to a new home at 780 Atwater Avenue.

Resilience offers meals, showers, laundry, clothing and a place to nap during the day. Staff also help people get ID and status cards, find housing, return to their home communities, and get to medical appointments or court. On Tuesdays there is country food.

Na’kuset’s public advocacy has drawn wide attention. APTN News reported that she turned down a King Charles III Coronation Medal, saying she wanted real action from the Crown for the community she serves rather than an honour. Her other recognition includes the Paul-Gérin-Lajoie Award for Diversity (2021) and a place on Côte Saint-Luc’s Human Rights Walkway (2023).

Why it matters this December

Winter is hardest for people with nowhere to go. A shelter that never closes, and a day centre on Atwater Avenue, can mean the difference between a cold night outside and a meal, a shower and someone who knows your name. The shelter is in renovations, so it says it has no room for physical donations right now. Money and time help most.

How to help

• Donate online. The shelter takes gifts through a Zeffy form linked from its donate page. Your thank-you email is your tax receipt. To support a specific program, email the shelter.
• Volunteer. The most common needs are childcare, household help and front-desk work. Fill in the application on the volunteer page and attend an orientation session.
• Bring a group. Companies and teams can assemble care kits through the Kits For A Cause program, or contact Resilience Montreal about group volunteering.
• Don’t drop off goods. Because of the renovations, the shelter isn’t accepting physical donations at the moment.

The shelter hasn’t announced a special holiday campaign for 2026, so check its site before you plan a drive.

Official website nwsm.info