Construction is underway on Canada’s first Indigenous healing space designed specifically for children and families inside of Winnipeg’s HSC.

The 2,000-square-foot Indigenous Community Healing Space at HSC Children’s Hospital in Manitoba is being led by Indigenous Elders, Knowledge Keepers, health-care experts, and families from First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities.

First envisioned in 2015 by Dr. Melanie Morris, Canada’s first Indigenous pediatric surgeon, the space is designed to support healing of the whole child — physically, mentally and spiritually — and will include room for ceremony, Elders, Indigenous language resources, and virtual connections to remote communities.

The $2.2 million project is funded through donors to the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba, including $500,000 from the Government of Manitoba.

Hospital leaders say the project is a concrete step toward reconciliation in health care, recognizing the importance of Indigenous healing practices for children and families.