Rise Up! Feminist Digital Archive
A Digital Archive of Feminist Activism
Nellie’s was founded in 1973 for young homeless women dealing with teenage pregnancy, self-harm, crime, prostitution, and abuse and was one of the first women’s shelters in Toronto.
One of the first women’s shelters in Toronto, Nellie’s was founded in 1973 by a group of women activists, which included June Callwood. At the time, there were only 40 beds available in Toronto for women who were homeless. Nellie’s was initially set up for young homeless women dealing with teenage pregnancy, self-harm, crime, prostitution, and abuse. The shelter was named after Nellie McClung, a leader of the Manitoba suffrage movement and one of the Famous Five who launched the “Persons Case”.
