It’s a place to sit – and so much more.

Wednesday morning, the Tipi of Hope Foundation unveiled its first “Bench of Hope” at the Peter Lougheed Center.

It was created in collaboration with Indigenous survivors and elders.

A QR code on the bench provides links to services for Indigenous patients and staff.

“Now that the bench is there, it creates a safe physical space because it’s a bench for indigenous people to come,” said Melissa Lundy, founder and president of Tipi of Hope.

“They can now access all the services that are available to them through this bench, like smudging (and) prayer,” Lundy added, “and it just helps continue the conversation about how to remove these barriers for Indigenous patients and staff.”

Tipi of Hope plans to unveil a second bench in early 2025.

She is also looking for indigenous carpenters to participate in the project.