If ever there was a building which has lived up to its name, it is The Haven.

Since 1976, the architecturally distinctive edifice off Berkeley Road in Pembroke has served as a residence for women and their child(ren) in need of temporary shelter.

"In 1976, there really was not anywhere else for women who needed short-term housing to go, so Teen Services filled a variety of things,'' Mrs. Olga Scott, trustee of The Haven Trust, explained. "With other support services, such as the Physical Abuse Centre, we were dealing with a much younger age group, which is really what we set out to do.'' While the concept was a success, time has caught up with the structure, and in its present form it has outgrown the demands placed upon it, so The Haven is now closed pending a refit, which is due to commence shortly.

Mrs. Scott cited three main reasons for last year's closing: Safety: "The place needed to be completely re-wired and re-plumbed.'' Aesthetics: "When individuals come into a residential unit they are coming from a (difficult) environment so they are looking for a place which is not only aesthetically pleasing but has surroundings which are conducive to getting them back on their feet.

"The old surroundings were not really considered appropriate, because the matron's quarters were not separate, so she did not have the kind of privacy she needed.

Need: "Because of the demand from the various social services, agencies, families and individuals, we found that The Haven needed to be enlarged.'' But lest conservationists take fright, Mrs. Scott was at pains to assure that there would be no sullying of the home's precious architectural features. "It is such a beautiful old building that we want to maintain its character,'' she assured. "We have no wish to destroy its integrity, so much of the renovation will be internal. I think The Haven has a sense of history and also a purpose, so we want to make sure the two things really blend.'' Plans, drawn up by Mr. Dennis Burgess of Envision Design, call for the creation of an additional two rooms, bringing the total to ten. And if that sounds a little modest, there is a reason.

"In a residential unit you want to keep the numbers low while at the same time being able to meet the demands of the community,'' Mrs. Scott explained.

"You don't want to over-crowd.'' Other reasons for renovations include making the facility better suited to the residents' and matron's needs.

"There was no area where one could do group counselling, and Teen Services wants to be able to do that. We also want to have a play area for the children. These are the sort of things that will facilitate the kinds of services The Haven will be able to provide, and they are critical,'' Mrs.

Scott said.

Also, under the new arrangement the matron's living quarters will be more private than they were before, though of course she will continue to provide the requisite supervision.

With planning approval secured, Mrs. Scott said the Trustees hoped that renovations would commence around April 1 because the demand for such a facility was even greater than ever before.

"We have had so many calls from individuals needing assistance,'' she said.

"Agencies are asking when The Haven is going to be open. Some even wanted to be put on a waiting list, so we know there is a need for the facility. It is fulfilling an important gap in helping young people.'' When The Haven reopens, Mrs. Scott said Teen Services wants to focus on older adolescents, fitting them up for independent living.

"When they leave The Haven they are going out into the world on their own,'' she observed, "so while they are at the home we will provide them with the tools and skills for living -- to be good parents to them.'' Of course, renovations cost money -- and at an estimated $270,000 these will be no exception. Because The Haven Trust is not a wealthy body, it will soon be turning to the public for assistance.

"We have already had a couple of individuals who have agreed to put on various fund-raisers for us, and I think there is one young lady who lived for a while at The Haven in the '70s. Now she has her own home and wants to do something as her small way of saying thank-you for being there at a time when she needed us,'' Mrs. Scott related. "We are very encouraged by efforts like that.'' Meanwhile, anyone wishing to donate to the renovation project should make cheques payable to The Haven and mail them to The Haven Trust c/o P.O. Box 1644, Hamilton.

Originally, The Haven was a refuge for homeless boys and girls in the community, and first opened its doors for service on January 15, 1948. Its original trustees were Mrs. Millie Neverson, Miss Edith Crawford, Mrs. Joyce Williams, Mrs. Isabel Ratteray and Mrs. Zilla Lowe.

The first Haven committee was known as the Doing Our Bit Circle, and its chairman was Mrs. Ethel Jones. Later, when The Haven Trust Act was passed in 1965, the working group became known as The Haven Trust Committee, and was chaired by Mrs. Alice Stovell Brown.

Mrs. Neverson remained in charge of the home's operation until her death in January, 1975 when The Haven closed for a time.

A year later, Teen Services rented the premises as a home for unwed mothers and their infants, and it was formally opened on February 7, 1976 with Mrs.

Olga Scott as administrator.

"Since then Teen Services has operated The Haven without any direct Government funding,'' Mrs. Scott explained. "That is why it has a tag day each year. '' To clarify the present relationship between The Haven Trust and Teen Services, Mrs. Scott likened the former to landlords and the latter to its tenants.

"The two are inter-twined because we need each other,'' she said of the arrangement.

SOMETHING TO SMILE ABOUT -- Mrs. Olga Scott, trustee of The Haven Trust, is pleased that renovations to The Haven, a home for adolescent females, will shortly begin. The improvements will provide more accommodation without compromising the building's architectural integrity.