Downtown Saskatoon wellness centre gets green light for expansion

Saskatoon city council has given a unanimous thumbs up to a 20-bed expansion at the downtown wellness centre.

The shelter, located at 145 First Ave. N, opened Dec. 15 with a 50-person capacity. It has laundry and kitchen areas, lounges, counselling services and nurse practitioners on hand, and is run by the Saskatoon Tribal Council.

Speaking to councillors on Monday, Tribal Chief Mark Arcand said since the facility opened, staff had been turning away people every night, sometimes up to a dozen at a time.

“As of my last report … we have 363 intakes in 39 days,” he said.

The wellness centre will use the second floor of the building to add beds for families and children who aren’t suffering from addictions.

“We don’t want anybody that’s healthy to be triggered or even expose children to this,” Arcand explained. “We don’t want them to have any trauma because somebody is having a negative situation that they’re going through, whether it be alcohol or drug use.”

According to a city administration report, counselling and support services would also be located on the second floor of the building.

Notice has been given to the executive director of the Downtown Business Improvement District and nearby businesses.

In a tweet, the Saskatoon Tribal Council said there’s no set date for opening, until the area has been brought up to the same codes as the first floor, and more staff are hired.

Fire Chief Morgan Hackl told councillors the demand for services and shelter is constant.

“This wellness centre has been a response to an urgent need in the community with the cold weather,” Hackl said. “City administration continues to assist through commitment and collaboration.”

The same terms and conditions will apply as before, with a nominal charge of $10 a month for rent. The lease will expire on April 30 and city services like HVAC adjustments and utility costs of around $15,000 will be absorbed by the City of Saskatoon.