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A long-anticipated temporary Saskatoon emergency homeless shelter that was initially supposed to open in late 2024, is now set to open its doors on April 1.
The Mustard Seed, the Alberta-based organization chosen to operate the facility at 210 Pacific Avenue, where the old STC bus station was located, confirmed the opening date on its website, and by telephone.
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According to information on its website, the shelter will have room for 30 to 40 beds, admission will be on a first-come, first-served basis, and it will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Residents will be provided with three meals daily, and will also have access to showers and bathrooms.
There will also be a range of supports for shelter residents’ “physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing, with the goal of helping them move towards greater health, stability, and independence.”
The website also outlines that each person staying at the new shelter will be screened before entering, and safety measures include cameras inside and outside the building.
Alcohol and drugs won’t be permitted on site and people who need to stay at the shelter who are under the influence of either can access the site as long as their behaviour “remains safe.”
The temporary shelter was approved in a 7 to 4 decision by Saskatoon City Council, at its Sept. 25, 2024 meeting.
At that meeting, councillors asked whether the new emergency shelter would mean a reduction in the number of beds at the Saskatoon Tribal Council’s 106-bed Emergency Wellness Centre in Fairhaven, which has been the focus of controversy since it first opened in late 2022.
Saskatchewan Housing Corporation’s Roger Parenteau said 60 days’ notice will have to be issued to the tribal council before anything changes.
The City of Saskatoon has also sunk hundreds of thousands of dollars into renovating the space, with money coming from its own reserves.
While the provincial government initially provided $250,000 in funding for the facility, construction costs soared to about $610,000 in late 2024.
The city is also still searching for a permanent shelter space. At this point, there’s no word on whether any locations have been short-listed.
650 CKOM has reached out to The Mustard Seed to request an interview.
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