Wetaskiwin emergency shelter reopens without provincial funding

The City of Wetaskiwin has reopened an emergency shelter for the second time this year as it continues to urge the provincial government to help fund action on homelessness.

An average of 10 people have used the emergency shelter on any given night since doors opened on Dec. 1.

City council allocated $65,000 to keep the doors open until Mar. 31. Lighthouse Church was contracted to operate the shelter, housed in the basement of the Civic Building.

Mayor Tyler Gandam said despite repeated requests to the province, the Alberta government has not set aside money for the shelter.

"So far nothing has come to the city yet, but we'll continue to work with them," he said.

• Wetaskiwin without funding to house homeless this winter

A government spokesperson confirmed the province has received the city's request for shelter funding, but no decision has been made.

"We are pleased to see the City of Wetaskiwin addressing this issue in their community," said Kassandra Kitz, press secretary for Community and Social Services.

Gandam says he would like to see the province fund a permanent shelter, with attendant mental health and addictions services that could act as a hub for the city and surrounding communities.

Premier Jason Kenney has promised 4,000 new treatment beds as part of a $140-million mental health, addictions and opioid response. Gandam said he has been in talks with the province about hosting some of those beds, as a way to help curb homelessness.

"I think addressing the root of the problem is probably the best way to go about doing it and a long-term solution," he said.

The shelter first opened in February after the city secured a $40,000 grant from the provincial government. Over its three-month operation, the shelter recorded 1,200 visits.

43 unique clients visited shelter since Dec. 1

The shelter doors open at 7 p.m. every night. People can mingle in the common area where pencil drawings by one of the regular clientsdecorate the walls, before taking a gym mat and finding a place to sleep on the floor. They wake up to warm tea and coffee, and are offered donated winter clothes and a sandwich before leaving around 7 a.m.

While an average of 10 people use the shelter on any given night, 43 unique clients have used the shelter since it opened at the beginning of the month.

The community support has been overwhelming, says manager Lisa Saddleback. The shelter received 80 coats during a recent fundraising drive.

"A lot of the community members I've spoken with are saying, 'you know this has been a long time in the works,' and they're grateful to see that something is being done," Saddleback said.

A rotating cast of 30 volunteers support the shelter's seven staff members.

A majority of the clients are Indigenous, often struggling with addictions and mental health issues wrought by intergenerational trauma and the legacy of residential schools, Saddleback says.

The discussion around homelessness in Wetaskiwin garnered widespread attention last October when wooden skate shacks, used to provide informal shelter in the summer, burned to the ground.

The mayor continues to say the city is in talks with First Nations, neighbouring municipalities and the province to find long-term solutions to homelessness. But a year later, a plan has yet to materialize.

Administration is expected to bring a report on long-term solutions to homelessness, mental health and addictions before council at the end of April.

"It's not something we're going to be able to solve overnight," Gandam said.

Wetaskiwin is located about 60 kilometres south of Edmonton.

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