Boyle Street’s King Thunderbird Centre support facility officially opens

Boyle Street Community Services officially opened the doors to its long-awaited new community health space in Edmonton’s Chinatown on Monday. 

Known in Cree as okimaw peyesew kamik, King Thunderbird Centre offers a wide-range of support services.

Boyle Street, the social services agency dedicated to helping Edmontonians experiencing homelessness, first announced the project in fall 2022.

Elder Cliff Cardinal, who has helped guide the process of getting the facility up and running, offered prayer during the grand opening of the facility. 

Cardinal highlighted the work of community members like Henry Marshall who was instrumental in helping inform the scope of services offered by the facility.

“He's a survivor, not only of residential school, but the concrete highway of Edmonton, over 30 years on the street and today he’s overcome those obstacles,” said Cardinal.

“It is for people like him, that's what was our driving force.” 

The new space at 10740 99 St. offers ceremony rooms, gathering areas and Indigenous-led programming.

Both Marshall and Virgil Grandbois, who designed the facility’s logo, cut the ribbon for the new facility Monday.

Boyle Street executive director Jordan Reiniger told reporters the facility offers a range of health, cultural, and social support.

“People can come here, they can have a beautiful, dignified space where they can feel like they belong,” he said.

“Everybody who is living on the street right now wants a good life. They want the same kind of life that we all want, and so this is a building that we hope helps to make that possible.” 

The City of Edmonton’s 2023 Housing Needs Assessment found only 5 per cent of Edmonton's population is Indigenous, but between 55 and 65 per cent of those experiencing homelessness identify as Indigenous.

Boyle Street said the new $49.5 million facility had a soft launch in November and close to 1,000 people have already accessed services.