City emails reveal how a Saskatoon shelter was relocated and shed light on early concerns
CTV
While Saskatoon Tribal Council (STC) publicly mulled moving its downtown emergency shelter to a location on 20th Street near the city's core, city documents reveal the wellness centre's present Fairhaven area location was heavily favoured early in the process.
While Saskatoon Tribal Council (STC) publicly mulled moving its downtown emergency shelter to a location on 20th Street near the city's core, city documents reveal the wellness centre's present Fairhaven area location was heavily favoured early in the process.
More than 200 pages of documents, largely emails and other correspondence between the City of Saskatoon, police, the fire department, the provincial government and the STC, were provided to CTV News by a city resident who obtained them through an access to information request.
Throughout the pages of correspondence, just one message mentions the publicly reported location of an old Ukranian Church on 20th Street between Avenues L and M.
“Chief Arcand reported they are looking at the old Ukranian Church on 20th Street between Avenues L and M for the Wellness Centre; it requires renovations and would take 10-12 months to become operational," reads a memo titled "Record of Decision" dated April 12, 2022.
The STC's temporary Emergency Wellness Centre first opened downtown in November 2021 in a vacant city-owned building. Its lease was set to expire in late April, but it was extended for a year.
However, even with the extra time, there was significant public pressure to relocate the centre.
By summer, the STC had set the wheels in motion to relocate tthe shelter to its present location at 514 Fairmont Drive. A move that wasn't publicly announced until October.