Saskatoon city council approves $200,000 to help with warming shelters

With winter in full force, the city is looking to help warming shelters. The total funding needed is estimated at $1.2 million to help with three warming shelters in the city.

The conversation surrounding warming centres was at the heart of the Saskatoon city council meeting Wednesday.

With winter in full force, the city is rushing to get the facilities up and running.

The total funding needed is estimated at $1.2 million to help with three warming shelters in the city this winter.

“The donations and the funding we have to date combined comes to $1 million. So, that does leave us with a gap,” Lesley Anderson, the Saskatoon director of planning and development, said.

City council unanimously approved to fund the remaining $200,000 gap on Wednesday. The money will come from the capital expenditures reserve.

Now Saskatoon’s emergency management organization is hoping to make rapid progress on getting these warming locations operational.

“On Monday night at the Indian and Métis Friendship Centre, they had 260 people seeking warmup there,” Pamela Goulden-McLeod, the Saskatoon director of emergency management, said.

“Last year at our peak we were seeing 230 to 240 people. All of our partners and all of our emergency services have talked about the growing need.”