Saskatoon Salvation Army takes on Lighthouse’s emergency shelter beds

Executive Director Gordon Taylor said they have beds on the second floor and have had to set up extra beds on the main floor in areas that are used for program space.

The Salvation Army in Saskatoon is taking 30 of the emergency shelter beds that the Lighthouse is shutting down.

According to the Lighthouse, the remaining 31 beds will be operated by the Lighthouse for the time being.

The Lighthouse said it has been working with the Ministry of Social Services since the province announced that they would be withdrawing its funding from the organization earlier this summer, adding that the other services will continue to operate until the ministry establishes plans with other organizations to provide care for people currently using the Lighthouse’s services.

“The Lighthouse has made significant strides to heal the organization and we have maintained our focus on serving our clients,” read a statement from the Lighthouse.

Gordon Taylor, the executive director for the Salvation Army in Saskatoon, said they were in talks about taking on these emergency shelter beds since before July.

“That brings us up to 75 emergency beds in the building, plus we have 25 beds for another program,” said Taylor.

He said they have beds on the second floor and have had to set up extra beds on the main floor in areas that are used for program space.

“It’s just two nights that it’s been open so far, and already 21 of the (extra) beds were used last night, so I think the word is out there that this is available and ready to go.”