Home found for family forced out of Northwoods Inn

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Smith, her husband and six children, ranging in age from four to 17, live on assistance. Smith said her husband can’t work due to injuries sustained when he was hit by a van. 

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After the eviction, the family had been put up at a different hotel in the city but were desperately trying to find somewhere to live before Tuesday, when Smith says they would be split up and placed in shelters. Things changed on Friday when, with the help of a social worker and an outreach worker, Smith finally acquired a place to live.  

“I was walking around in a daze because I couldn’t believe we actually had something. It was incredible, I can’t tell you how incredible it felt,” Smith said.

Smith said it will be amazing to have three bedrooms in their new home, especially after sharing one room at the Northwoods Inn.

“It’s going to be really, really good, especially for my older kids. They will be able to have a room where they can hang out, not just hang out right beside me all the time,” she said with a laugh.

“They were happy. They were really, really happy.”

Smith says she was astounded at how fast everything moved once social services began receiving numerous phone calls and emails. By Friday afternoon, the outreach worker and Smith had received paperwork from Saskatoon Housing Authority, set up an account with SaskEnergy, and went to the City to hook up utilities. 

“They said come back on Monday and sign the lease at 2 p.m. A maintenance person will be there to do a walk through and give you the keys,” Smith said, holding in tears.

“We were on the way back and I looked at the guy who was driving me around and I was like ‘is this for real? Is this really for us?’ he said ‘yes it is. You will finally be able to have the home that you wanted.’”

Smith said the response from the community has been amazing. A crowdfunding page has now been started to help the family get back on their feet.

“Our number one goal through everything is to be grateful for what we have, forgive our past, forgive the people who hurt us, some people have really hurt us, but we have to forgive them and embrace our future,” Smith said.

“We just have to look forward and we have to keep going and we are stronger because of it.”

When the family turns their new key and opens the door to their new home on Monday, Smith said she knows what will happen.

“I know what the kids are going to do, they will run through the whole place screaming,” she said, adding there will certainly be some discussion about designating bedrooms. 

“(Then) I will finally be able to turn to my kids and say ‘we are home.’”