Homelessness on the streets of Prince Albert is a growing issue. (file photo/paNOW Staff)

By Susan McNeil

Homeless Shelter

City eyes partnership with Saskatoon Tribal Council for permanent shelter

Oct 18, 2022 | 8:48 AM

Winter is fast approaching, and the City of Prince Albert is now looking to the Saskatoon Tribal Council for help to create a shelter for homeless people.

Mayor Greg Dionne got the unanimous support of council in his motion to ask the STC for help getting a shelter up and running.

“The reason that we want to engage the Saskatoon Tribal Council is we don’t want to re-invent the wheel. He (Chief Arcand) was very successful in soliciting all levels of government,” Dionne said.

Dionne recently toured the Saskatoon homeless shelter and said it is very well run and accommodates males and females in separated areas.

In Prince Albert, what Dionne is proposing is a 75-bed facility that would operate year-round, 24 hours per day that would include meals.

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“The key to operating 24-hours per day is that you have the problem 24 hours per day. Then you can feed them and shelter them,” Dionne said.

Along with basic services, the Saskatoon shelter is providing work placement services and trying to get clients off the streets.

The next executive meeting of Prince Albert council will include a discussion for a winter shelter for this year that is needed more immediately as temperatures drop.

“This will solve our problem long term, but we need a shelter for this year,” Dionne said.

The Prince Albert Grand Council will be invited to be part of the discussion as well as the Métis Nation-Saskatchewan.

Coun. Blake Edwards said he hopes the shelter is a middle ground that finds an alternative to taking people either to the hospital or cells as officers have been doing.

“This needs to work with that. I hope these beds are for that purpose because that’s a big hole, that’s a big gap,” he said.

Dionne said the proposed Mustard Seed Shelter did not have the provincial funding it needed to begin operations.

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susan.mcneil@pattisonmedia.com