Saskatoon Tribal Chief defends $975K wellness centre renovations - BERITAJA

Saskatoon Tribal Council (STC) Chief Mark Arcand is defending the renovations underway astatine the Emergency Wellness Centre located successful the city’s westbound end, pursuing mounting concerns from section residents.

The renovations, taking spot astatine the shelter located astatine 415 Fairmont Dr., are intended to support services presently being provided and to upgrade existing infrastructure, according to the province’s Ministry of Social Services.

This includes renovating washrooms to make them much accessible, expanding the number of showers successful the installation from 2 to 10, adding on-site laundry facilities, upgrading the occurrence suppression strategy and expanding the kitchen, equipping it pinch commercialized cooking equipment.

“These renovations are a affirmative point for the community. When I opportunity the community, it’s not the neighbourhood, it’s the full metropolis erstwhile we’re dealing pinch a homelessness crisis,” Arcand told reporters astatine a property convention Tuesday.

Arcand says the installation presently has “inadequate showers” pinch a tub, raising accessibility concerns. He besides said the rugs lining the building’s floors began to smell and posed information concerns erstwhile clients soiled them and that hardwood flooring has now replaced them to make cleaning easier.

As for the caller commercialized kitchen, Arcand said it will thief navigator meals for those staying successful the facility, alternatively than having to bring meals successful from a 3rd party, arsenic they person been doing since the installation opened successful December 2022.

Additionally, it provides clients pinch an opportunity to study caller skills, Arcand said, calling it a “gold standard.”

“Once we person our commercialized kitchen, we could really beryllium the work supplier for warming centers,” Arcand said.

The renovations are being funded by the province’s Saskatchewan Housing Corporation, which is providing $975,000 done a third-party statement pinch the national government, according to Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Social Services.

Funding for the wellness centre from the state to STC was $4.4 cardinal successful the 2025 to 2026 fund year, according to the Ministry of Social Services. This marked a $200,000 summation complete the erstwhile operating agreements, thing the state says reflects operating increases provided to each community-based organizations delivering services during that budgetary period.

But immoderate residents successful the Fairhaven neighbourhood, wherever the 106-bed installation resides, are sharing concerns connected societal media that the renovations awesome the installation becoming a imperishable fixture, contempt antecedently knowing it would person a furniture simplification if akin services were made disposable astatine different locations.

One specified professional is Saskatoon Ward 3 Coun. Robert Pearce, who took to societal media past week to outline “serious issues” pinch the renovations and to petition a gathering pinch Premier Scott Moe to reside them.

In a Facebook post, Pearce outlined that he was concerned about a “repeated” deficiency of consultation connected the centre’s changes, inviting the premier to meet pinch residents to explicate early plans for the shelter.

“I person provided my individual compartment telephone number and I’ll besides beryllium successful Regina adjacent week to be the SUMA convention, truthful it is my dream the Premier will spend maine a fewer minutes of his clip and judge the townhall invitation,” Pearce said successful a Facebook post.

BERITAJA has reached retired to Pearce for comment.

For Arcand, reducing the number of beds astatine the shelter is not connected the table, arsenic the capacity is required to meet the community’s needs. He points to the number of unhoused group successful Saskatoon — the highest successful the state — arsenic a logic for maintaining the spaces.

“Lowering them should not beryllium a chat aliases an option. We should person the defense to opportunity we request much to support much individuals,” Arcand said.

Arcand is besides pushing backmost connected the request to consult pinch the organization earlier going done pinch renovations, since the state owns the building.

“If that was my home, do I person to fto my neighbour cognize I’m doing a renewal successful the bathroom?” Arcand said.

“We should beryllium endorsing these things to opportunity those were gaps we’re closing, and really saying these are bully things for the community, not conscionable the neighbourhood.”

The renovations are not causing work disruptions, Arcand said, adding that they are being done successful phases, pinch showers, the commercialized kitchen, and laundry accommodation adjacent connected the agenda. He besides expects the renovations to beryllium complete by March 31 of adjacent year.