The Saskatoon Tribal Council has found a permanent home for its Emergency Wellness Centre in southwest Saskatoon at 415 Fairmont Drive. The 75 people currently using the temporary shelter in downtown Saskatoon will move to the Fairmont location on November 15th, and 31 people who were using the emergency shelter at Lighthouse Supported Living will also be moving to the new facility. This month, the Salvation Army transitioned the other 30 people from the Lighthouse to their care. The province decided to move its funding because of the Lighthouse’s challenges with governance, management and financial controls, and safety concerns due to the concentration of services in one location. The Saskatchewan Housing Corporation owns the building and is leasing to the STC. The province has increased its funding to help with the cost.

Tribal Chief Mark Arcand says homelessness is a significant issue in Saskatoon, stating, “As a wellness centre, the Fairmont facility will use the holistic approach to services and healing of individuals we embrace as our relatives.” This includes supports in health services, employment and training, mental health and addictions, life skills programs, and it’s centred around healing to transition to independent living with outreach supports. The emergency shelter now also has a paramedic seven days a week from noon until around 10:30, which means some medical situations can be taken care of in house.
He adds that the STC still wants to open a second location on 20th Street, but for now the focus will be on the Fairmont building. The STC is also hoping to keep the temporary shelter downtown open, to be used as part of the city’s cold weather strategy in the winter, until the lease runs out at the end of March.