Media Release
For Immediate Release
December 20, 2023
Saskatoon Establishes Overnight Warming Centre Services for the Homeless
December 20, 2023 – The Salvation Army and Prairie Harm Reduction (PHR), in a joint partnership with funding from Saskatoon Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) and in coordination with the City of Saskatoon Emergency Management Organization, opened doors in early December to provide low-barrier evening and overnight warming centre services for people experiencing homelessness during the winter months.
SHIP as the Community Entity (CE) for Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy, has provided $483,000 in Reaching Home funding for an evening and overnight warming centre and ancillary services to address basic need of individuals experiencing chronic and episodic periods of homelessness.
“This investment will help the most vulnerable in Saskatoon by ensuring they have a safe place to keep warm during cold winter nights,” said the Honourable Dan Vandal, Minister of Northern Affairs, PrairiesCan and CanNor, on behalf of the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities. “At the same time, to ensure we end chronic homelessness, we are working directly with communities to help do what’s needed to ensure the health and wellbeing of all Canadians.”
Prairie Harm Reduction (PHR) will provide evening warming centre services from 6 pm to 10 pm at 1516 20th Street, Saskatoon. PHR has an estimated capacity for sixty (60) people, with the majority expected to move to the overnight warming centre at St. Mary’s church at 10 pm when PHR closes.
The Salvation Army will provide an overnight warming centre at St. Mary’s church hall at 211 Avenue O South, Saskatoon from 10 pm to 7 am for those individuals and families experiencing homelessness. The warm-up space in St. Mary’s church hall has an estimated capacity for eighty (80) persons. The Salvation Army will provide contingencies in the event of overflow capacity.
We would like to acknowledge and thank St. Mary’s leadership and their congregants for their generous support to the individuals and families experiencing homelessness by providing use of their church hall, without which many lives would be at risk due to exposure.
The Salvation Army and Prairie Harm Reduction have also committed to directing individuals and families experiencing homelessness to daytime services.
For further information please feel free to call SHIP at 1 306 979 6707 and for specific information on the project please feel free to call:
Major Gordon Taylor, Executive Director
The Salvation Army Crossroads Residential Services
339 Avenue C South
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7M 1N5
gordon.taylor@salvationarmy.ca
Office: 306-986-2152
Kayla Demong, Executive Director
Prairie Harm Reduction
1516 20th Street
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7M 0Z6
admin@prairiehr.ca
Office: 306-242-5005
