Prairie Harm Reduction opens Saskatoon warm-up centre
Saskatoon’s Prairie Harm Reduction has opened an overnight warm-up space for those in need.
Executive Director Kayla DeMong said they’ll be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week in the Pleasant Hill neighbourhood.
“Allowing people who do not have somewhere to go and who do not have access to somewhere warm overnight … a place to be safe and access to supports,” she told CTV News.
She said they’ve been part of the city’s Cold Weather Strategy for a number of years and have always offered their space if needed.
“We have a space that people already feel comfortable in. It’s already open until 10:30 at night and we would be more than willing to extend those hours. And are very grateful that this year we were able to access funding to do so.”
However, the space is not a shelter, she said.
“There are no beds here. It is just our drop-in centre so people can come in and get food and hang out on the couches or chairs and utilize the space, but it’s not a shelter space.”
The space has accommodated up to 60 people at one time, but there is room for more if needed, DeMong said.
“We can rearrange things to accommodate a few more overnight if need be. We have some overflow space that can be utilized.”
DeMong said they’ve hired new staff and created new positions in preparation for the change.
“We’ve moved around people into new positions to make sure we have all the shifts covered and that we have proper staffing for each of them. It’s been lots of training this week, lots of getting everybody settled and orientated so that we can hit the ground running as quickly as possible.”
She said the space should be open next Wednesday.
“I’m really grateful that Prairie Harm Reduction is able to fill this need for the community.”
With files from Miriam Valdes-Carletti
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
China's latest EV is a 'connected' car from smart phone and electronics maker Xiaomi
Xiaomi, a well-known maker of smart consumer electronics in China, is joining the country's booming but crowded market for electric cars.