Residents react to planned Sutherland emergency shelter

What was once Saskatoon's Fire Hall No.5 will be transformed into the city's newest emergency shelter.

The decision is raising concerns among residents along Central Ave. Ward 1 Councilor Darren Hill has been hearing from his constituents.

"Numerous residents have already contacted me, and they're concerned- rightfully so. We have not told them a single thing about how we're going to ensure how we're going to ensure that the same thing doesn't happen here that happened in Fairhaven."

The shelter is part of a provincial program, but the decision on where it would go fell on the city.

Residents of the Sutherland community along Central Ave say they know emergency shelters are necessary, but feel slighted by the lack of consultation. Nigel Lawn lives across the street from the fire hall.

"We all know that there is supposed to be safe places for these people too, but I think that they should come and talk to all the people involved. We have a school not 50 meters away from here," said Lawn.

Lawn's neighbor Tressa Morris is a landlord and a student.

"I'm a university student. I rent my house out to university students, and mostly it's single women. So I do worry a little about what's going to be happening in the neighborhood. Lots of people around here are also students," said Morris.

The shelter will be run by The Mustard Seed - a Calgary-based organization with similar shelters across Western Canada.

"I did some research on Mustard Seed. They have some very well-run facilities in other cities in Western Canada, they also have a couple of facilities with issues that need to be addressed. Similar to what we see in the shelters here." Councilor Hill said.

The decision may already be made, but consultation meetings are set to take place. A date has not yet been decided.