Saskatoon homeless shelter could expand — and move out of its downtown location

Saskatoon Tribal Council (STC) is looking to move its wellness centre out of the downtown area into a bigger facility at 20th Street West and Avenue M South.

The building is owned by the Yellow Quill First Nation.

“We’re kind of negotiating right now,” STC Chief Mark Arcand told reporters.

Arcand expects the land and renovations to cost $3 to $5 million and aims to ask government for funding.

The building would undergo a “complete renovation” that would take about a year to complete, according to the chief.

Arcand said the facility would have two floors with about 100 beds, a commercial kitchen would be built in the basement and the fourth floor would have office space.

“I would like to take over the shelter piece away from all the other organizations and have it away from downtown,” Arcand said.

“It's a big building and I think we can do the right thing.”

Deprise Houle has been living at the wellness centre since February.

Houle and her spouse are expecting a baby in October. She said the STC facility was the only shelter that could house both herself and her partner in a room.

“We’re recovering addicts. Being in an environment where we felt safe and didn’t relapse was something we needed,” she told CTV News.

Houle said more shelters that accept children and women are needed in the city. She welcomes the idea of a bigger STC facility.

“I think that would be really good because families do struggle with homelessness,” Houle said.

While waiting to secure a new facility, the STC wants to extend its current lease in the city-owned building.

The city agreed to lease the building for $10 a month to address homelessness in the winter months.

The shelter is considered to be “temporary” and can only operate for a maximum of six months under a Saskatoon bylaw.

But Arcand hopes the city will make an exception and extend the lease until April 2023.

A city committee is set to discuss the lease extension request on Tuesday.