The downtown day shelter at 616 3rd street has been required to move. They have until March 31 to find a new location ( file photo/CHATNewsToday)

By Tiffany Goodwein

Downtown shelter to find a new location

Mar 12, 2021 | 6:26 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB- A downtown shelter put in place as an emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic will be forced to move.

In January, the City Centre Development Agency filed an appeal to the permit that allows the shelter to operate. The appeal was upheld in February at the city’s subdivision and appeal board hearing.

“ Myself and the City Centre Development Agency take no pride at all in displacing people in need. We did not find any joy in it. We are pleased with the outcome for the sake of the businesses we represent,” said CCDA chair Jeremy Silver.

But now, time is ticking for the downtown shelter. The shelter has until March 31 to find a new location and their contract with the province to operate an emergency daytime shelter has been extended to September 30 .

“We are currently working very closely with the City of Medicine Hat, a number of landlords, real estate agents in the city to secure a new location for the program,” said Kevin Dornian, programs manager with McMan Community Services.

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Earlier in the year, the appeal was brought forward following numerous complaints from downtown businesses. While many expressed sympathy for the city’s vulnerable, there were also concerns about the impact to the area. Six business owners and residents attended the hearing. Feces, used needles, property damage and an overall sense of a lack of safety were among the issues raised.

One business owner noted the following:

“It is often dirty and disgusting in front of her business with urine, feces, empty liquor bottles, garbage, drug paraphernalia and vomit that they have had to clean up.”

That same person also said they do not feel safe entering their business and “ Twice she was followed to her vehicle, had her windows knocked on and was begged for money.” She also said that one of her staff was assaulted after a shift, resulting in the business needing to hire extra staff.

(submitted photo/CHATNewsToday)

Another said that with more social agencies moving to the downtown “ there are less people walking the streets to browse the shops They have heard from customers repeatedly that they don’t feel safe. They reiterated that the approval of the shelter as a community center is “blatant misrepresentation.

According to the MHPS there were 19 calls for service since the shelter opened in December up until Feb 3. Other calls were received for public nuisance and behavior.

The decision to move the shelter was supported by Mayor Ted Clugston.

“ So when you have your life savings invested in a business, and you are suffering through COVID and then all of the sudden you are having all of these extras you are having to call the police, and you are having some really bad things happen in front of your store I get it you’re mad and you want someone to do something about it. What was humanizing was the businesses that were suffering recognized that there are vulnerable in the community that needs a place to stay warm when its cold,” Mayor Ted Clugston said.

When asked if the city will be doing anything to spread social agencies out to reduce the impact to the downtown core, the mayor said that is unlikely.

“ You have to be able to get to the social agencies that you need when you need them and you can’t have one in the north and one in the south, and so they do have to co-exist,” he said, later stating the city is working on a solution.

McMan community services is looking all over the city to find a new location. Once they do open their doors for a second time there will be a change with who they serve.

“ We will no longer be serving the wider community, we are going to be serving directly the homeless population that is staying in our shelter system,” Dornian said, noting the change is due to restrictions being lifted that allow for places such as the library to reopen.

Since the daytime shelter opened, they have served over 300 people in the city.