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By Chantal Wagner

community-driven

City passes motion of support with goal to form long-term shelter

Apr 19, 2021 | 9:39 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – The city of Medicine Hat has stepped forward to help facilitate a community group, with a goal to form a long-term shelter facility in the community.

Councillor Julie Friesen made the motion during Monday night’s council meeting, which she says is based on the premise that the city has a role to play when it comes to this social issue.

She says the city will also be a partner and not the sole owner, along with a larger community partnership, including a primary role from our provincial government.

The motion read by Councillor Friesen states:

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“I move that our city manager along with our internal social collective committee, examine the possibility of facilitating and supporting the coordination of a community-driven collaborative that considers opportunities related to a long-term permanent strategy and shelter facility.”

Council passed the motion unanimously.

She says these discussions are not new, but this move puts the coordination piece together.

The shelter would not be owned by the city. Friesen says it needs to be driven by the community.

The larger partnership of the group would involve social agencies, businesses, and organizations.

Friesen says the location of the daytime shelter was a recent driver of the motion, but not the main reason, as talks have been happening with other social agencies.

“And in the winter it’s the worst, I mean you can imagine. If you don’t have a permanent home, trying to fill your time when it’s extremely cold outside during the day because there hasn’t been a day shelter, that’s not right,” Friesen said. “And so there has to be something more long-term, more permanent, that involves hopefully a collective of the various agencies in the community.”

“It’s a partnership role, we’re (the city) not leaders on this and nor should we be owning this issue, but we need to help, facilitate the process and somehow move it forward,” Mayor Ted Clugston added.

Friesen says there are no timelines, the motion is now in the hands of the city manager and the future group.

Consultations would take place which would include topics like location and gaps in services.

The current daytime shelter permit application is still under the municipal planning commission.

READ MORE: Daytime shelter’s location up in the air again