CHAT News File Photo

By Tiffany Goodwein

City to explore options after permit for overnight shelter withdrawn

Jul 5, 2022 | 1:56 AM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – There could be no emergency shelter to house the city’s vulnerable come this fall. The Mustard Seed has cancelled its permit application to run emergency shelter services at the former Champion Centre building on North Railway Street.

The Mustard Seed appeared before the municipal planning commission and the issue was initially tabled to July 13 to allow for more consultation with neighbours after some claimed they did not know about the meeting or the organization’s intent to set up an overnight shelter.

Municipal planning chair Darren Hirsch couldn’t say whether or not that had an impact on the Mustard Seed’s decision to back out.

“There was a sincere desire to have a communication, and basically what it boiled down to was have a meeting with concerned residents and The Mustard Seed, and that is all I have determined. So I am not sure what the driving force was to cancel their application,” he said.

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The organization has been providing shelter services since April at a building on Eighth Street that is owned by the Salvation Army. But the building has been put up for sale, and if sold the city could be without an overnight shelter come the fall.

The city says the province will be putting out a request for proposals for a new operator in the coming months and Mayor Linnsie Clark says the city will be looking at this matter closely.

“Administration has been directed to look at several options, moving forward and we are looking forward to what they come up with. It is certainly an issue that this council has stressed. Housing and homelessness is an issue that this council has expressed a desire to improve and we intend to do that with the direction of administration,” Clark said.

One of those options could be a 24-hour shelter, and city staff said Medicine Hat is currently the only city of its size that doesn’t have one.