Medicine Hat MLA Justin Wright says Mustard Seed shelter talks started last June

At a city council committee meeting in December, Wright said the city knew about a plan to move the Mustard Seed’s homeless shelter out of a residential area for months but fumbled how it informed the public. Wright at the time said the city was sent a strategy for messaging but it wasn’t used.

Coun. Shila Sharps, who as chair invited Wright to the committee meeting, said then that blaming a lack of communication on the city “is both inappropriate and misleading.”

She added it wasn’t the city’s job to communicate for another level of government.

The Alberta government, the Medicine Hat Community Housing Society and the Mustard Seed are jointly searching for one location to combine all the non-profit’s services.

“This has very much been a community, a local grassroots community organization-led initiative to find this relocation” he said.

“We’re supporting them as best we can to make sure that we have a solution in place that mitigates the concerns from surrounding community residents, as well as the needs of those most affected.”

Wright said the city was kept in the loop throughout the course of last year.

“These conversations were happening the whole way through,” Wright told anchor Dan Reynish in an interview Monday.

Wright said he met with representatives of the city, including Mayor Linnsie Clark, and community groups in July and August.

In late October or early November, Wright said he met with Community and Social Services Minister Jason Nixon and all of city council.

“We were talking about kind of really the whole situation, how it boils down (and) what needs to get done,” Wright said. The next time he met with city officials was at the Dec. 19 committee meeting.

Despite the public confusion, Wright said the goal remains the same.

“At the end of the day, it’s all about finding a solution that works for the surrounding residents, as well as finding a solution that also takes care of those that are most vulnerable and making sure they get the help they need,” he said.

Wright, Nixon and Clark did release a joint statement Friday saying the Mustard Seed’s two locations in Medicine Hat are “not ideal”.

The Mustard Seed, a non-profit organization that aims to take care of vulnerable people in communities across Alberta, on Dec. 12 was asked to add 20 temporary shelter spaces to its Flats neighbourhood location at the request of the Alberta government.

The Mustard Seed and the Medicine Hat Community Housing Society are jointly hosting a public town hall on Wednesday from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Medicine Hat Public Library’s theatre.

Attendees are encouraged to bring their frustrations, complaints, concerns and suggestions, according to an event poster. Wright said in a social media post he will be in attendance.

Officials have yet to release a shortlist of potential locations.

— with files from Dan Reynish, Jayk Sterkenburg

This is a developing story. More details to follow.

by Eli J. Ridder

Medicine Hat MLA Justin Wright says Mustard Seed shelter talks started last June

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