'A safe place': New homeless shelter in Yorkton prepares to open its doors to the community
After months upon months of preparations, Yorkton’s new homeless shelter is ready to open on Thursday.
Bruno’s Place and its organizers have worked tirelessly leading up to the opening, and they’re ready to help out Yorkton’s unique vulnerable community.
“This is going to bring a safe place for people to stay, that don't have a home of their own,” said Angela Chernoff, project coordinator.
“This can be a safe place that can provide them with shelter and food.”
Chernoff continued to explain the uniqueness of the vulnerable community in Yorkton. She said it’s a lot of couch surfing, a lot of transient individuals without a place to stay, and a lot of situational or temporary shelter those in the community are looking for.
Specifically, as well, this shelter will fill a current gap in the community’s vulnerable sector. There hasn’t been a shelter men in Yorkton can go until now.
Chernoff added that almost daily, people are messaging the group’s social media pages, looking for a warm place to lay their head for the night, or for a warm meal.
Thursday’s opening, she said, is a big deal for this community.
“The reception to this project has been overwhelmingly positive and people have been incredibly generous and encouraging to us, that has really helped us along,” said Chernoff.
WHERE THE NAME CAME FROM
Bruno’s Place gets its name from a well-known member of Yorkton and Kamsack’s vulnerable community, dating back to the 70s to the 90s.
Bruno walked the streets throughout that time, with some long-term residents describing him as a welcoming soul, yet an enigmatic individual.
Current Yorkton Mayor Mitch Hippsley has been a professional photographer for over 40 years, basing his business in the community. In February 1992, Hippsley snapped a photo of Bruno, which won various awards in the years following.
He said Bruno was a well-educated man from Montreal, and it took some convincing for Hippsley to even get Bruno to sit down and photograph him.
Hippsley couldn’t sleep late one night in late 1991, so he went to the local car wash. There, he heard a rustle in a nearby garbage can.
“And out popped Bruno,” said Hippsley.
“He watched me for a while, then he got out of his barrel and came and talked to me.”
Hippsley said Bruno handed him a couple of the books he had written, and Hippsley asked if he could photograph him.
“He said he would think about it,’” said Hippsley.
Fast forward one year, nearly to the day, when Hippsley was in his business in the back room after all his clients cancelled due to the snow and the cold.
“All of a sudden, I smelt something. And I knew it was Bruno,” said Hippsley.
“Don’t know why, but I knew it was Bruno … I came around from the back end, I saw this silhouette, standing right at the front door, inside.
“He said, ‘I’m here for my portrait session today.’ And I welcomed him, of course, and he told me he had been studying me … he said, ‘I’ve been looking at your work, and I want you to photograph me the way I am, not the way you want me to look,’” explained Hippsley.
Bruno didn’t end up leaving, staying for a four hour session — and about “a few hundred exposures,” Hippsley said.
30 years later, the photo still holds up. A print sits in Hippsley’s office, to this day.
The print has been recreated by an Alberta artist as a fundraiser for the shelter, selling them for $25.
The whole interaction 30 years ago, Hippsley said, is vivid in his memory all these years later.
“I just knew he was a very private man … he was planning to head back to his city, but he felt the need to be here and help out the real needy people here in Yorkton. You could tell that his purpose was to stay here and help,” he said.
Bruno’s presence will continue to help those in need, all these years later, in the city he picked to stay.
Bruno’s Place officially opens Thursday at 7 p.m.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.