Sask. funding up to 60 new emergency shelter spaces in Regina, Saskatoon, Prince Albert

The Government of Saskatchewan announced $1.7 million in additional funding for 2022-23 to increase the number of emergency shelters in the province.

The Ministry of Social Services is set to provide $800,000 to community partners to support seasonal cost pressures as well as $900,000 to increase emergency shelter capacity by up to 60 spaces this winter in Prince Albert, Saskatoon and Regina.

The additional funding is said to increase emergency shelter spaces by up to 15 per cent province wide.

"Our government continues to work hand in hand with community partners to address the complex issue of homelessness," Minister of Social Services Gene Makowsky said in a news release. "This additional funding to community-based service providers is an example of how growth can work for everyone."

The province’s announcement followed reports of a freezing death in Prince Albert over the weekend.

A member of the Montreal Lake Cree Nation, 52-year-old Wallace Bird, was found dead behind a business on the 800 block of 15th Street East on Nov. 6.

“Well obviously it’s a tragedy. This is the first freezing death of the winter that we know of,” NDP MLA Meara Conway told reporters Tuesday.

“I will just say that many stakeholders saw this coming, they’ve been sounding the alarm.”

Conway went on to say that the timing of the province’s announcement of emergency shelter funds was ‘disturbing’ in nature.

“The resources are needed, there’s no question, [but] I can’t salute an announcement made just as the government learns of the first freezing death when this should have been foreseen,” Conway said.

“Its very disturbing, the timing of this announcement, it should have been much sooner.”

According to a news release from the province, the ministry of social services is in discussions with community-based service providers to determine the number of additional emergency shelter spaces in each community.

The government also noted that work continues to “seek longer-term actions to address chronic homelessness.”

In Saskatoon, another suspected freezing death was reported on Tuesday.

A man was found to have died of exposure outside of the City Centre Church on Sunday morning.

A 911 call notified paramedics and Saskatoon police, where authorities found the body at around 8:30 a.m.