Saskatoon emergency response pitches $1.2M warming centres plan

Saskatoon’s new city council is set to review a $1.2 million cold weather strategy to support homeless individuals this winter. The plan includes evening and overnight warming centres for both men and women, alongside outreach services. City administrators are requesting $200,000 from reserves for capital expenditures, while the remaining $1 million has been secured through contributions from provincial, federal, and Indigenous governments, as well as community foundations and private donations.

These resources will be available until March 31 of next year. The city is also working on a longer-term homelessness action plan. In the meantime, organizations like Prairie Harm Reduction and the Salvation Army are already seeing a rise in people seeking shelter due to the dropping temperatures. Prairie Harm Reduction has extended its hours, remaining open 24/7 for the next week to provide a safe, warm space until the city’s plan is fully implemented. The number of homeless individuals in Saskatoon is expected to surpass 1,000 by the end of the year, a sharp increase from the 221 homeless people recorded last year.