The West Central Crisis and Family Support Centre is looking to build a safe shelter in Kindersley and information has been shared with the community.
The crisis centre and Town of Kindersley held an information night on June 19 at Caleb Village to discuss the proposed West Central Safe Shelter Project. The shelter has been proposed for a triangle parcel of land located just to the north of Caleb Village.
Michelle Weber, executive director of the West Central Crisis and Family Support Centre, shares details about the centre’s proposed safe shelter project during an information night on June 19 at Caleb Village.
Michelle Weber, executive director of the crisis centre, introduced the project, provided as much information as possible and responded to questions and concerns. She gave the history behind the project and she also provided people with information about the regional non-profit crisis organization.
She noted that the centre provides services to a very large area including east central Alberta and areas north to Unity, east to Rosetown and south to the 49th Parallel. She said the people who live south of the South Saskatchewan River are often serviced by phone.
The executive director said part of the reason for the information night is to reduce any fears or concerns people have with the shelter project. The discussions have been ongoing for more than two years, but the project is in its infancy.
Weber told the story of how a discussion about support from one oil company resulted in several commitments for a shelter project. Weber, who has been with the crisis organization for about five years, also explained the existing processes for trying to help victims of abuse.
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The organization does not have funding for emergency shelter, so it has struck a partnership with the Salvation Army to provide emergency shelter to victims of abuse. However, victims are only provided with emergency shelter for 48 hours.
If there is an incident and a woman or women and children need emergency shelter, they are put up in local hotels for up to 48 hours. The time allows the victims to be evacuated or to have a plan developed for their safety. Weber said, either way, 48 hours is not much time to make life-changing decisions.
Weber said she started discussions with an executive at Raging River Exploration Ltd., a company that has announced a merger with Baytex Energy Corp., about the organization’s various needs and it resulted in a sizeable donation split between three organizations.
She told people several horror stories that came from trying to help victims of abuse. One of the worst case scenarios occurred when a woman was abducted during transport, and she has not been heard from ever since.
The executive director told the crowd of about 50 people that in the case of evacuation, the organization has a failure rate of 90 per cent. People heard that the failure rate could be lower if the organization had a shelter. Weber provided more information about the organization’s challenges.
She noted that when she told the oil company executive about the challenges, he asked her why there is no safe shelter in the west central region. He told her the company might be able to help with funding for a project, but he also went to his industry colleagues.
Weber said the executive met with executives from seven other companies in the oil and gas industry, and each of the companies pledged support for the idea. The list of supporters has grown to nine companies in the oil and gas industry.
Several of the private sector contributors have pledged money, but one company pledged a building. Teine Energy Ltd. has heated and maintained a large ATCO structure that was used for office space about two years ago, and the company is donating the building to the organization, she said.
She told people the ready-to-move building looks like a home and the building will be used as the organization’s new outreach centre. Weber said the safe shelter will be a stick build and there will be two other structures on the property.
Weber said if victims have vehicles, they need to be kept out of sight and there will be a garage for that reason. There will also be a storage locker structure for belongings, so the ancillary structures will join the outreach centre and shelter on the property.
The executive director spoke about other funding partners including the Saskatchewan Housing Corporation (SHC). According to Weber, SHC has committed $1.5 million to the project and in terms of funding to develop the property, the money is in place.
She spoke about the relationship with the ministries of justice and social services. She said in order to build a shelter and be approved for additional operational funding, she has to secure the necessary funds to build the facility and she has to prove to the government that the current situation is not working.
People heard that the final piece of the puzzle is to secure a location for the project. Weber said the organization has worked with the Town of Kindersley and the parcel of land near the retirement community was offered.
The shelter will have a security fence, but it will look like a fence in a residential area. If a person tries to climb the fence at night, it will trigger an alarm and police will be notified. The building will have a state-of-the-art security system, so the clients and staff will be safe.
Weber provided more details about the project and answered questions along the way. An area resident expressed his concern with the location of the shelter because he has a family and the safety of people in the neighbourhood could be jeopardized.
Concerns about the safety of children and concerns about the value of property in the area were expressed, and the area resident said he is angry about the proposed location. He noted that he did not buy a property in a nice residential area to be next to a safe shelter.
Councillor Elyse Moss of the Town of Kindersley said council has not made any firm decisions regarding the location of the shelter project. She said the information night was held for people to ask questions and express any concerns, but the feedback would be helpful for council going forward.
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