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Nearly three and a half years after the 106-bed Emergency Wellness Centre opened its doors in Saskatoon’s Fairhaven neighbourhood, extensive new renovations have been approved.
It’s something Saskatoon Tribal Council Chief Mark Arcand has been envisioning since the opening of the facility in December, 2022.
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According to a commercial building permit issued on Feb. 24 for 415 Fairmont Drive, the scope of the work will include the addition of 10 new showers, 13 water closets, a new commercial kitchen with equipment and a ventilation system, a new sprinkler system, and interior/exterior “landlord improvements.”
The building permit is valid until Feb. 24, 2028.
A plumbing permit has also been issued and is valid until March 11, 2029. The information is publicly available on the city’s ePermitting system.
The permits indicate a plumbing inspection was scheduled for April 10, while two building inspections have already been completed, and a third is scheduled for today.
A building permit for the renovations has been approved by the City of Saskatoon. (City of Saskatoon)
The wellness centre has had its share of controversy since it opened.
That includes community meetings where nearby residents said they’d hoped Saskatoon Tribal Council Chief Mark Arcand would attend to answer questions, address an increase in local property crimes and encampments in the area.
There were also accusations of racism by Arcand over continuous community scrutiny, and a letter sent to Premier Scott Moe by Robert Pearce, now Ward 3 Coun., calling for the shelter to be closed.
Arcand maintained that too much emphasis was being put on the problems surrounding the wellness centre, and that people should focus on the positive changes the shelter made in the lives of those who stayed there.
In a statement, Leya Moore, provincial government manager of public relations, confirmed the renovations at the facility.
“Planned upgrades to the Saskatoon Emergency Wellness Centre are underway to support existing services and enhance the health and safety of clients by replacing aging infrastructure. The Ministry of Social Services is one of the partners providing funding for building enhancements. There will be no expansion of services and the Emergency Wellness Centre continues to operate as a 106-bed enhanced emergency shelter.”
Moore added that $975,000 is coming from the Saskatchewan Housing Corporation through a third-party agreement with the federal government toward the cost of upgrading the facility.
In April, 2024, the provincial government said a one-year operating agreement with Saskatoon Tribal Council for the wellness centre would provide a maximum of $4.2 million, which would only be reached in the event the City of Saskatoon and the province couldn’t develop a new 60-bed emergency shelter space.
“This funding supports 106 spaces until June 30, 2024, with the option to extend the 106 spaces up to March 31, 2025. Government intends to reduce the number of spaces at the Fairhaven location once new shelter locations are identified by the City of Saskatoon and subsequently developed.”
In a telephone interview, Coun. Pearce said while the wellness centre is in need of more basic facilities including bathrooms and showers, the extensive work that’s been approved, appears to be contrary to what the provincial government was indicating just a year ago.
“The scope of the work is not indicative that they’re going to give us the promised bed reduction. They had promised that when they built a new, permanent shelter, they would reduce our beds. That doesn’t appear to be the case,” he said.
Another point of contention for Pearce is what he said is a “lack of communication” from the province and the STC about the facility. He added that the activities some of those seeking help at the centre can affect the community at large.
That includes an increase in the number of encampments around the shelter, people who may need urgent medical attention, or incidents like vandalism and property damage to nearby homes and businesses.
“What is the future of this? What are they planning? We had always operated on the presumption that there would be a bed reduction once the new, permanent shelter was built. It would be reduced to 60 beds because that is the standard that the province has set for themselves,” he added.
According to Moore’s statement, “Now is not the time to reduce emergency shelter beds in the community. The ministry has publicly stated that it is monitoring the need with community partners to ensure there are enough shelter spaces and are maintaining 106 spaces at the Emergency Wellness Centre to meet the needs in Saskatoon.”
Funding for the wellness centre also increased in 2025-2026 by $200,000 to $4.4 million. According to the province, all shelter providers have received funding increases.
A request was made to the STC for an interview with chief Mark Arcand on April 10. Bryn Levy, communications coordinator, said Arcand was unavailable for an interview.
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