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City formally recommends site for future shelter in Red Deer

October 11, 2022 7:00 PM
(Red Deer, Alberta)

A future shelter site is being recommended to the Province of Alberta following today’s City Council meeting after Mayor Johnston and members of City Council met with and worked with the Province of Alberta last week to find the right site for Red Deer.

At this time, The City of Red Deer is unable to share the location of the recommended site because land negotiations must still occur.

On September 12, 2022, City Council selected a potential site for recommendation to the Province of Alberta, and after engaging with provincial counterparts, providing additional information, and exploring further site considerations, the site that was initially considered, was determined to be unsuitable. With this in mind, City Council has now selected another location, which will be formally recommended to the Province of Alberta today.

“We have already involved and engaged our provincial colleagues, and we anticipate our recommendation will be formally accepted,” said Mayor Ken Johnston. “This is an exciting step in the process, and we will continue to work with our provincial counterparts and the private landowner of the recommended site as we navigate next steps.”

The current landowner of the recommended site is aware of The City’s recommendation to the Province of Alberta.

“We know our community has been awaiting a decision about the future location for the future shelter,” said Johnston. “I want to assure our community we will share the future location as soon as possible but right now, we have a legal responsibility to work through these negotiations while respecting the role of the Province of Alberta and the private landowner.”

“I truly believe the proposed site will foster integration and innovation in a whole new way as we look to address the unique challenges those experiencing homelessness face daily. I believe we have recommended the right site for Red Deer – a site that considers the needs of not only our most vulnerable but the needs of our entire community. The site being recommended by City Council considers the input of our community, stakeholders, and partners in this process. I speak on behalf of my Council when I say how appreciative we are of our community’s contribution to the site selection process and that we have truly listened to what our community shared with us,” said Johnston.

For more information on the future shelter project, visit www.reddeer.ca/shelter.

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