Scattered Site is located in downtown La Ronge. (Derek Cornet/larongeNOW Staff)

By Derek Cornet

service renewal

Provincial funding dries up for Scattered Site Outreach Program

Apr 1, 2021 | 5:00 PM

Services for homeless residents of La Ronge have come to a standstill as administration at the Kikinahk Friendship Centre awaits to learn if provincial funding will be renewed.

Funding for the Scattered Site Outreach Program dried up March 31 at the end of the fiscal year and executive director Ron Woytowich hasn’t heard from the province on whether or not money will be available for the next 12 months.

“Usually, we know we’re going to be renewed sometime in February or early March simply because the provincial budget comes down in March, and you know you have the money and everything else,” he said. “This year is a little different. The budget is not coming out for another couple weeks.”

On Wednesday, about 20 staff funded through Kikinahk were laid off. That includes 15 workers employed through the Extended Hours Program which always ends March 31, as well as an additional five at Scattered Site. Woyotowich is hopeful within the next week the provincial government will renew the funding for Scattered Site.

larongeNOW sent an information request to the Ministry of Health regarding the renewal of funds for the program. A spokesperson for the ministry released the following statement.

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“We are working with the management at Scattered Site regarding ongoing funding for their program and conditions for their reporting requirements in the service agreement to ensure timely payment of funding installments,” the email stated.

Questions in regards to if there are alternative services in place in the meantime were referred to Kikinahk.

“I don’t know what that means,” Woytowich said. “They changed everything in the last six months in terms of reporting for last year and everything else, but that should have nothing to do with renewal. The contract was up March 31, so I honestly don’t know what they mean by that statement.”

The Saskatchewan Health Authority specifically funds Scattered Site to deliver mental health and addictions assistance and referrals for La Ronge’s at-risk population.

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derek.cornet@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @saskjourno