City council will discuss using part of this location to build a permanent homeless shelter. (Susan McNeil/paNOW Staff)

By Susan McNeil

Permanent shelter

Council to discuss option of City Yards as location for permanent shelter

Jun 9, 2025 | 12:57 PM

After much time and public discussion, Prince Albert city council will look at a recommendation by staff to put a permanent shelter for homeless people at the City Yards on Exhibition Drive.

The recommendation is part of the Executive Committee meeting today and came after staff were told to negotiate with Saskatchewan Social Services.

“It is worth noting that the current Stepping Stones shelter and any location ‘within the vicinity of the current Stepping Stones shelter’ was one of the top locations that resulted from our extensive public engagement exercise,” reads the administrative report to council.

“Approving any of these locations, specifically the site recommended, would uphold that consultation process and validate our findings.”

The location at 650 Exhibition Drive is not far from where the temporary shelter has operated since April 2020.

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Last week, the city extended the lease with the Exhibition Association to keep Stepping Stones at its current location in the grandstand for another two years. According to the council agenda package, the recommendation meets the priorities listed by community members when they were consulted earlier this year.

“Although Administration was directed to work with the Province to establish a permanent shelter on City property that is located within the vicinity of the current Stepping Stones shelter, Administration is of the opinion that the location being recommended at this time is suitable,” reads the agenda.

“Not only was it one of the top locations identified through the consultation process, but it also satisfies many of the recurring themes identified above.”

The public identified themes of security, accessibility, transparency, interior and exterior services and urgency among others.

In order to proceed, council must approve the sale of part of City Yards to the Saskatchewan Housing Corporation, and the land must be subdivided from the larger parcel. Because the lot also requires rezoning, all registered landowners within 150 metres of the site will get written notification in the mail.

No other consultation will be done because of the public meetings and other accepted input that involved the entire city earlier this year.

Council meets today at 4 pm.

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susan.mcneil@pattisonmedia.com

On BlueSky: @susanmcneil.bsky.social