The former Prime Property Management building, where the new daytime shelter will go.

By Emily Keller

saint lawrence centre

Saint Lawrence Centre awarded daytime programming contract for new daytime shelter

Mar 19, 2020 | 4:28 PM

The Saint Lawrence Centre has been awarded the service contract for the new daytime programming to go across from Rotary House.

The creation of a new daytime shelter, as well as the search for programming, was announced by the City in November of 2019.

Right now, the daytime programming is to operate out of the former Prime Property building, which has undergone extensive renovations since the announcement last year.

Jared Gossen, Project Lead with the Saint Lawrence Centre, says they have been working out of Rotary House since spring.

“The provincial funders of Rotary House did kind of come to an agreement with the City of Grande Prairie and allow our services to come back in here, as part of the response last September to assist with the temporary transition site, or the tent city that the city had developed. So, we have kind of been on the outlook for a new home since last spring.”

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Gossen says daytime services will have showers, snacks, and laundry available, and connect street-engaged and vulnerable people with the services they may need.

“Part of the vision of the whole building, because there is some office space there, is there would be the daytime programming space on the main floor, but then complimentary services exist in the rest of the building so that it can work as kind of a hub for all different types of services that people need to access.”

He adds that part of what they do is a more relational approach, where they can get to know the person and what their needs are.

“They get connected with the next level of services, so sometimes that’s the City’s Housing First program under the homeless initiative, sometimes it’s just the help of the outreach worker, sometimes it can mean connecting that person with the mobile addictions outreach worker, whatever it might be.”

Currently, there is no set start date for the programming, but Gossen says they are hoping to begin in mid-April. The contract will enable the Saint Lawrence Centre to work out of the daytime shelter for two years.