Saskatoon picks downtown site for temporary emergency shelter [Video]

A former Saskatchewan Transportation Company building located at 210 Pacific Avenue has been identified as a potential temporary site for an enhanced emergency shelter.

The city-owned property will undergo renovations to accommodate about 30 to 40 beds, offering essential amenities like showers, bathrooms, and kitchen facilities, the city said in a news release late Friday afternoon.

The last shelter location the city identified, a former fire hall in Sutherland, was later spiked by councillors in the wake of mass protests by residents, aided by a small but vocal contingent of Fairhaven residents who believe the shelter in their neighbourhood has caused a surge in crime — although police stats contradict their claims.

In Sutherland, the dispute came to a head with a February city council motion limiting the criteria for the selection of a shelter site — barring one from being opened within 250 metres of an elementary school. With the motion passed, the fire hall’s proximity to the Bishop Filevich Elementary …