(Supplied/Safe Harbour)

By rdnewsNOW Staff

Site helps to further limit COVID-19 spread

Cannery Row temporary shelter to remain open during State of Local Emergency

Sep 23, 2021 | 5:07 PM

The Safe Harbour-operated emergency homeless shelter at Cannery Row has found another lifeline after all.

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On Thursday, the City’s Emergency Operations Centre signed an emergency order to allow the temporary emergency shelter at Cannery Row to continue operating for the duration of the State of Local Emergency (SOLE), including any renewals, or until this order is revoked.

The City declared a new State of Emergency on Sept. 17.

Director of Emergency Management Ken McMullen says the health care system is overloaded and COVID-19 cases are surging in the community, thus the decision to put the emergency order in place.

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“We took into consideration the current outbreak status among our vulnerable population, the pressures on our emergency response services and the ability to support community-based outbreak protocols. We want to make sure our vulnerable population have access to care and resources, with the intent of diverting non-emergent issues from the hospital,” says McMullen.

Alberta Health tells rdnewsNOW there isn’t currently an outbreak at Safe Harbour. However, an outbreak in that type of setting is only reported when there are five or more cases, and reporting can be delayed.

“The site will allow us to monitor, test and mitigate any further community-based spread and increased dependency on our already strained health supports,” continues McMullen. “A third party organization will continue to operate the shelter, with the Provincial Government to continue funding the operations. Mitigation strategies implemented in May will continue in the area while the temporary shelter is operational.”

McMullen also notes that previously council-approved mitigation tactics in place since the spring have been extended to mirror the timeframe of the order.

Those tactics include beefed up security, clean-up, area liaising, and fencing, which are designed to minimize issues faced by surrounding residents and businesses.

“Our number one goal here is to keep our community safe and minimize the spread while protecting our health care system,” he added. “We are in a situation where hard decisions need to be made to protect all Red Deerians, and we believe that this order will help meet our goal.”

Kath Hoffman, Safe Harbour executive director, says they’re grateful to be able to partially exhale.

“We know what’s coming with, and with overdoses continuing, we’re very glad to be able to tell our folks they can stay put and be safe, as well as our team that they can be employed a little longer. We’re happy we don’t have to worry about turning people away at least until mid-November,” she says.

“We’ll continue to work hard, and work with others who want to help us. We’re working on a solution past the end of November. It’s not just Safe Harbour who’s happy though, it’s everybody who’s involved in serving people experiencing homelessness.”

The State of Local Emergency can last up to 60 days, but can be renewed. A renewal would automatically include the emergency order. If the SOLE is revoked partway through the standard 60 days, there is no fixed grace period for Safe Harbour to vacate, though McMullen says they would work with the non-profit on a suitable timeframe.