Minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services Jeremy Nixon. (Government of Alberta)

By Alessia Proietti

Date to be determined

Red Deer invited to meet with new Minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services Jeremy Nixon regarding shelter

Oct 25, 2022 | 10:50 AM

The City of Red Deer received an invitation on Monday to meet with newly appointed Minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services, Jeremy Nixon, to discuss next steps for the future shelter.

At city council’s meeting on October 24, the city announced the invitation received by the minister following the official swearing in of the provincial cabinet that same day.

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Council proposed a second site for Red Deer’s permanent shelter, after their first site was deemed “unsuitable” by the province in early October.

New premier Danielle Smith also announced on October 11 following her swearing in to the role, that she would be making a cabinet shuffle on October 21.

Upon hearing the news, the City and council sent a letter that same week to the new premier expressing the desire to accelerate the permanent shelter project in Red Deer.

READ: Second site proposed for future permanent shelter in Red Deer

Mayor Ken Johnston says the City also reached out on Friday to welcome the new cabinet and was pleased to receive a response so quickly on the item.

Previously, he says the $7 million provincial funding for the shelter was coming from Josephine Pon’s office, Minister for Seniors and Housing, while the operations of the shelter were being run by Minister of Community and Social Services, Jason Luan. However, the portfolios have been consolidated to Jeremy Nixon as newly appointed Minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services.

According to the Government of Alberta, the ministry is responsible for providing supports for seniors, families and communities to access disability services, financial supports, services for the homeless, and other social-based programs.

Brother Jason Nixon, MLA for Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre, was removed from cabinet and placed as Chair for the Economy and Affordability Cabinet Policy Committee. Their father, Pat Nixon, is the founder of The Mustard Seed, a non-profit organization helping those suffering from poverty and homelessness.

Mayor Johnston says this may be more efficient for communication and progress for the shelter and he is confident a seamless transfer of the file has been made.

He says he is eager to work with the new cabinet on both the shelter and hospital files.

“I’ll say it once more and that’s the word gratitude and humbleness. We want to work with this new cabinet. We certainly want to work on the two, what we would call, major impact files to the community, which are shelter and hospital. So we’re excited. Of course we reached out as well on the hospital side, and we’re excited to see where that goes,” he said.

READ: Ludicrous and bewildering: local mayors blast latest delay of hospital construction

While the date of the meeting is not known yet, Mayor Johnston says he hopes to finalize those details on Tuesday.

No other updates have been made on the future permanent shelter.