Land negotiations unsuccessful for permanent shelter; Red Deer council vows continued search
The City of Red Deer announced on Friday that the most recent site, formally recommended by council and supported by the Province, will not be the future location of the permanent shelter following negotiations with the property owner.
Council said they will continue to explore site options with the intention to provide a new site recommendation to the Province of Alberta.
“We were hopeful that by this time we’d be moving forward on a site that we truly believe aligns with our vision of shelter services in Red Deer. We’re disappointed, but we also understand that sometimes things don’t go as planned and we’re ready to move forward,” said Mayor Ken Johnston emotionally, adding this was a ‘temporary obstacle’, but council vowed at their special meeting on Tuesday they would persist on finding a suitable location.
“This process has been a journey; one our community has been more than patient going along with us on. We understand this most recent bump is frustrating, but we will not give up until we have a solution that is right for our community.”