Hope Mission to take over Red Deer homeless shelter from Safe Harbour

But until that date, Safe Harbour will continue to meet all its contractual and service obligations, with continuity of care remaining top priority, they say.

Steele-Stanton says Safe Harbour was prepared to continue as operators of the shelter.

“Safe Harbour Society has supported both the province and the city for the past seven to eight years as they worked through ongoing planning and challenges towards a permanent shelter for central Alberta,” she says.

“We always stepped up to do what was asked of us through some of those challenges and we did feel we would be able to continue to operate the shelter, but respect the province’s decision.”

There is a silver lining, she admits.

“Looking ahead, this transition allows Safe Harbour to more fully focus on the areas of work that are often overshadowed by shelter operations but are central to long-term outcomes and system improvement,” says Steele-Stanton. These include:

• Encampment to Homes
• Medical Detox services
• Transition to Housing and Navigation Supports
• White Bison Wellbriety
• Diversion initiatives
• Other specialized and recovery-oriented programs that support stabilization and long-term housing success

“We will continue to work closely with the province and sector partners over the coming months to ensure a responsible transition that strengthens—not fragments—central Alberta’s homelessness response,” Steele-Stanton continues.

“Safe Harbour’s role in specialized care, recovery, navigation, and housing stabilization will remain critical, and in many areas, will expand.”

rdnewsNOW interviewed Tim Pasma, provincial senior director at Hope Mission.

Pasma says the organization is eager to serve Red Deerians, and also work alongside Safe Harbour in the transition and going forward.

“We definitely respect and acknowledge, and would show appreciation for, the work that Safe Harbour has done in the community over the years. From our perspective, we are an experienced operator, have been around since 1929, and especially over the last 20 years have provided supports to all people, including youth and families, but also to vulnerable people experiencing homelessness,” says Pasma.

“In Edmonton, we have a sophisticated network of shelters, and facilities which provide not just emergency shelter, but all sorts of wraparound care.”

That includes access to housing programs, recovery, treatment, mobile outreach, and other programs.

And to be fair, some of those are similar to or the same as what Safe Harbour offers at its main offices next door to the shelter in Red Deer’s Railyards neighbourhood.

“We’re not wanting to speak down on any of the work done in the past; what we want to do is go in with a fresh set of eyes. We have certain expectations for our shelters, ranging from storage options to proper beds, doing proper rounds, and having proper protocols for emergency situations, especially extreme weather,” Pasma says.

“We have a very significant food services division that’ s able to provide a range of meals and nutrition for people. We see emergency shelter as the gateway to services.”

He says their approach to client care will take into account that every client has different needs.

“We know how difficult this work can be. Me message to business owners, stakeholders, different groups who have concerns, is that we do understand the challenges. We want to work with them on a respectful and positive dialogue about how to address those challenges,” says Pasma.

“But we want the community to be a place where people who are vulnerable, unhoused, and living in poverty, are accepted in their community. We also want to see businesses thrive.”

He says for everyone to coexist, dialogue is key.

Currently, Hope Mission’s services in Red Deer range from the rescue van to a school lunch program, as a food hamper program for families.

According to the Ministry of Assisted Living & Social Services, a call was put out to find interested parties after the City of Red Deer requested the government seek operators to provide shelter services.

They say Hope Mission was selected due to their extensive experience providing shelter and essential services to Alberta’s most vulnerable.

“The province would like to thank Safe Harbour for their work in the community, and will work closely with the City of Red Deer, Hope Mission and Safe Harbour to support continuity of services for vulnerable Albertans,” says Amber Edgerton, the ministry’s press secretary.

“To actively respond to community needs, Hope Mission will submit a thorough community engagement plan, that will include Good Neighbour Agreements, proactive action to address possible encampments and plans for community outreach.”

Edgerton notes the government’s $220 million investment in combating homelessness and supporting the creation and maintaining of shelter space. She says this year, $7.4 million has been allocated to Red Deer for those very purposes.

“Once again, the province is urging the City of Red Deer to advance zoning approval for a permanent shelter in Red Deer, which will enable long-term investment and improve services for the community’s most vulnerable,” adds Edgerton.

Government statistics show the Red Deer shelter has experienced a maximum usage of 72 per cent, with numbers reported by the operator to the government daily.

Edgerton further clarifies that the transition to Hope Mission as the shelter operator will not affect other grants between the province and Safe Harbour.

Meanwhile, the City of Red Deer has responded to homeless encampments in droves this year.

Figures show city staff have responded to and removed 1,103 homeless encampments in 2025.

“The City of Red Deer continues to work with Safe Harbour Society to assist staff to be compliant with their development permit,” Bobby-Jo Stannard, the city’s safe and healthy communities manager, said in a statement to rdnewsNOW earlier this week.

“As with the Urban Encampment Response Policy, Safe Harbour is not required to clean up encampments on their property if temperatures fall below -20 degrees Celsius. Safe Harbour Society is the contract holder for the Reaching Home funded Outreach Worker, therefore city administration works directly with Safe Harbour staff weekly.”

Keeping with their own policy, the city will not issue or enforce a vacancy notice at an encampment when: daytime high temperatures (with wind chill) are below -20; when Environment Canada issues a severe weather warning; and when alternative shelter or housing options like shelter spaces are not available.

Red Deer RCMP say the results of a Medical Examiner’s report into two outdoor deaths on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 are yet to come back, therefore confirmation of the cold being a factor remains to be seen.

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by Josh Hall | @Vancan19

Hope Mission to take over Red Deer homeless shelter from Safe Harbour

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