An emergency wellness centre in Regina will be receiving additional funding to extend its operations.
“The Gathering Place: New Beginnings” is a 40-bed emergency wellness centre that offers support 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as well as a secure place to stay, three meals a day, and on-site personnel. The facility will receive an additional $665,000 from the provincial government, which will extend the centre’s operations for an additional five months.
“The Gathering Place: New Beginnings has been an incredible resource for people without housing during the winter months, and although the weather is slowly getting warmer, we still see a need for additional emergency wellness centre spaces in Regina,” Social Services Minister Gene Makowsky said.
Beginning in November of last year, the provincial government provided $1.7 million toward emergency shelters across the province to meet seasonal cost pressures during the winter. Since the announcement of additional funding, a total of 83 temporary emergency shelter spaces in Saskatchewan have been created, including 40 at The Gathering Place: New Beginnings.
Regina Mayor Sandra Masters said that the city was appreciative of the additional funding and the support it will provide. “The City of Regina is grateful for the province’s ongoing investment in helping us support folks experiencing houselessness in our community. We are pleased that RT/SIS will be able to continue their valued work in providing supports to residents in need as we work to determine a location for a new permanent emergency shelter,” said Masters. The Gathering Place: New Beginnings officially began its operations in January 2023 and was created due to the combined efforts of the Saskatchewan government, Regina Treaty and Status Indian Services, and the City of Regina.