It is now one year later and Station 20 West is celebrating it’s first anniversary.
The facility offers a number of services to residents living in Saskatoon’s core area including a grocery store, affordable housing and health services.
Len Usiskin is the manager of Quint Development Corporation, which operates out of Station 20, and he says perhaps the facility’s biggest accomplishment is being able to provide a food store to core area residents.
“We know that all the food stores had closed along 20th Street in the mid-1990’s and there hadn’t been a food store for about 15 years in the core neighbourhoods,” he says.
He adds the organization believes it is more effective by offering a multitude of services under one roof.
Nevertheless, Usiskin says the long road to seeing Station 20 become a reality has not always been so smooth.
He admits it appeared like the facility may never happen after a newly elected Sask Party government cancelled a funding commitment made by the previous NDP government six years ago.
“We had a very large vision that was happening and then we had that setback in 2008 when the government support was withdrawn. It was at that point we thought, ‘Well, how do we come back from that big of a setback?’”
Nevertheless, Usiskin says the local community rallied in support of Station 20 in the end raising about $4 million and ensuring the facility was able to open its doors last year.
Station 20 held its one-year anniversary celebration Tuesday afternoon with a number of activities including tours, kids’ activities, music and prizes.