FAQs

There has been a need for a homeless shelter in some form for over a decade in the Town of Slave Lake. Previous shelters that operated in Town were typically temporary mat programs that provided shelter for homeless individuals during our coldest months. 

While the quantitative data on the usage of these temporary shelters is limited, discussions with previous operators, clients, support service providers and other non-governmental organizations indicated there was a distinct need for a full-time shelter that could act as a bridge between homeless individuals and some of the supports and programs offered by various levels of government and other organizations to assist their transition out of homelessness. 

A funding opportunity from the Government of Alberta was presented to the Town of Slave Lake Mayor and Council in September 2023 to address an identified need (lack of a homeless shelter) in the community. The decision was made to accept this government funding to address the need, recognizing that the operation of the shelter would be funded by the Government of Alberta. 

No formal study for potential site selection was conducted however, one of the primary criteria for site selection was government ownership of the land. While not all the potential sites selected were owned by the Town of Slave Lake, they were owned by the Government of Alberta (Crown) and therefore a land purchase agreement or lease could be negotiated with the Crown for the use of the site. Being government owned also allowed Council to enact Council Direct Control zoning for the potential sites making for an easier development approval process.

There will never be a perfect solution for a homeless shelter site regardless of which potential location is selected. Experience from other jurisdictions suggests that regardless of where a homeless shelter is located there will always be opposition from residents for a variety of reasons. Votes on individual locations would be cost prohibitive and would slow the site selection process significantly. 

Yes, which is why Council has tasked Administration with ensuring there is a robust, comprehensive, and transparent consultation and engagement process for site selection. This has included online community surveys, two days of open community conversations at the Legacy Centre, and individual discussions with community residents, shelter operators, staff, and clients as well as several non-governmental organizations. The results of the consultation and engagement sessions will be posted online for the public to view. 

There are many reporting requirements for the funding provided by the Government of Alberta for the homeless shelter however, there are no provincial requirements for site selection and location of the shelter.

The Town of Slave Lake has had some sort of homeless shelter whether permanent or temporary for over a decade. The use of those shelters over time suggests a relatively stable homeless population in the dozens. 

The average intake of shelter clients during the month of March 2024 was 13. The shelter had a nighttime intake of 468 and daytime sleep intake of 340 in March and served 280 breakfasts, 390 lunches, and 426 dinners. The shelter has also increased the provision of snacks and additional food items, including fresh nutritious meals sourced from local restaurants. 

No, the homeless population in Slave Lake is not regularly tracked. The only regularly tracked data point is the number of clients accessing shelter services (both currently and historically). 

Clients are provided with 3 meals daily, grooming services (haircuts), laundry, and shower facilities. The shelter also provided assistance for the following:

• Obtaining identification documents and health cards; 
• Financial support applications; 
• Providing transportation for returning clients to their home community; 
• Confirmation of address letters; 
• Transportation in town to medical and other appointment; 
• Connecting clients with support programs and resources such as the Alberta's Virtual Opioid Dependency Program. 

No, the existing structure (trailer) will remain as the primary shelter facility. 

The Town of Slave Lake currently manages the shelter with a team of staff. The costs of managing the program (including staffing costs) are covered by the funded provided by the Government of Alberta. 

The building of a new structure would be cost prohibitive and would be an additional burden to Slave Lake taxpayers.

A small kitchen currently serves clients at the shelter, the kitchen facilities do not include a stove/oven, therefore having clients make their own meals is currently not feasible. Light meals can be prepared at the shelter, however, most meals are prepared off-site and deliver to the shelter by local restaurants. There are currently no plans to expand or enhance the current kitchen facilities. 

Yes, a bathroom and shower have been installed at the shelter for client use only. The hot water tank was recently upgraded to a higher capacity to better serve clients. 

When clients leave the shelter during the day, they must take all their belongings with them (including belongings in the storage shed). Security is on-site to ensure compliance with this rule and all other shelter rules. 

Each shelter client has his/her own unique individual needs. These needs are identified and assessed by shelter staff. Support resources are then provided to them based on this needs assessment and the resources and programming available to the shelter. 

The operation of the shelter is entirely funded by the Government of Alberta. The government approached the Town of Slave Lake to present this funding opportunity in September 2023. 

Funding will be reexamined by the Government of Alberta on an annual basis, if provincial funding is pulled, the Town of Slave Lake will no longer manage and operate the shelter. The operation of the shelter does not have a measurable impact on the municipal tax base. The potential effect to the provincial tax base is not known as the Town of Slave Lake is not responsible for producing the provincial budget. 

The purpose of the homeless shelter is not to increase or decrease tourism and visitors to our region, it is to provide a safe, reliable place to shelter for those individuals who are experiencing homelessness in our community and serve as a gateway to access the support service and resources they require to get out of homelessness. 

The Town of Slave Lake believes basic needs are a right, not a privilege. This includes ensuring our residents that are experiencing homelessness have access to the necessities of life (food, clothing, shelter). 

As part of the consultation and engagement process for the potential location of the homeless shelter, shelter users were interviewed to identify where they would like the shelter to go. Clients typically responded with the more central potential locations as it provided easy walking access to several services and supports. 

Each client has their own unique schedule, some clients stay all day, others only access the shelter for meals, some only come for a day or two before moving on. 

Best practices in consultation and engagement suggest getting ahead of the misinformation with facts to the extent possible. The Town of Slave Lake will never be able to fully control the narrative around the homeless shelter. Best practice on a sensitive topic such as the homeless shelter is to provide accurate, verifiable data and information in an easy-to-understand way to counteract the misinformation and highlight the importance of the shelter and the services it provides. 

The shelter partners with all levels of government as well as non-governmental organizations to provide the support and services shelter clients require. The shelter has also partnered with local businesses to provide meals to shelter clients. 

The Town of Slave Lake cannot control the number of officers/constables or other RCMP resources that are allocated to a particular community. It is the Town's understanding that RCMP resources are allocated based on need, therefore, the Town is encouraging residents to submit reports of criminal acts, suspicious activity, complaints, and grievances with the RCMP so that the data supports the need for additional RCMP resources being allocated to our community. 

The shelter is meant to provide services to all individuals who are experiencing homelessness regardless of whether they are suffering from addiction issues. However, all client must abide by a set of rules that includes no drinking or doing drugs on-site. Violators of these rules are removed from the premises and are no longer welcomed at the shelter. 

Approximately 15-20 clients with the potential to expand slightly (20-25) during extremely cold days.