The services will be relocated from Lighthouse, a supported Saskatoon downtown shelter that has sparked much criticism and controversy, according to the Saskatchewan Social Services Minister. Minister Gene Makowski went with John Gormley on Thursday morning to discuss issues surrounding the lighthouse and made the surprise announcement. “I’m worried about the model they have at Lighthouse, with so many services concentrated in one area of downtown Saskatoon,” Makowsky said. “For these reasons, what the government and I have decided to do is move these services out of Lighthouse.” Makowsky said the lighthouse had been informed of the province’s decision, but had not yet given an answer. Makowsky, meanwhile, said the government is in talks with Saskatoon Tribal Council tribal leader Mark Arcand, who has pioneered the creation of a new shelter and wellness center. This shelter has a better model than the Lighthouse, said Makowsky, which is indigenously led and culturally appropriate. “We estimate that it goes up,” Makowsky said. No fixed timetable has been set for the removal of services from the lighthouse, the minister said, stressing the need for a “timely transition” involving both social services and the health ministry. Makowsky said his “number one priority” is the vulnerable population that relies on these services. “The people, our fellow citizens, who receive services at the lighthouse will continue to receive these services,” he said. “It will just be in another location.”
