Opening delayed for new Salvation Army shelter in Whitehorse

Construction of a new, much-needed Salvation Army shelter in Whitehorse has fallen a few months behind schedule, with a new opening date expected in the spring.

Workers are now finishing the exterior of a new building, at the corner of Fourth Avenue and Black Streetin the city's downtown.

The Yukon government announced the project nearly two years ago, and committed $10.2 million to the construction. It was initiallypromised to be complete byfall2016.

But Ian McKenzie, the Salvation Army's executive director in Yukon, says the latest news he's heard is April.

"We're looking at the end of April for the completion of the construction process itself," McKenzie said."After that, there would be a period for the fit-up of our requirements beds, furnishings and things like that. And then the transition of our residents from the current shelter."

The Yukon government has not replied to request for comment, or provided an updated timeline. The contractor, NGC Builders Ltd., wrote in an e-mail it is not authorized to speak to media.

'Different approach'

The new shelter will provide 25 emergency shelter beds as well as 20 "transitional apartments"designed for longer-term use while clients receive help to find ways out of homelessness.

The current shelter is half that size, with 14 emergency shelter beds.

McKenzie says the current shelter is nearly always full, and that people often sleep on floor mats.

"We put mats out in the dining room. We clear the tables and chairs aside at nighttime and put mats down. On any given night we probably have eight to ten people sleeping on mats."

He has high hopes for the new facility, which will be called the "Centre of Hope".

"We're certainly looking at a different approach to the service that's available. And mats are not part of the plan going forward," he says.