The Blood Tribe Department of Health held public tours and a tipi raising ceremony at the Lethbridge Wellness Centre and Stabilization Unit on April 12, 2023. (Photo: C. Oldale - LNN)

By Christian Oldale

Blood Tribe Department of Health holds tour of shelter, tipi raising ceremony

Apr 12, 2023 | 5:30 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – Just over three months after the Blood Tribe Department of Health (BTDH) took over management of the Lethbridge Wellness Centre and Stabilization Unit, they opened up their doors for public tours.

From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on April 12, 2023, the centre conducted tours for the facility to give an inside look, and held a tipi raising ceremony on the grounds.

The BTDH took over operations from Alpha House, whose last day managing the facility was on January 3, 2023.

READ MORE: Blood Tribe Department of Health takes over operation of Lethbridge homeless shelter

The centre is divided into nine different sections, each with their own purposes. The facility has capacity for around 120 people, though staff have had to take in more clients depending on weather conditions.

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Workers at the Lethbridge Wellness Centre and Stabilization Unit on April 12, 2023. (Photo: C. Oldale – LNN)

The BTDH has no previous experience running a shelter, which Chief Operating Officer Kash Shade said was a challenge, “It’s been a steep learning curve for sure, traditionally not being shelter operators, we had to learn pretty much from the ground up what that looks like. The opioid crisis, the addictions needs of our clients is really eye-opening.”

Despite the challenges, Shade said it was important to take over operations because of the number of Indigenous clients.

Shade remarked, “When you talk about the population it serves, you hear lots of percentages being thrown around but the majority of the population who utilizes the shelter is Indigenous, so it was kind of a logical connection.”

In addition to the tours, the BTDH held a tipi raising ceremony on the grounds of the centre at 10 a.m. on April 12.

READ MORE: Lethbridge News Now