A stop order issued against Streets Alive Mission has been revoked. (Photo: Lethbridge News Now)

By David Opinko

Stop order against Streets Alive Mission revoked

Jan 8, 2024 | 10:33 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – A local non-profit will be able to continue providing services for Lethbridge’s unhoused population unimpeded.

Streets Alive Mission Co-founder Ken Kissick said he is “very excited” to learn that their appeal of a stop order issued by the City of Lethbridge was successful.

The stop order, dated October 13, 2023, alleged that some of the services provided by Streets Alive were in violation of its current permit for religious assembly. This included services such as the weekly attendance of community paramedics, haircuts, foot cleaning, a financial administrator program, clothing bank, and the provision of lockers.

Were the charity to have been unsuccessful in appealing the order, they would have had to get the necessary permits by August 2024 or cease to provide those services.

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However, in its decision dated January 5, 2024, the Subdivision and Development Appeal Board stated that “the activities described in the Stop Order are in compliance with the Land Use Bylaw and that further development permits are not required as alleged by the Development Authority.”

Kissick said it was a huge relief to see the city come to this conclusion.

“The decision recognizes that the work we have been doing for the last 30 years, the last 20 in this location under a religious assembly permit, is actually considered to be the work that the permit allows us to do,” said Kissick. “That’s the clarity that I think both planning and development required and the business community required.”

Kissick called the impacted services “very significant” in the overall wellness of the city’s homeless population, and that they go a long way in reducing the costs of health care and emergency services for the general public.

He thought back to the appeal hearing on December 21, 2023, and said it was amazing to witness such a powerful level of support from the community.

Dozens spoke out in favour of Streets Alive, arguing that they should be allowed to continue providing these services. Nobody spoke in opposition.

“The amount of support we had was absolutely overwhelming. Certainly, for my wife and I and our team, it really reinforced that there were a lot of people that believed that what we were doing and the way we were doing it needed to be supported,” said Kissick.

Kissick told LNN that they are considering relocating Streets Alive in the near future but was unable to provide many details at this time.

The full decision from the Subdivision and Development Appeal Board can be read on the City of Lethbridge website.

READ MORE: Streets Alive appeals stop order issued by City of Lethbridge

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