Construction crews work on completing an expansion to the Lethbridge Wellness Shelter and Stabilization Unit. (Photo: Lethbridge News Now)

By David Opinko

Lethbridge shelter expansion nearing completion

Mar 24, 2025 | 2:32 PM

Crews are hard at work building an expansion to the Lethbridge Wellness Shelter and Stabilization Unit.

Media were invited on a tour of the facility on March 24, 2025.

Robin James, Chief Administrative Officer for the Lethbridge Housing Authority, says the nearly 16,000 square-foot building will allow as many as 200 clients to sleep.

“The way it was designed was so that individuals who are struggling and experiencing homelessness have a nice, comfortable place to stay,” says James. “We want them here, we want them to be secure, but we also want to transition them through the housing continuum and get them to where they need to go in a recovery-focused housing lens.”

The new space includes a raised security “nest” where staff will monitor cameras and keep an eye on users of the shelter. Other employees will conduct frequent patrols on foot, ensuring that people are healthy and safe.

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Other amenities include washrooms and showers, a more accessible section for people with physical disabilities or mobility challenges, and an expanded bin room where personal belongings can be stored.

Suzanne Buchanan, the shelter’s director, says the existing shelter is “jammed,” and that since the Blood Tribe Department of Health took over operations in 2023, there has been a steady increase in the number of clientele.

She states that they could see anywhere from 150 people to the capacity of 250 on a given day, although utilization during the winter is typically on the higher end of that.

In the current setup, mats are placed throughout several disconnected small rooms for people to sleep in. During the day, those mats are removed and the same spaces are used for programming.

Once construction is complete, the new building will serve as a permanent sleeping facility, allowing for an expansion of programs and services in the older structure. That, according to Buchanan, will be key going forward.

“We provide them with emergency shelter, but then what does that person need? You know, some people need to find work, some people need to find housing, some people need to find medical care, some people need to find a road to recovery if they want to go off to treatment, detox,” says Buchanan.

James says there have been a few delays in construction due to some parts of the new shelter being redesigned and items like bathroom partitions arriving late.

Although the budget for the expansion was originally around $4 million, James tells media that they had to get an extra $1 million from the provincial government.

The exact date for the project’s completion is unknown, but she hopes that it will be finished by the end of April 2025.

A preview of the new expansion at the shelter. (Photo: Lethbridge News Now)

A preview of the new expansion at the shelter. (Photo: Lethbridge News Now)

A preview of the new expansion at the shelter. (Photo: Lethbridge News Now)

A preview of the new expansion at the shelter. (Photo: Lethbridge News Now)

A preview of the new expansion at the shelter. (Photo: Lethbridge News Now)

A preview of the new expansion at the shelter. (Photo: Lethbridge News Now)

READ MORE: Lethbridge Shelter and Resource Centre to undergo major expansion

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