Hope Mission Wetaskiwin permanent shelter officially opens

Hope Mission's permanent emergency shelter in Wetaskiwin has opened, replacing a temporary site and offering 50 beds, a commercial kitchen, and private counselling spaces.

A new permanent emergency shelter operated by Hope Mission has opened in Wetaskiwin, replacing a temporary site that served the community since 2022. The building was purpose-built and includes expanded spaces for care and services. The facility is intended to provide more privacy and room for partnerships with health and emergency services. Construction began in spring 2024 on land donated by the City of Wetaskiwin and the project received provincial and Hope Mission capital funding. Key details: - The shelter has 50 beds and a dining room that doubles as a multipurpose community hall seating up to 40 people. - The building includes a full-size commercial kitchen and private counselling rooms for nursing, spiritual care, and counselling. - Features include semi-private beds with dividers and self-storage lockers for guests' belongings. - The new facility replaces cramped temporary quarters where dining and sleeping occurred in the same space. - Construction began in spring 2024 on city-donated land with $6.8 million from Hope Mission and $3.2 million from the province. - In 2025 the temporary shelter served 609 unique individuals; 59% stayed 14 nights or less and 4% (25 people) stayed more than 180 nights. Summary: The permanent shelter increases space, privacy, and dedicated areas for meals, counselling and nursing care, building on four years of local shelter experience. The team plans to use the facility to strengthen partnerships with health providers, RCMP, EMS and the local hospital and to coordinate warm handoffs for people leaving hospital care.