Province denies SafeLink working with city on shelter space

By ANNA SMITH Local Journalism Initiative on January 7, 2026.

asmith@medicinehatnews.com

The hunt continues for a long-term solution in the wake of the closure of the Mustard Seed’s Community Impact Centre on Allowance Avenue, as the province has denied an application for the city to partner with SafeLink.

At a media scrum following the Jan. 5 city council meeting, Coun. Bill Cocks explained that SafeLink has been offering a daytime shelter for respite for those experiencing homelessness.

While the federal government had come up with the money to support the service, the province has denied the application, saying SafeLink is not an approved provider and that it misaligns with Alberta’s mental health, addiction and recovery priorities, said Cocks.

The city was the vehicle for the application, with the city applying on the group’s behalf. If granted, the federal funding would have been provided then to SafeLink.

With the application denied, the city will be exploring next steps, both in communicating with the province to better understand why the application was denied and potentially facilitate a change in decision.

“I think that we’d like to see this funding come through, and that it’s intended for a very good purpose and directed towards an organization that is well equipped to provide the service,” said Cocks. “We’d just like to look into that, in consultation with SafeLink: this is really their ball of wax, but I think we would be happy to work with them.”

In the meantime, interim city manager Joseph Hutter said the Mustard Seed will likely be taking the lead on an interim solution, with information hopefully forthcoming in the near future.

The city will also explore multiple options and locations to find the best way to address the needs of the public.

“We do have a goal of coming back with a number of options for council to consider, and we would like to do that sooner rather than later, just to ensure that we do have something in place. The goal would be for this fall,” said Hutter.

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