Prince Albert’s city council has voted to delay approval of a new downtown facility designed to provide short-term care for individuals detained by police for public intoxication, disorderly behavior, or drug-related distress, many of whom face ongoing mental health or addiction challenges, following a passionate public hearing that stretched late into the evening.
The proposed facility, set for 99 9th Street, East, would provide secure, short-term care, up to 24 hours, for individuals picked up by police under the Summary Offences Procedure Act, often for public intoxication or drug-related distress.
Council chambers were packed with concerned residents and business owners on Monday, voicing worries about neighborhood safety, lack of community consultation, and the impact on nearby schools, senior housing, and commercial properties.
“I have a funny feeling that my property value is going to go down,” said 10th Street resident David Jordanson, who urged the city to reassess property values and conduct a community risk assessment before moving forward.
Ron Horn, a longtime downtown business owner, expressed doubt over the facility’s short-term model.
“If you’re going to have these levels of professionals, how can they be effective if they don’t have an opportunity to work with these people for longer than 24 hours?”
Shantel Kalika, CEO and shareholder of Cornerstone Insurance, said her team has grown increasingly uneasy working near the proposed facility site.
“We have staff that no longer want to work at that location. We are scared to leave at the end of the night,” she said, describing how the business has invested in lighting, cameras, and most recently a buzzer system that requires clients and staff to be buzzed in.
While Kalika acknowledged the facility is needed, she voiced strong concern about the proposed location.
“We would be opposed to the proposed location,” she told council. “The building and the facility is needed, but obviously opposed to the location based on the fact that there is no plan that has been publicly addressed at this point.”
Despite concerns, police and health officials emphasized the urgent need.
Patrick Nogier, Prince Albert’s Chief of Police, described the facility as “an essential component” to break the city’s revolving door of repeat arrests and releases that currently define the city’s response to public intoxication and mental health calls.
“We’re opening our back door, and they’re walking back into your community,” he said.
Nogier noted that as of this year, police have made 407 arrests under intoxication provisions, with 333 of those individuals held in the detention facility on 15th Street, none of whom receive a formal medical or psychological assessment.
Jaime Ash, Executive Director of the Ministry of Health’s Mental Health and Addictions Branch, explained that the facility model has been successful in Saskatoon and Regina, diverting individuals away from emergency rooms and police cells toward health supports. Ash emphasized that no one would be simply “let out the door” after their stay and that discharge plans would involve community partners or family when possible.
However, councillors remained split. Ward 1 Coun. Daniel Brown and Ward 6 Coun. Blake Edwards raised concerns about the lack of data on return rates, unclear release plans, and inadequate community consultation.
“I didn’t even know this was a complex needs facility; I thought it was something for children or the elderly,” Brown said, criticizing what he saw as a lack of transparency during earlier executive discussions. He also questioned why the council hadn’t been given more time to review the plan: “Why wasn’t this brought forward a month ago so we could look at alternative options?”
“I’m not voting in support of the location,” Brown added, calling for alternative sites on the city’s outskirts.
In the end, the council voted to defer the second and third readings on the zoning amendment until its Aug. 25 meeting, giving the city time to gather more data and respond to outstanding questions.
Mayor Bill Powalinsky acknowledged the community’s concerns, saying, “I’m really glad we were able to put this on the floor now. These are difficult decisions, but they have to be made with as much information as possible.”
For now, the fate of the complex needs facility and its role in tackling one of Prince Albert’s most pressing social challenges remain unresolved.
