About 50 community members attended an open house Tuesday evening to learn more about the city’s upcoming Complex Needs Facility, with officials describing the tone as largely positive and focused on operations.
The session, held in a come-and-go format at City Hall, included representatives from the Ministry of Health, Mental Health and Addiction, the Ministry of SaskBuilds and Procurement, EHN Canada, Prince Albert police, city administration, and four members of council, including the mayor.
Anna Dinsdale, the city’s community safety and wellbeing manager, said the event was required by the council as part of its approval of the project.
“We had about 50 community members attend over the course of the evening,” Dinsdale said, adding she felt the engagement was generally very positive.”
Questions raised by some downtown business owners focused largely on discharge procedures and how clients would transition out of the facility.
“Any kind of questions that were related to concerns that people had related to questions about the operation,” Dinsdale said, noting people were seeking reassurance about where individuals would go once discharged.
Ward 6 Coun. Blake Edwards described the atmosphere as optimistic.
“From what I understand, it was mostly positive. People are looking forward to having the centre open and looking for positive results for the overall community,” Edwards said.
He added that residents appeared more at ease than during earlier public hearings.
“I think people left comforted about this moving in and getting started,” Edwards said.
Stacy Coburn, chairperson of PADBID and co-owner of Scentiments Floral, said she attended to hear construction updates and clarify operational details.
“All in all, it was a very informative evening,” Coburn said.
Coburn said one of her main questions involved how clients would be discharged.
“They’re not just released back onto the street. “No,” she said, explaining that officials described coordination with rehabilitation facilities, assisted living supports, or family members when appropriate.
She acknowledged that she had initial concerns about the location when the project was first proposed but said further explanations helped change her perspective.
“Then I felt very confident in the location that it’s going in,” Coburn said.
Dinsdale confirmed that no operational changes were announced during the session, aside from the previously disclosed shift in the opening timeline from spring to summer 2026.
Demolition work is expected to begin this month, with renovations starting in March. The province is in the final stages of negotiating a contract with a service provider and plans to make a public announcement once finalized.
Comment sheets were made available during the session, with feedback being collected by the province. Dinsdale said the city and province meet regularly and that any clarifications could be updated on the city’s website.
Overall, officials characterized the evening as an opportunity for direct dialogue, with residents seeking clarity on how the downtown facility will operate once it opens this summer
