Homeless to be Left in the Cold For Another Winter?
In 2021, Medicine Hat officially declared it had solved chronic homelessness
The “Housing First” solution was working! The city was a beacon of compassion and efficiency.
Cue the confetti and the national headlines.
A new council was sworn in later that year.
July 2022, Council directed staff to find a location where a 24/7 shelter could be set up after an attempt to move the overnight shelter failed.
fast forward to the present day
The confetti has been swept away, replaced by… well, more sweeping. This time, it’s the city sweeping a persistent crisis back behind closed doors for yet another private discussion. The beacon has flickered out, leaving us as Alberta’s only city of our size without a 24/7 shelter. It appears the “solution” had a best-before date.
For the second year running, while the city re-studies the problem it already solved, local advocate Geraldine took matters into her own hands. Her 36-hour “homeless challenge” blossomed into a week-long healing lodge right on City Hall’s doorstep—a poignant, living rebuttal to the 2021 victory declaration.
The official response to this powerful demonstration has been a masterclass in bureaucratic dissonance.
Not one councillor, on their way to important meetings and ceremonies, could spare a moment to speak with the woman embodying the very issue they were set to discuss.
Not one councillor responded to the Owl’s inquiries as to whether they had spoken with Geraldine at all. It was not until the Owl sent a follow-up e-mail signifying an intent to coach administration about the email problem the one council member responded. Councillor Cocks said on Dec 2
“Kelly, I received your letter. There is nothing wrong with the email system. Typically, I will reply when I have something that needs to be said; but not to demands to meet a deadline imposed by a reporter.
As chairman of Public Services, I can assure you that the CMH has been working on arranging for emergency winter shelter for those in need and I am hopeful that there will be an announcement soon. “
NB - I told them what MY deadline was. When a reporter gives you THEIR deadline, it is not a demand. It is a courtesy telling you when they plan to publish so you have the opportunity to respond. It is long past time the City passed a media policy, not just a social media policy. It sounds like Council requires training in this area as well as administration.
Did you notice? Councillor Cocks did not answer any of the Owl’s questions but he is not the only one. The Owl has yet to receive a response from ANY of the council members, including the mayor.
Original message sent to all of council from The Owl Nov 13 2025
The city’s voice, however, was perfectly clear: it arrived in the form of $5,250 worth of fines for the crimes of chalking a clock tower and erecting a tarp for shelter during a healing ritual. The message is unmistakable: we would rather police the symptoms than cure the disease.
🦉 OWL EXCLUSIVE Geraldine’s 36-Hour Campout Brings Street Wisdom To City Hall
Owl News Exclusive - Kookum Fined $2500 For Chalk When Advocating For Shelter
Resilient and Inclusive Community Task Force Latest Available Minutes
They did have another meeting scheduled in November, the minutes being referred to are from the end of October. The most recent minutes from the last meeting (meetings are always delayed until they have been approved at the next meeting.
15 Task Force Members were in attendance; 14 other Task Force Members were not
Overview of Status Quo
This means they go over what is already available in the community. This was deferred to a future meeting.
Vandalism
Action Item #1: Enhanced deterrence through increased implementation of CPTED and
Action Item #2: Ensure timely clean-up of vandalism and garbage/debris downtown
Downtown Enhancement and Safety Grant (currently in progress) - will be brought up at a December Council meeting
This was discussed in detail - Deputy Chief Saini says that even if the police do not do anything about it, it should be reported for tracking purposes.
Community Event Support
Action Item #4: Increase support for community events/activations downtown
They’re going to change the wording.
Downtown Washroom Strategy
Was been put on pause in August until a long term shelter solution is reached.
Community Groups and Youth Education
Action Item #6: Survey whether there are other groups in the community already doing things the Task Force can support and
Action Item #9: Promote youth education and awareness
Mr. Young explained he intends to connect with Ms. Rogers (Jamie Rogers, Medicine Hat Community Housing Society) as a first step for both these Action Items.
Long Term Shelter Location
They discussed
Approach to long term shelters in other communities in Western Canada.
How the Task Force may support efforts in identifying sites and future community
engagement.
Potential sites (buildings and/or land) currently owned by the province.
Jamie Rogers of the Medicine Hat Community Housing Society has committed to put in a proposal to the province about an Extreme Weather Response.
(NB - Rogers has been doing a shadow shelter in winter for quite some time. The Owl has heard her say that nobody will freeze to death on her watch.)
Next Tasks
Since two of the “Public Members” Stuart Young and Chris Hellman were elected to council, the Task Force is now lacking two Public Members. The Public Services Division office will be reaching out to previous applicants to see if they still want to serve.
They will discuss vandalism incidence reporting with Lisa Dressler (Chamber of Commerce) to see whether the Chamber wants to put it in a member newsletter.
Public Services will update verbiage in the ‘Notes’ column of #4 of the RITF Action Plan.
The Task Force has been “working” since early this year
The Task Force was formed in March with the following objectives taken from the Action Plan. (Bolding by the Owl)
To develop and recommend strategies and actions within six months to reduce the impacts of homelessness, mental health, addiction and poverty, balancing individual, and community needs.
To coordinate collaborative implementation of strategies among various interest parties, including various levels of government, law enforcement, non-profits, and private and community organizations.
To inform action plans through data, best practice, and engagement, with a willingness to be innovative in creating made-in- Medicine Hat solutions.
To monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of implemented strategies.
To engage with the community to raise awareness and foster cooperation
One of the goals was to “Assist in establishing a 24-hour consolidated emergency shelter with wraparound services”.
Administration was given a mandate to solve the long term shelter problem in July 2022. The Task Force was supposed to have a shelter solution by winter. We are no closer to a long term shelter solution than we were three and a half years ago.
They have been working behind closed doors, not telling the public where they were thinking of for the permanent shelter location.
Winter Is Here
The elements are not holding closed-door meetings. They are present, they are brutal, and they are unforgiving. Meanwhile, our leaders seem to believe the solution is to keep talking in private, hoping the problem—and the people it affects—will simply have the decency to disappear. We saw how well that worked with the Saamis Drive location for a shelter - The Mustard Seed withdrew their rezoning application before it even went to Council so no Public Hearing was held. They did put out a form for shelter suggestions. Meanwhile there have been NO town Halls, NO public consultation like they have had for recreational facilities and the tepee dance floor suggestions. The people who would most benefit from a shelter have not had a meaningful chance to have any meaningful public input.
It is not on tonight’s council meeting agenda, not in open, not in closed.
Hopefully the “announcement” Councillor Cocks referred to will bring good news. The best announcement would be that they have found a site, that council will have a backbone and stand up for their most vulnerable residents over the “Haves” who seem to just want the problem to be swept out of sight. It is time for a “Made in Medicine Hat Solution”.
These are OUR people! They are
grandmothers
grandfathers
mothers
fathers
sisters
brothers
daughters
sons
aunts
uncles
cousins
Meanwhile - we are under a Winter Storm Watch
Nobody deserves to be left out in the cold
Local resources
List taken from city website
Healthcare services
Mental health services
Community well-being services
Senior services
I had a fire; things to know
Additional services
