麻豆视频

One of the real positives for the community in recent years was the Warm Welcome shelter, which operated from 2012 until earlier this year.

It was born of necessity. Five years ago, the rental vacancy rate in the city was zero. People were living in their vehicles, or, even worse, on the street.

While nobody will ever question the benefits of the economic boom for the Estevan area, it definitely had some consequences as well, particularly for those in low income brackets trying to make ends meet.

So when the Salvation Army and St. Paul鈥檚 United Church came together to open a shelter in the late fall and into the winter, it was widely cheered by local residents. The number of guests each night was usually five or six, which was lower than what some thought the shelter might have, but the shelter was a tremendous resource for the handful of people who needed it.

Fast forward five years. The economic boom is over. Vacancy rates are now at around 27 per cent. The shelter was attracting just one person most nights. While some might say that one person was enough to justify the shelter鈥檚 existence, there were a lot of expenses for that one person.

So the decision was made in February to shut the shelter down for the year. And now the committee that runs the shelter has instead made the decision to operate a kitchen, which will serve hearty meals twice a week.

Those meals aren鈥檛 just for the homeless, or for those with a low income. It can be for anyone who needs a good meal while surrounded by others.

It seems like a good response to the changing needs of the community. After all, who doesn鈥檛 enjoy a good meal served by hard-working people, in the company of others?

Who knows how well it will ultimately be received, or how long the shelter will be open. It could be open for a few weeks, or a couple of months, or it could last for several months. We hope it鈥檚 the latter. There is still a need in the community for the service the kitchen provides.

This is not to say that the Warm Welcome shelter can鈥檛 make its return at some point. A community like Estevan, with its dependency on natural resources, is prone to boom and bust cycles. A sudden surge in the price of oil is unlikely, but if it were to happen, then you would see a sudden increase in the number of transient workers, and a return to the shortage of housing available in the community.

A shelter would suddenly become a very valuable resource.

We look forward to the next boom in the community, although hopefully it will be more manageable.

In the meantime, we hope the people with Warm Welcome will enjoy good success with their new venture.聽