Whitehorse Emergency Shelter Operations Ramp Up Following Takeover Last Week

Thursday, 7 February 2019 16:33

Director of the Social Support Branch Christine Tapp speaking at the media briefing today.

According to Director of Social Support Branch Christine Tapp, approximately 40 people are now employed at the shelter.

Director of Social Support Branch Kristine Tapp says Yukon Government services at the Whitehorse Emergency Shelter are scaling up following the takeover of the facility from the Salvation Army one week ago.

Tapp says many things had to be done quickly operation-wise at the facility following the takeover.

"We've needed to address things from transferring the phone systems...transferring IT, transferring all of our contracts, ending their contract obligations picking up under Yukon Government... changing the entire building security system, changing the fobs and keying of the entire building while also launching operation scale-up."

Tapp says 40 part-time, full-time and casual employees are all working at the shelter with similar pay scales, and that the Yukon Government is looking at a six-month time frame before any other transfer of ownership of the facility would be given.

Tapp says even though the shelter has continuously gotten busier at the facility over the last week, the Yukon Government will be looking at other harm-reduction approaches for employees at the centre as opposed to the hiring of security guards.

An additional 20 shelter mats are now being provided now with the takeover, on top of the 25 shelter beds and 20 transitional living suites that were currently available on-site.

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