Dene Vice Chief Lawrence McIntyre and Cree Vice Chief Richard Durocher made a presentation to Meadow Lake Homeplate Shelter Coalition Corp. Board Member Joanne Gislason with a cheque for $40,000. (Julia Lovett-Squires/meadowlakeNOW staff)

By Julia Lovett-Squires

Shelter donation

Tribal Council donates $40K to Homeplate Shelter Coalition

Nov 24, 2023 | 8:14 AM

The emergency shelter in Meadow Lake has an official opening date thanks to a donation from the Meadow Lake Tribal Council (MLTC).

On Thursday, Dene Vice Chief Lawrence McIntyre and Cree Vice Chief Richard Durocher made a presentation to Meadow Lake Homeplate Shelter Coalition Corp. Board Member Joanne Gislason by presenting her with a cheque of $40,000.

“They just do such wonderful work,” said Vice Chief Durocher, during the presentation.

The money will allow the shelter to officially open its doors on Dec. 1 and the organization is grateful.

“From the deepest depths of my heart, I thank you,” said Gislason. “We are going to be able to keep people out of the cold.”

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The organization built the shelter with the help of volunteers, residents and businesses but were unable to secure $100,000 for operating costs. According to Durocher, as an executive, they can’t give out donations but rather must take it to the Chiefs’ table to ask for permission.

“We know the numbers in Meadow Lake, that its majority is our people and that is the reason that we’re so honoured to be able to help.”

According to Vice Chief McIntyre, getting the funding in order was crucial.

“Especially with this good cause with our members that are having a tough time, especially this time of the year, they can’t find a place,” he said.

“We’re able to assist and provide some kind of a restitution for them to get up and then to restart their life again.”

If the shelter had not opened this year, Durocher said there would be a continuation of what is currently happening including couch surfing, or people not having a place to go at all – the Cree Vice Chief noting that he and his wife often go into town and help feed those in need.

“It’s unfortunate a small community like ours has that but I’d like to point out that this situation that’s happening in Meadow Lake, it’s happening in our First Nations as well.”

“This is why it’s such a tough decision for our leadership to make this decision to donate this amount of money to an off-reserve project because we have the same problem in our nine communities.”

Homeplate is currently working on raising the full $100,000 from other contracts and “loose ends” but they will have the shelter open by next week.

“It’s been a struggle over the past 12 months but we’re coming to a point of success and MLTC put it over the top,” said Homeplate Board Chair Bob Steeg.

“We’re opening in faith and we’re getting this whole thing put together,” he said. “The thing has operated on faith for the last 12 months.”

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julia.lovettsquires@pattisonmedia.com

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