What Is Happening With Square One? Councillor Asks
By Robert Thomas
With Square One not yet officially opening their warming/cooling centre a councillor asked a question about the effort’s status.
Councillor Heather Eby - who is Council’s representative on the Moose Jaw Downtown Business Association a business advocacy group -asked “can we have an update of what’s happening with Square One? And if there is anything happening at the William Milne Building? I know we were really pressured to hurry up and get that underway and I have heard nothing. I’m just wondering if we could have some sort of an update?”
In response Coincillor Crystal Froese, who was vice chair of Square One, informed Council she was no longer a member of the group’s board.
“I’m not on the Square One board anymore but the building itself now is actually owned by Moose Jaw Non-Profit (Housing - often referred to as Moose Jaw Housing)…as far as I know Square One is still leasing that from Moose Jaw Non-Profit (Housing),” Councillor Froese said.
“As far as I know they are still moving forward,” she said.
It needs to be noted that Councillor Froese did participate in in-camera discussions surrounding the advocacy group’s move to acquire space in the William Milne Building.
It was a proposition rejected by the majority of Council who opted to return the space back to Moose Jaw Non-Profit Inc and have them lease directly to Square One.
Councillor Froese is not the only board member who has vacated Square One’s board with Lori Deets Wakamow Aboriginal Community Association (WACA) president leaving the board in recent months. Susan Karner is no longer listed as a board member as well.
Responding for Administration city manager Maryse Carmichael said she knew the basics of what Square One is doing at the present time.
“I do not have more than the latest that I heard is they are looking at laying the proper foundations for Square One to set up and be able to provide services. But I don’t have the timeline and I don’t have the specifics on it,” Carmichael told Council.
It needs to be noted Square One is not a City of Moose Jaw project but rather it is an advocacy lobby group.
The City has supported Squsre One by granting it a municipal project to allow tax deductible receipts to be issued by the City until the group was successful in setting up its own charity status.
MJ Independent has learned effective May 2, 2023 Square One successfully achieved charity status with the Canada Revenue Agency.
According to other local media the present time Square One is attempting to conduct a Point In Time Survey (PITS) to determine the exact number of people who are in fact homeless in Moose Jaw and what services they need.
Previously members of Square One have stated the number of homeless in Moose Jaw is 107 without any recognized count to claim such.
So far Square One has been able to secure $20,000 in funding from Social Services Housing Corporation and has yet to officially open its warming/cooling centre’s doors.