Cold Lake, AB – At a meeting held last week, Cold Lake’s Municipal Planning Commission approved an application from the Cold Lake John Howard Society for a temporary shelter at its location on 51 Street in downtown Cold Lake, with conditions that included the approval’s expiry after six months. The application was made after its initial application was approved for a period of one year, among other conditions.

“Members of the business community and the applicants themselves noted that the location was not ideal for use as a temporary shelter, but everyone also recognized that the service is needed in the community,” Cold Lake Municipal Planning Commission Chair, Craig Copeland, said. “This approval essentially expires in six months, which allows all of those concerned to either make a new application for the same location or work towards an alternate solution while also providing continuity of the service.”

Under the City of Cold Lake’s Land Use Bylaw, the use of a property as a temporary shelter is among the discretionary uses permitted in a C1 Downtown Commercial District. A discretionary use may be allowed or denied by the development authority after its impact on neighbouring properties is considered.

The Cold Lake John Howard Society operates a mat program at the property, permitting both men and women to use the temporary shelter as overnight accommodation. The society serves three meals a day and aims to secure support and counselling services for its clients to assist in addressing the underlying causes of homelessness.

“The commission heard from people in the area about some of the negative impacts that the traffic to and from the temporary shelter can bring, and we also heard about the need for the Cold Lake John Howard Society’s work, and about a number of the successes they have had,” Copeland said. “The MPC’s decision and the conditions attached to the approval take into account everyone’s desire to continue a community mat program while also acknowledging the desire to ultimately find another location for the service.”

The John Howard Society will need to reapply to use the same location as a temporary shelter after the six-month period expires if it wishes to continue the service and no alternate location is achieved. The Municipal Planning Commission’s decision will be posted under Notices of Decision on www.coldlake.com

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