The Scattered Site Outreach Program is located downtown La Ronge. (Derek Cornet/larongeNOW Staff)

By Derek Cornet

housing

La Ronge homeless shelter reaching capacity most nights

Oct 20, 2023 | 5:00 PM

The Extended Hours Program, an overnight shelter, at La Ronge’s Scattered Site opened Oct. 1 and is already reaching capacity most nights.

That’s according to Kikinahk Friendship Centre executive director Ron Woytowich, who explained the Extended Hours Program will remain operational until the end of March 2024. This is the second year of a two-year agreement Kikinahk reached with the federal government in 2022.

“We’re lucky to have some staff from previous years who came and are there and that makes it a lot easier, but we are still short just like everybody else in town,” he said.

“It has been pretty much busy. There’s still a massive increase of people who are using the shelter and, right now, we are trying to figure out how to deal with it.”

Considering the overnight shelter admits people of all genders, management is required to always have one male and one female employee on shift. Woytowich noted another challenge has been a large increase in food costs, which is also having an effect on the services provided.

Riderville

Now for the Hard Part

Dec 10, 2025

Grey Cup!!!

Everything you wanted and more

Nov 21, 2025

open house

Surplus forecasted for 2026 La Ronge operating budget

Nov 17, 2025

“Our budget actually went down this year because of previous years we had COVID money that kind of extended the funding and now that money has run out by the government, so suddenly we are tightening our belts but we still have the same amount of people,” he said.

“As a matter of fact, I think there are more who are coming here. They are all over La Ronge, not only in our shelter which is full, but we also have people who are staying in the bush and at other places. It’s a challenge this year.”

With Prince Albert’s Stepping Stones Shelter increasing capacity from 30 beds in 2022 to 45 beds in 2023, Woytowich is hopeful the demand in La Ronge will be less. He noted last year some residents from southern Saskatchewan were using the Kikinahk’s bus service to reach La Ronge and access services at the local shelter.

“Last year, we had 202 clients in total. We don’t know what we are going to have this year, but there are impediments that come into play,” Woytowich said.

“I know Saskatoon, right now, is having the same trouble in that at their shelter, they have to restrict some people from using it, because they have mental health or addictions needs that we just simply can’t deal with and they impact the rest of the people.”

–

derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com