The door is closed and the locks have been changed when it comes to the local emergency shelter’s chances of securing further funding from the City of Meadow Lake.

During Monday’s (July 22) regular meeting of Meadow Lake city council, a motion was carried authorizing the Meadow Lake Homeplate Coalition Corp. to retain the $30,000 it received from the city last season and to use it for future operations, but, at the same time, the motion denied the coalition’s request to receive the remaining $15,000 for the 2023- 24 season. Meanwhile, a separate motion was also carried that night which denied Homeplate’s request for the city to co-fund the emergency shelter for the 2024-25 operating season. “Upon approving Homeplate’s funding request in October 2023, council’s intent was to fund 40 per cent of the potential deficit communicated to council by the organization,” explained acting city clerk Gabriella Marsh in her official recommendation to council. “Upon analysis of the organization’s final financial statements, it was found, due to the organization’s fundraising efforts, they ended the season with a surplus for operations in 2023-24. Additionally, based on our analysis, if the $30,000 the city already provided to Homeplate was removed, a surplus of more than $4,000 would still exist.”

At council’s June 24 meeting, Homeplate chair Bill Sclater presented as a delegation. Within this delegation were three requests – the organization obtain the remaining funds from its 2023-24 request, the organization get to keep the funds it received from the city for 2023-24, and the city commit to funding an additional $10,000 per month to a maximum of $60,000 to assist in operating costs for the emergency shelter in 2024-25.

“Another funding condition was the city receive financial statements by the 10th of each month, and while some flexibility was offered to Homeplate to determine what date each month they could produce these if the 10th was not attainable, the city did not receive any financial statements at all until April and May 2024,” Marsh continued. “The city’s decision on the 2024-25 funding request may impact the results of the organization’s funding requests from other bodies. No clarification was offered from social services on whether this would put their provincial funding in jeopardy although it was made clear municipal involvement was a reason for that funding’s original approval.” The motion to deny future funding for Homeplate was made by councillor Marty Bishop and seconded by councillor Clay DeBray.

“When Mr. Sclater was here, I was quite adamant they did not produce their financial statements, and that was one of the requirements,” remarked mayor Merlin Seymour. “Things weren’t followed through with.” Councillor Mauri Young also said she understood last year’s funding was to be a one-time-only thing to help the organization get the shelter up and running, and, as Seymour noted, to cover any deficit the group encountered. “It (shelter) is a valuable thing, as long as it’s done properly,” Seymour added. City manager Diana Burton agreed. “We also have policies that would need to be updated if we wanted to continue this relationship or provide funding in future years,” she said.