City of Red Deer
City of Red Deer puts out call to private owners interested in selling or leasing property for integrated homeless shelter

Call for privately owned properties for consideration during shelter site selection process
Administration will assess the privately-owned properties submitted, sites that are currently on the market, and municipally or provincially owned properties using Council’s criteria:
- Ability to acquire site: Acquiring the optimum site can be done in a timely manner. Acquisition options and costs are important considerations.
- Adequate size: The size of the site considers the potential need to adjust service delivery at any given time. It will accommodate proposed integrated amenities and services. It considers the land size needed to accommodate outdoor gathering spaces and activities. The site already has a building or can accommodate a building that meets the Province’s minimum requirement of 10,000 square feet.
- Broad community impact: The site aligns with The City’s vision for the community. Community impact includes considerations such as, impacts on economic and business development, and municipal operations. It includes potential reputational impacts and financial impacts (both capital and operating). It also includes impacts to those accessing shelter services in our community. The site considers impacts to our community as a whole, including health, and safety for all in our valued places and spaces that are enjoyed by our citizens.
- Impacts to surrounding area: Impacts to businesses, residences, parks, trails, and schools are a priority consideration in selecting site. The city’s reputation is considered. A preferred site can accommodate and foster development of a safe, secure shelter.
- Access to services & supports: Safety and basic needs for all is a priority. Regularly utilized services and supports that would not be co-located are taken into consideration. Sites where co-located services can operationalize are preferred.
Once the technical assessments are complete, administration will present options to Council for consideration to recommend to the province.
If you are a property owner and would like to submit a site for consideration, please fill out and submit the online form here.
For information on the future shelter site selection process, please visit www.reddeer.ca/shelter.
Background
Back on February 3, City Council provided a “community update” on the status of 2 properties which were thoroughly vetted but failed in the end to get the go ahead. Here is video from that announcement and the following q and a with media.
City of Red Deer
Mike Olesen, CEO of Westerner Park moving downtown to join The City of Red Deer

Mike Olesen joins City of Red Deer leadership team
“I have every confidence Mike will be an invaluable asset to our general management leadership team and to our organization. His drive to build community and the pride for our city aligns with the values of our organization where we put our citizens and businesses at the centre of what we do at The City,” said Lodewyk. “He will be meeting people and learning the many business lines at The City for the first few months as General Manager. By mid-July he will begin his work leading specific departments.”
City of Red Deer
Registration for Summer Day Camps and all summer programming begins on Tuesday, May 9

Red Deerians can prepare to sign up for Summer Day Camps, summer swim lessons and more starting Tuesday, May 9.
Is your little swimmer ready to sail off to the not-so-salty seas of the G.H. Dawe Community Centre for Shipwrecked? Does your creative kid want to explore the colourful world of visual and performing arts at the Intermediate School? Or perhaps your sporty sprout is ready to take on Sports Extravaganza at the Collicutt Centre. All these camps, and so many more, are included in the summer registration session. Families are encouraged to register their children early to guarantee a spot. Day Camps aim to provide children with an opportunity to play, explore, create friendships and experience time in the pool and outdoors while providing families with quality childcare during summer break.
Summer Day Camps run from July 4 – August 30, 2023 and are available in week-long full or half day options. Additionally, 2-hour teen sport camps are new to the selection this summer. Red Deerians can review camp options now by visiting www.reddeer.ca/DayCamps or by picking up a paper copy of the guide at City arts & recreation facilities.
All other summer programs will also be available for registration beginning on Tuesday, May 9. Red Deerians can create their own custom Activity Guide to review all summer program options at www.reddeer.ca/MyActivityGuide. Programs are viewable in the same fashion as they were in the previously produced paper guide. Customers can create their own custom guide and select categories, age groups and locations relevant to them and their families.
Red Deerians are encouraged to visit their Look’ n Book accounts prior to registration day to ensure access is up to date. For any questions regarding account access please contact Recreation
at 403-309-8411.
Registration for summer programs begins at 12:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 9. There are three ways to register for City of Red Deer programs:
- Online through My Activity Guide at reddeer.ca/MyActivityGuide
- By phone: 403-309-8411
- In person at Collicutt Centre, G.H. Dawe Community Centre, Recreation Centre or
Michener Centre
To note, we have updated our system to serve our online registrants more efficiently. Confirmation emails will be sent within 24 hours in an effort to reduce the immediate load on our online systems.
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