The Emergency Receiving program on the Buckland campus outside of Prince Albert will be on the move.

Written by Sean Bader, Emergency Receiving program manager, with Barclay Batiuk, northern Group Living Services director, and Chris Shynkaruk, property management manager.

Prince Albert’s Emergency Receiving (ER) program started in 2018 after the Ministry of Social Services (MSS) approached Ranch Ehrlo Society to provide emergency services for children in need who were aged from newborns to 11 years old.

Flegel House on our Buckland campus became the home of the program. While initially meeting the initial requirements with room for six beds, the house quickly developed shortcomings in the overall layout and functional space.

Supervision was a struggle at the old home because storage space was insufficient, and the program quickly became overgrown. Small spaces, cramped quarters, and increasing responsibilities to meet medical, social, and educational needs also exposed how unfeasible the current space was.

Conversations about a new facility began and the project started in 2017.

We all know what happened next. COVID-19 came in like a wrecking ball and changed everything. After the hiatus, material and labour costs skyrocketed, and the original price for the construction tripled.

It was at this time that purchasing a property became the last and best option. Ranch Ehrlo is now the proud owner of a nice house in the northeast area of Prince Albert.

The decision was made to move into the city to facilitate easier access to schools, medical appointments, and various amenities for our participants.

The next steps….

The search is over, the house is purchased, we’ve got keys, and it’s time to start designing the floorplan, identifying the best way to meet the needs of our children, removing hazards, and looking toward the bright future of the northern Emergency Receiving program.