Crews get to work assembling long-awaited Pallet shelters in Sydney

After months of delays and controversy over its original location, work has begun to build a village of temporary shelters for people experiencing homelessness in Cape Breton Regional Municipality.

The 35 shelters from U.S.-based company Pallet are being placed within a public housing development on the outskirts of Whitney Pier, known as Pine Tree Park. 

On Wednesday morning, several large bundles containing materials used to create the 70-square-foot units could be seen on the property.

"The delivery truck arrives today and then we get to work setting up all 35 of the units," said Erika Shea, CEO of New Dawn Enterprises, one of two organizations that will operate the village.

"Then they're going to do power connections, followed by a Nova Scotia Power inspection, and then inspections for CSA [Canadian Standards Association], and unit warranty —  35 times."

Fast shelter setup

Setup of the units consists of interlocking and fastening a floor, roof and walls — a process that takes less than an hour, say New Dawn Enterprises and project partner Ally Centre of Cape Breton.

The shelters are crafted with fibreglass-reinforced plastic, foam insulation and aluminum, and feature a lockable door and windows, a single bed, a table and storage. They are also equipped with heat and air conditioning, and each unit will be anchored to a foundation in order to withstand high winds.

Representatives from Pallet are helping a local team complete assembly by the end of the week.

Emergency service providers to tour site

New Dawn plans to invite various stakeholders to tour the facility before residents arrive in mid-September, including people responsible for emergency services in the area.

"So fire, police, EHS [Emergency Health Services] ... We want to make sure that everyone has a real opportunity to walk the site, understand its nuances," said Shea.

The village was first announced in January when the province said it would spend $7.5 million to build Pallet shelters in Sydney, Kentville, Lower Sackville and Halifax. At the time, New Dawn said it hoped the Cape Breton shelters would be ready for residents by February, but the project was delayed in part by site selection.

A vacant lot in the south end of Whitney Pier was initially expected to house the shelters, but objections from neighbours who expressed concern over a lack of consultation on the project led New Dawn to relocate the village to a property that it owns.

'We need a variety of solutions'

Suzanne Ley, executive director of employment support and income assistance at the Department of Community Services, said the shelters were then scheduled to arrive in July, but crews experienced some delays in getting the Pine Tree Park land ready for use. 

She said Wednesday was "a very exciting day."

"The reality of the situation we're in currently is that we need a variety of solutions to help people connect to services or to help them become independent," said Ley. "We're balancing essentially the need or the response of helping people where they are right now."

Community Services has created a $1.7-million annual operating budget for the shelter village through a five-year agreement with New Dawn and the Ally Centre that could be renewed based on community need.

A building on site at Pine Tree Park that once served as a trade school has been renovated to be used as a communal space offering washrooms, showers and laundry facilities, along with rooms where residents can meet with health-care professionals.

In all, 200 Pallet shelters are planned for the province. Currently, there is one village operating in Lower Sackville that consists of 19 units, while another 41 units are planned for Dartmouth. A village featuring 20 shelters will be installed in Kentville, and the province is working on finding a home for its remaining 85 units.