Nēwo-Yōtina Friendship Centre open for business after closure due to fire

WATCH: The Newo-Yotina Friendship Centre is now open to the public after being forced to move locations almost three months ago due to a fire.

Operations at the Nēwo-Yōtina Friendship Centre are getting back on track after being forced to move locations nearly three months ago.

The Centre located at 1635 11th Ave., will now strictly be focused on harm reduction. Other resources and programming will now be offered at 1940 McIntyre St., where they were temporarily housed since March.

Emile Gariepy is the harm reduction manager at the Nēwo-Yōtina Friendship Centre and said there has been a want to have two locations to offer harm reduction measures, as well as to offer family focused programming.

“We have been leaning away from having any family members, children in [the Centre,] because of the population of people who were coming around,” Gariepy said.

“Now with a lot them at the WYCA, they have their own space to able to conduct programming with children and elders,” he added.

On March 24, Regina’s Fire and Protective Services responded to a fire located next to the Friendship Centre. It was discovered the Centre had been impacted by the fire and closed indefinitely.

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A few days later, some of the Centre’s programming was moved to McIntyre Street.

“We’re running the same way we were before, but we have two different buildings now,” Gariepy said.

The 11th Avenue location is currently being remodeled. The second floor was heavily damaged during the fire and will take roughly a year to be repaired.

The original safe consumption site has now been moved within the building. It will be expanded in the winter months due to increased use.

Drug testing is temporarily unavailable due to the machine being damaged by smoke. A new machine is being ordered:

The Centre will be open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Lunch and supper programs are now being offered as well.