As Yukoners watched the sign at the Salvation Army Centre of Hope come down last week, the Yukon government confirmed Monday it has hired some army staff on a temporary basis.

The information provided by Pat Living, a Department of Health and Social Services (HSS) spokesperson, did not specify exactly how many old army staff were hired by YG on a temporary basis, nor exactly how temporary those hires are.

Elaboration was not provided before press time this afternoon.

But there have been some shelter staff, and kitchen and cleaning/support staff hired, Living wrote, adding that the transfer agreement between the army and YG has been signed.

Reached by the Star this morning, the Salvation Army’s executive director, Ian McKenzie, said he is aware of some workers being offered positions with YG.

He said he could not speak to the length of contracts, as that is a decision resting with the government.

He did confirm that army staff were given termination notices, as they will no longer be their staff come Thursday’s transfer.

McKenzie added that the site saw about 23 regular staff (either full- or part-time) and a number of other casuals or on-call workers at its site.

According to a job ad posted online, a position that will now fall under the YG umbrella for an emergency shelter support worker’s end date is listed as July 2019, with a salary between $30.49 and $35.10 hourly.

McKenzie was not able to speak to contract details for previous workers, citing confidentiality reasons.

Meanwhile, the transfer deal to shift the centre, which sits at Fourth Avenue and Alexander Street, from the Sally Ann to HSS was announced in December, but was subject to YG management board approval.

Now, just three days before YG is set to take over the facility’s operations and building ownership at midday Thursday, the government confirmed some of the details in the new contract.

It will see, among other things, some of those kitchen and cleaning/support staff hired working under the Whitehorse Emergency Shelter. A new name will be chosen with community partners, but that may be months away, Living wrote this morning.

Confirming that the shelter is now undergoing a transition process, McKenzie said that services have not stopped entirely, but have ramped down over the last weeks.

“We basically slowed down any activity and programming that’s been going on,” he told the Star.

“A lot of what we’re doing is working with YG staff on that transition period,” like ironing out logistics, he said.

That includes things like making sure utilities are transferred, and that YG is able to come in and see the IT infrastructure and the boiler system, for instance.

“That sort of basic level of programming is still in place; it’s just that some groups coming in and doing activities or programs of different natures, that has all kind of wound down.”

Another noticeable change listed by YG points to an additional 20 shelter mats or cots being made available.

That’s on top of the 25 shelter beds and 20 transitional living suites (10 for women, 10 for men) already offered at the site.

“We’ve been operating here over the last weeks in the colder weather,” McKenzie said.

Some people have been resting in the lounge spaces overnight, he pointed out. (A recent cold snap saw Jan. 7 temperatures dip down to -27 C.)

“I could see there’s probably a demand for additional temporary beds or cots,” he said.

Under the new YG curtain, intakes for shelters beds will be done 24/7.

Clients will be able to stay in the shelter dorm rooms longer and meal service will not change (along with access to laundry and showers and Wednesday social activities).

Details on more operational changes that are to be phased in the next month are to be provided sometime next week at a briefing, with the government noting that “all efforts (are) now focused on the actual transfer.”

But it did add that the location will run as a “low-barrier shelter based on harm reduction principles.”

McKenzie acknowledges that will be a change, given the Sally Ann’s abstinence policy.

“It’s different than we have been operating.

“We are not – as an organization, not fully harm reduction – we embrace some of those principles but don’t operate a fully harm reduction shelter.”

But he remained optimistic that it could work at the centre.

“The capacity to do that in this building is there with the program plan.”

McKenzie said that ultimately, he hopes the transfer would be a positive one for the shelter’s clients.

“For us, the concern is the folks that are accessing the services continue to have access to that,” he said, after the army’s area commander assured in December there would be no blackout period.

“As long as the services available are meeting the needs of that vulnerable population in the Whitehorse area, we’re happy to see any changes they (YG) feel might improve the situation.”

As per its 31-month contract with the army, YG provided the Sally Ann with $100,000 monthly (or $1.2 million a year) for operations and maintenance of the facility.

Whether that number will dip or rise still remains unclear, but both the army and YG have agreed that the just-over year-old site was not meeting the demands of clients.

It first opened in October 2017, and saw YG foot most of the bill at $13.4 million and the army an additional $1.1 million to make the centre a reality.