The Grande Prairie Northreach Society has officially opened its doors in its new facility after a weeks-long closure to support the move.
Northreach previously operated out of its old space on 98th Street until the closure on July 26th, providing harm reduction supplies, STI testing, and other services to its clients.
Now, the organization will operate out of the Aberdeen Centre near City Hall, which Harm Reduction Team Lead at Northreach Lindsay Loset says is beneficial, as the new space is closer to the organization’s street-engaged client pool.
“Because we’re closer to Wapiti House, the St. Lawrence Centre Street Outreach Centre, some of our more street-engaged clients, now we’re a lot closer to them so it’s easier and more accessible,” she says.
Loset adds that the move was necessary, as the organization continues to grow, and now it is in a better, more purposeful location that can provide its clients with the services they need.
“We had kind of outgrown our space, in a way that was functional for us, there was lots of space in the other building, but it just wasn’t set up super well for us to have good flows of people coming in and out of the building,” she says. “This building is newer, it’s been renovated specifically for us in the space we’re in, and it has AC.”
The Team Lead maintains that all of Northreach’s services will remain accessible for its clients, and says the hope is that with a newer, larger space, the organization could see some programs expanded to better serve those who access them.
“Whether that’s accessing harm reduction supplies, or getting STD or STI testing done, we’re open and ready,” she says. “There’s nothing new currently, but that is a hope, if we do start to expand or change our programming, there’s space for that as well.”
Currently, the Grande Prairie Northreach Society provides STI testing, harm reduction supplies and education, Naloxone distribution, and sexual health education to a variety of Grande Prairie residents.
