Westlock town council has agreed to back a local non-profit’s push to build a Hygiene Hub for people without stable housing. At the July 13-14, 2026 meeting, council directed staff to provide a letter of support for the Hope Resource Centre as it applies for a Canadian National Railway grant.
Executive Director Sylvia Yoder updated council on the centre’s work to prevent homelessness across the region. She outlined plans for the Hygiene Hub, a facility offering showers, laundry, and other practical supports for vulnerable residents. The project is being developed with the Rural Development Network, which coordinates federal homelessness funding for rural Alberta.
Westlock has no homeless shelter or warming building, and rural homelessness often stays hidden. People may be couch surfing, living in overcrowded homes, or sleeping in vehicles. The Hygiene Hub aims to give them a safe place to meet basic needs while longer-term housing solutions are pursued.
Council accepted the presentation as information and told staff to supply the letter for the grant application. The Hope Resource Centre, founded in 2008, serves Westlock, the county, the Village of Clyde, and the provincial 211 crisis line. Its proposal aligns with ongoing efforts like the town’s $1.1 million federal Housing Accelerator Fund, which has helped permit 33 new units since January 2025, and the Westlock and District Homelessness Coalition formed in 2022.
