RED DEER -- Red Deer city council voted to approve a bylaw amendment that would allow a homeless shelter to continue to operate in the city for two more months.

The shelter is located in the north portion of the Cannery Row Building and has been operating there since March 2020. It was established because COVID-19 created the need for a shelter that allowed for physical distancing.

The shelter is operated by the Safe Harbour society, which is funded by the provincial government.

The temporary extension is intended to give council time to work on a more permanent shelter solution.

According to the city of Red Deer, the province committed $7-million in its 2020 Capital Plan to fund a purpose-built integrated emergency shelter in the city.