- The former Trinity Lutheran Church at 1909 Ottawa Street, Regina, was listed at $1.19 million
- The Hawk Principle Community Service Cooperative wants to buy it as a hub for homeless people
- The group needs more than $2 million to buy it and run programmes
- Several other buyers had shown interest
A mutual aid group in Regina hopes to buy a former Lutheran church and turn it into a support hub for homeless people, Global News reported in January 2025.
The former Trinity Lutheran Church at 1909 Ottawa Street was listed for $1.19 million. The Hawk Principle Community Service Cooperative, which serves Regina’s Heritage neighbourhood, wants to buy the building to help people who are homeless or facing food insecurity. It needs more than $2 million in total to buy the church and fund its programmes.
Co-director Shawn Koch described gaps in services. “The web of services that everybody thinks exists in the city of Regina right now, overnight it doesn’t exist folks,” he said. “Right now, between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., people don’t have anywhere to go.” He was hopeful: “Ideally March 1, we’ve got a million bucks, we move in and everything’s great.”
The building has drawn several viewings and competing offers from other groups, according to former pastor Sarah Dymund.
Closed churches are often ideal for community services: they have halls, kitchens and a history of serving the neighbourhood. But community groups must compete with other buyers and raise large sums quickly. In Jamaica, where churches are often the main community buildings, a closed church could become a shelter, feeding centre or skills hub. Community groups, diaspora associations and government partners need funding lined up in time to bid when such buildings come up for sale.
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