 Della Ferguson, Tiara Wolff, Tori Gibson, Max Eckstein, and Megan Patterson at the Legislative Building in Regina.jpg)
Megan Patterson, MLA for Moose Jaw Wakamow, invited the Square One Community team to the May 7th Provincial Legislative Assembly session as her guests, where the team and its work was recognized by Terry Jenson, minister of social services, and by Premier Scott Moe.
“I’d like to extend a warm welcome to our friends from Square One,” Patterson said during the session. “Square One is an important association in my home riding of Moose Jaw Wakamow.
“I would like to thank (Square One board chair Della Ferguson) and (Square One general manager) Max Eckstein for identifying a gap in our community, putting a plan together, and an organization to address it.”
Ferguson and Eckstein were accompanied by supportive housing intensive care workers Tiara Wolff and Tori Gibson, and each received individual recognition in the session from Terry Jenson.
“Square One is an organization dedicated to supporting those experiencing homelessness in Moose Jaw,” Jenson told the assembled MLAs. He complimented Ferguson for her passionate advocacy for mental health and wellness.
“She’s been instrumental in the development of the Square One Community and is a founding board member,” he noted. “Max Eckstein has 10 years of experience in social services, specializing in supporting individuals experiencing chronic homelessness. He has played a key role.”
Jenson complimented Tori Gibson and Tiara Wolff, detailing their experience working with shelters and support programs in Regina.
“Mr. Speaker, I ask that all Members join me in welcoming these dedicated individuals to the Legislative Assembly today.”
Premier Scott Moe also thanked Square One for their work in the community of Moose Jaw.
Square One’s Supportive Housing Program at William Milne Place in Moose Jaw recently received its first 11 individuals coming out of chronic homelessness, with numbers estimated to reach 30 by March 2026.
Eckstein said the visit wasn’t just to be recognized in the Legislature — the team were able to have productive meetings and petition the province to help them sustain and grow their program.
“We had some very constructive conversations about the growing needs in Moose Jaw with the numbers of people experiencing homelessness rising significantly over the last two years. Our discussions included the incredible changes and progress our program participants are demonstrating after only a month of services. We demonstrated how the services we are providing will not only significantly reduce the number of people experiencing homelessness in the city but will also equip and build the capacity of all the program participants to live as independently as possible after graduation.”
The team also tried to impress upon the civil servants they met with that investing in supportive housing makes economic sense.
“Prior to housing, our clients were facing dozens of interactions with emergency services per month,” Eckstein said.
“Even after only a single month of services, our data is showing we have brought that number down to almost zero across the board. Supportive housing has that added benefit of significant cost savings to the province in the short, medium, and long term by reducing the utilization of expensive emergency interventions.”
Square One has only received one year of funding from the Federal Reaching Home program, and needs new, sustainable partnerships — preferably with the province.