A drone shot of South East Lloydminster.
Oxford House Saskatchewan did not apply for a city development permit before opening four sober living homes in Lloydminster, and the City of Lloydminster confirms none was required.
The confirmation came as Oxford House and the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health also answered questions from BorderPulse about last week’s announcement of 20 new sober living spaces in the city.
Nyah Foote, communications coordinator for the City of Lloydminster, said the city reviews development and land use applications under Land Use Bylaw 05-2025.
“Whether a property requires a development or land use approval depends on the specific use and how the property is being operated,” said Foote, citing the city’s planning services department.
“Based on the information of the proposed development described in your inquiry, no additional development permit is required,” said Foote.
Foote said the city does not comment on or disclose information about specific properties, landowners, tenants or occupants. Approved development permits are reported publicly through the city’s development activity reports online, she said.
The city did not answer whether council or administration was notified before the province’s funding announcement, and did not provide a statement from Mayor Gerald Aalbers as requested.
Mark Soloway, chief executive officer of Oxford House Saskatchewan, said the organization reviewed the city’s land use bylaw itself and concluded discretionary use or group home approval was not necessary before it applied for anything.
“Our houses are residential homes,” said Soloway. “A maximum of five adults who are sober and have completed treatment live together independently.”
Soloway said no staff are stationed in the homes, residents must be capable of independent living, and the organization does not provide treatment on site.
“The use and residential character of the properties have not changed,” said Soloway.
He said Oxford House met with Aalbers and Patrick Lacaster before opening, and city manager Dion Pollard was included in an email exchange with the mayor. Aalbers also toured one of the homes before it opened, Soloway said.
The four homes are on the Saskatchewan side of the city, in the southeast, according to Soloway. He declined to release exact addresses, citing residents’ privacy, but said neighbours were contacted directly before the homes opened.
Brandi Boxall, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Health, said Oxford House was selected through a competitive process rather than being handed the contract directly.
“Oxford House was one of the successful proponents selected through a competitive procurement process consisting of a Request for Supplier Qualifications and a subsequent Request for Services, initiated collectively by the Ministry of Health, the Saskatchewan Health Authority, and SaskBuilds and Procurement,” said Boxall.
Boxall said no other Lloydminster-based organizations applied to the procurement process for the sober living services. She said all submissions were evaluated using the same criteria, and Oxford House was the top-ranked supplier before both sides reached a service agreement.
BorderPulse also asked what outcome data the ministry requires Oxford House to report as a condition of the funding. Boxall did not answer that question.
Instead, she pointed to Oxford House’s self-reported results. She said the organization’s programs show 71 per cent sobriety success at six months and more than 93 per cent at one year, and that Oxford House supported 149 people across the province in the most recent year, with 85 per cent transitioning to independent living.
Local recovery group welcomes the addition
Residents in Recovery, a Lloydminster-based sober living provider, said it welcomes Oxford House to the community rather than viewing it as competition.
“We believe that recovery is strengthened when barriers are removed and there is access to support, opportunity, and, most importantly, community,” the organization said in a written statement.
Residents in Recovery said its director met Oxford House’s executive director at the new organization’s grand opening, and the two groups are looking at working together as Residents in Recovery expands its own programming.
Soloway said intake is open to anyone 18 or older who is sober, has completed a minimum 28-day treatment program in the last 12 months, and passes an interview. Priority goes to people at risk of losing housing after treatment.
Most referrals come from treatment centres across the province, including Thorpe Recovery Centre, though Oxford House will accept people from detox only if they have already completed treatment, Soloway said.
The waitlist is tracked regionally rather than by city. Soloway said 26 people from the north region, which includes Lloydminster and Prince Albert, are currently waiting, with 94 people on the combined north and south lists.
“Two organizations, one shared purpose; stronger recovery support for everyone,” Residents in Recovery said in its statement.
Read more: Saskatchewan funds 20 sober living spaces in Lloydminster
