REGINA — Inside a newly renovated building on Albert Street, the Canadian Mental Health Association is trying to make one thing easier for people in crisis:
Finding help before it is too late.
The Saskatchewan Division and Regina Branch of CMHA officially came together this week under one roof at 1810 Albert Street, creating a centralized mental health hub designed to reduce barriers, save money long-term, strengthen services, and offer vulnerable people one clear place to turn for support.
For leaders behind the project, the move is about far more than office space.
“This move is about more than a change in location,” Saskatchewan Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Lori Carr stated during the announcement. “It represents a shared commitment to working side by side to build a healthier, more resilient community.”
For years, the two CMHA organizations operated from separate locations only blocks apart in Regina.
But for many people struggling with mental health or addiction, even navigating multiple addresses could become another obstacle during moments of crisis.
“Most importantly, to be very honest, we wanted to eliminate the confusion and the barriers that created having two CMHA locations just one block apart,” explained CMHA Regina Interim Executive Director Shannon Patton.
“In today’s climate, fiscal responsibility matters. Sharing space allows us to reduce costs, remain sustainable, and ensure that we have years to come in our building.”
The newly unified location now serves as a central point for programs, recovery support, advocacy, meals, education, and community connection.
Patton said the goal is to create a space where people feel respected instead of judged.
“This is where people can come to get help with system navigation, be fed a warm and healthy meal, and find connection with others through non-judgmental educational, social, recreational, and vocational activities where individuals feel respected, understood, and valued,” she expressed.
The project itself became a reflection of the community it hopes to serve.
Renovations began years ago with upgrades to the organization’s kitchen and gathering spaces before growing into a major capital campaign launched in 2023. The work eventually expanded to include new windows, flooring, roofing, siding, rebuilt office areas, and revitalized community spaces.
Patton credited local businesses, donors, tradespeople, volunteers, and community supporters for making the transformation possible.
“This transformation was truly a community effort,” she stated. “Many of our partners contributed at cost or through donated labour. We are deeply grateful and remarkably, I’m very proud to say that we achieved all of this without incurring any debt.”
That long-term sustainability was a major focus behind the decision to unite both organizations in one building.
By reducing duplication and combining resources, leaders say more energy and funding can remain focused on the people who need help most.
“We are excited to come together in this shared space as we take the first steps toward becoming a true hub for mental health in Regina,” Patton said. “A place where expertise is strengthened, where collaboration is enhanced, programs can grow, and our visibility increases so that people know where to come to get the support, the safety, and the hope.”
For CMHA Saskatchewan CEO Trevor Gates, the moment represented something larger than operational efficiency.
He described it as part of a broader shift in how communities understand mental wellness itself.
“Mental health isn’t just about illness,” Gates stated. “It’s about how we think. It’s about how we feel. It’s about how we cope with stress and how we connect with others.”
Speaking during Mental Health Week, Gates reflected on how stigma continues to keep many people suffering silently.
“For too long, mental health has been treated like something to hide,” he expressed. “People suffer in silence because they’re afraid of being judged, misunderstood, or even seen as weak.”
He paused before delivering one of the event’s most powerful messages.
“Silence creates distance,” Gates said. “Not just within ourselves, but between each other.”
Founded nationally in 1918, the Canadian Mental Health Association has grown into one of the country’s oldest and most recognized mental health charities, operating in communities across Canada for more than a century.
In Saskatchewan, the need for that work continues to grow as communities face rising mental health challenges, addiction crises, housing instability, and increasing social isolation.
Gates said spaces like the new Regina hub matter because they create opportunities for connection before people reach a breaking point.
“When we create spaces where people feel safe to talk, we break down stigma,” he stated. “We listen. We truly listen without rushing to fix or judge. We show others that they’re not alone.”
Regina Mayor Chad Bachynski called the announcement “an important and inspiring moment” for the city.
“What makes today meaningful isn’t the bricks and the walls,” Bachynski told the crowd. “It’s the people. It’s the teams who show up every day with compassion, expertise, and a deep commitment to supporting those who need it most.”
He said bringing the two organizations together under one roof will make services easier to access while strengthening collaboration throughout the community.
“This move represents a shared commitment to building a healthier, more resilient Regina,” Bachynski stated. “One where no one feels alone in seeking help and where support is offered with dignity, respect, and understanding.”
But perhaps the strongest moment of the day came before many of the speeches even began.
Patton asked everyone gathered inside the building to turn to someone nearby and simply say hello.
For a few brief seconds, strangers spoke to strangers.
A small gesture.
Yet inside a building dedicated to fighting loneliness, despair, stigma, and disconnection, it carried enormous meaning.
As the event came to a close, Gates reminded the crowd that meaningful change does not always begin with grand solutions.
Sometimes, he said, it starts with something much simpler.
“Each of us has the ability to make a difference,” Gates expressed. “Not by being perfect, but by being present, by showing compassion, by choosing connection over isolation.”
And then he left the room with a message that seemed to capture the entire purpose behind the new mental health hub now standing in Regina.
“Sometimes the most powerful thing we can say,” Gates said, “is simply, ‘I’m here for you.’”
