The following update announcing the sale in principle of Queen’s House Retreat & Renewal Centre is as follows: Announcement Letter
Dear friends and supporters of Queen’s House,
I am writing with an update on Queen’s House Retreat & Renewal Centre in Saskatoon. I acknowledge that this update will likely not answer all your questions; however, I am sharing the information we have at this point. I will provide further updates as additional information becomes available.
Last year, we announced the difficult decision to close two retreat centres: Galilee Mission Centre of Arnprior and Queen’s House Retreat & Renewal Centre. This decision followed an extensive period of discernment. It was made in the context of several challenges to our retreat house ministry, including declining financial independence and the evolving needs and priorities of the Oblate community. We recognize this news has been difficult for many. We also understand that people will have different expectations concerning the future of these spaces.
As part of our ongoing effort to oversee this transition responsibly and be as transparent about our intention as possible, I wanted to share that we have agreed in principle to sell the Queen’s House and Mazenod properties to RIVA Developments of Saskatoon. RIVA Developments benefits from the financial backing of both the Wyant Group and POW City Mechanical Partnerships. We are confident that they are well positioned to fulfil their vision of a strong and community-minded development.
In response to our Request for Proposals, RIVA provided us with a conceptual development plan that includes the following possibilities: seniors’ housing, mixed-use commercial/residential development, and market housing. The company has expressed its desire to honour the Oblate legacy of service to those in need. It has partnered with Integrated Health Services of Saskatoon, which will operate a family treatment centre in the existing Queen’s House facility. We understand that RIVA intends to start construction on a new development in 2025 or 2026, and the plan will be phased to ensure that the treatment services provided in the existing facility will be transitioned into a new purpose-built space. We are developing a Memorandum of Understanding to allow RIVA Developments to undertake and meet all the conditions expressed in the project.
I bring to your attention the following dates related to the sale of Queen’s House:
- July 31, 2024 – Queen’s House officially closes
- September 1, 2024 – Projected handover date
Queen’s House will communicate information about celebrations to mark the conclusion of its ministry in the coming weeks. We are sincerely grateful for your patience and understanding throughout this process. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any further inquiries.
In Christ,
Fr. Ken Thorson, OMI
Provincial – OMI Lacombe Canada