March 24, 2025
‘Just joy’: Dartmouth Pallet shelter home restores dignity and hope for resident
VIDEO: Mariah Baker shares her story of survival with CBC News
The Village at Pine Tree Park provides emergency temporary shelter for those in the CBRM who are currently unhoused or who are at risk of becoming unhoused. It is part of a province-wide “housing first” initiative. This approach (1) keeps people alive so they can address challenges – like addiction – that can take time and treatment and long-term counselling to address, and (2) provides people with a safe foundation on which they can build.
In 2023, the provincial government purchased 200 single-unit shelters from the U.S.-based company, Pallet in response to growing homelessness across the province. The Village at Pine Tree Park opened in October, 2024 and is one of six shelter villages across Nova Scotia.
In the CBRM, the number of people experiencing homelessness — those sleeping in cars, tents, abandoned buildings and other unsafe conditions — has increased by more than 75 percent since 2021, while the number people at risk of homelessness has doubled in that time.
At The Village, there are 35 single-unit shelters and a community building that includes washrooms with showers, laundry facilities, a common area with a large kitchen and social space, and some smaller spaces for programming and support services.
For many people staying at The Village, it is the first private, safe, stable shelter they have had in a long time. Each resident meets regularly with staff to work on an individualized plan. Together, they set goals – long-term housing, employment, physical and mental wellness – and residents are connected with the resources they need to achieve those goals.
The Village at Pine Tree Park is operated by New Dawn and the Ally Centre and funded by the provincial government. Learn more about the role of shelter villages in the province’s Action on Homelessness here.
Posts tagged: Pallet Village
March 17, 2025
ERIKA SHEA: Kindness and community spirit still exist during troubling times
Cape Breton Post, March 15, 2025
January 28, 2025
Pallet shelter village bringing change for the better
AUDIO: CBC Radio reporter Brittany Wentzell visits The Village at Pine Tree Park, where staff and residents share the life-changing impact of the project
January 27, 2025
ROSEMARY GODIN: Cape Breton Pallet Shelters are your tax dollars at work
“I see their lives changing drastically," reflects Executive Director of the Ally Centre, Christine Porter. Cape Breton Post, January 27, 2025
December 4, 2024
Human Rights and the Unhoused
Erika Shea and Christine Porter share insights from The Village at Pine Tree Park and Eleanor's Court as part of Nova Scotia Human Rights Week panel discussion
November 1, 2024
‘This is my opportunity to shine’
Tenants find friendship and support in first week at The Village at Pine Tree Park
October 21, 2024
The Village at Pine Tree Park welcomes first tenants
The Village will be a temporary home for 35 community members experiencing homelessness in CBRM
September 5, 2024
ROSEMARY GODIN: Cape Breton Pallet shelters offering hope
To quote Erika Shea, President and CEO of New Dawn Enterprises, “This is a beautiful moment.”
August 22, 2024
August update on Pallet Village with CBC Radio host Steve Sutherland
AUDIO: This is a big week for the CBRM Pallet Village. Erika Shea shared the latest on the project ahead of the arrival of the Pallet shelters.
August 22, 2024
Pallet shelters arrive at Pine Tree Park
Installation of 35 temporary shelters underway for mid-September opening of CBRM Pallet Village
July 9, 2024
CBRM Pallet Village on track to welcome first residents in August
Construction is underway on the site and Pallet shelters are expected to arrive in late July
July 8, 2024
Update on Pallet Village with CBC Radio host Steve Sutherland
AUDIO: New Dawn CEO Erika Shea talks progress and plans for the Pine Tree Park Pallet Village set to open in early August
May 9, 2024
Pine Tree Park Pallet Village Questions
Below are some answers to questions received since the announcement of Pine Tree Park as the location for the CBRM Pallet Village.
February 27, 2024
New Dawn Enterprises and NSDCS Pallet Shelter Slide Decks
Slide decks shared by the NS Department of Community Services and New Dawn Enteprises at the February 12, 2024 Community Information Session on the CBRM Pallet Shelter Village.
February 3, 2024
Ally Centre’s impact in Downtown Sydney and Beyond
In discussions of the proposed CBRM Pallet Shelters and in ongoing discussions of the ways in which downtown Sydney is changing, misunderstandings about the work and clients of the Ally Centre of Cape Breton are common.