The Meridian Source looks back at events in December 2025.
Kneen grateful for opportunity at men’s shelter
After nearly two years as executive director of the Lloydminster Men’s Shelter, Kagan Kneen reflected on his tenure during an interview with the Meridian Source.
He’s officially hanging up his hat at the shelter on Dec. 5 before settling into his new role as the CEO of the Lloydminster Region Health Foundation on Dec. 8.
Kneen, who worked corporate jobs prior to joining the non-profit, says he was looking for something more fulfilling.
“I’d done corporate for most of my career. Sure, the money was good, but at the end of the day, it wasn’t fulfilling,” he said. “I really wanted to give back to community; I wanted to help out the clients we served.”
He said he had the opportunity to work with non-profits while working in Calgary.
“When I owned my own company in Calgary, I worked with another non-profit. It was women that were expecting shelter,” said Kneen, noting he built great relationships with the CEO and executive director.
“I did a lot of fundraising with them and just always felt like something was missing.”
When the job at the Lloydminster Men’s Shelter came up, Keen jumped at the opportunity.
“When I saw the opportunity for this posting, for the men’s shelter, I called right away,” said Kneen.
Almost two years later, he says the role has been challenging but rewarding.
“As challenging as the role has been, it has probably been the most rewarding position I’ve ever had,” he said. “I’m very proud of the work we’ve done.”
He says his position at the shelter has helped him understand what the unhoused go through.
“Getting to know the clients, hearing their stories, dealing with others who struggle, financially, mentally. It’s really put everything into perspective,” he said.
When looking back at the last year, Kneen says there’s one accomplishment that outshines the rest.
“I think the fact that we’re moving towards being housing focused. The goal should be, this is not permanency, a shelter is not permanency,” he said. “It is emergency to provide additional supports, connections, ID recovery, recovery solutions.
“To be able to actually be a housing-focused shelter, knowing everybody in the shelter has a goal to find their own place.”
He says he’s happy to have had the opportunity to lead the shelter.
“I’m just so grateful to have had the opportunity,” said Kneen. “I know the community doesn’t see all of the faces working every single day with our clients. Our caseworker, operations manager, our direct care workers; we are so blessed as an organization we have had very minimal turnover.
“There’s a lot of heart behind these four little walls that serve 28 individuals.”
In his time at the shelter, plenty has changed. He’s spearheaded major fundraising and cleanup efforts and under his leadership, the model of feeding everyone changed to only those staying at the shelter. He also brought on a caseworker to help get people out of the system.
City approves budget
It’s officially in the books. The City of Lloydminster has approved its 2026 budget after two meetings and much debate.
Municipalities grapple with delivering a balanced budget every year. In 2026, the city approved an operating budget of $119.3 million and a capital budget of $29.9 million.
The city is facing a mill rate of 4.08 per cent, which would see an impact of $9 a month or $108 annually, on a home valued at $350,000. It’s also proposing a five per cent utility increase with assessment growth of 3.5 per cent. The utility and mill rate increases will be passed later in 2026 through their respective bylaws.
The first draft of the budget was presented on Nov. 5. Since then, new additions have been made.
An intergovernmental advisor position was added, Border City Connects’ funding increased by $12,000 and various expenses related to city council decreased by $6,400.
Changes were also made to proposed projects. The $30,000 city hall renovation that would add a meeting room in the front hall of the building, removing a currently vacant vestibule, is no longer being funded. Another project that lost its funding status was the $35,000 inflatable obstacle course at the Bioclean Aquatic Centre. A $300,000 44 St. ditch and roadway widening project was also added to the capital budget.
The intergovernmental position is something administration sees as a big value to their operations.
“A lot of the work we do through the mayor’s office and through my own office at this point, we rely on other departments to supplement advocacy work, with not only one province, but two provinces, plus the federal government,” said city manager Dion Pollard.
“It’s one of the areas we feel we could enhance the services to the city. It doesn’t always relate to money, could be issues that we have. We’ve seen that through our liquor issue, our sandwich-gate issue. This position would support some of that and take some of the work off those individual departments that currently do that.”
Local businesses benefit from inaugural bursary
Lloydminster and area businesses are benefitting thanks to a new bursary from the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce.
Cheques for the inaugural Young Entrepreneur Bursary Program were presented to Northern Lights Trucking, Kiana Walker Professional Counselling and One Eleven Wellness. They were at the Lloyd Ex to accept the $5K bursary.
The event began with a presentation by Jackie Tomayer, Lloydminster Chamber of Commerce president, and included remarks from Lloydminster Deputy Mayor Jim Taylor.
Read more: Economic development front and centre at Rotary
