YESS first registered as a not-for-profit in 1978, although its youth shelter at 9310 82 Avenue in Edmonton did not open until 1982.[4][5]
Services
An employee of Rainbow Metal Products works at YESS in 1986
In 2016, YESS introduced the tagline "YESS is more than a shelter." Although YESS provides housing for at-risk youth in the Edmonton Capital Region, the organization is also dedicated to providing individualized support that addresses both diversion out of homelessness and general prevention of homelessness.[6][7]
Buildings
The YESS buildings are located at 9310 82 Avenue in Edmonton, including the main shelter, a gazebo, and several storage buildings.[8] The main building was built in 1905 as Edmonton Fire Hall No. 10 for the communities surrounding Mill Creek Ravine.[8] In 1926, the Salvation Army converted the fire hall into a shelter named Bonnie Doon Eventide Home, and in 1949, the main building became a single men's shelter.[8][9] Although Ken Lenz has stated that "the building was vacant for almost a decade beginning in the early 1970s," the Salvation Army did not actually sell the building until 1979, with YESS taking over the building in early 1980s.[10][11][12] In 1986, Edmonton company Rainbow Metal Products built eves, gutters, soffit, and fascia for YESS, whose buildings are now recognized for their Late Art Deco architectural style.[13]
^YESS is located in the western part of Bonnie Doon, which was originally part of the City of Strathcona dating back to 1907 and became a part of Edmonton when Strathcona and Edmonton merged in 1912. The remaining land in the neighbourhood was annexed by the city of Edmonton in 1908.[15]
^Neighbourhood description in the map utility on the City of Edmonton web site.
^Fédération des communautés francophones et acadiennes du Canada, Profil de la communauté francophone de l'Alberta, Géographie, p. 1 : « Dans la ville d'Edmonton elle-même, le secteur de Bonnie Doon, site de nombreuses institutions francophones, revendique le titre de quartier français. »
