Hope's Cradle being installed at Strathmore Fire Station, a first of its kind in Canada
Construction of a Hope's Cradle is set to begin Saturday at the fire station in Strathmore, offering a last resort option for parents who don't feel they are able to care for a newborn.
The impetus for the project came in 2017 after a baby was found abandoned in a Calgary dumpster on Christmas Eve.
"As a new father this hit me pretty hard and it weighed heavy on my mind … and I thought, what can we do to not have this happen anymore?" said Strathmore Fire Department Capt. Eric Alexander during a presentation to town council this week.
"I thought about it and thought about it and a few weeks later another story news aired about Safe Haven baby boxes in the United States … my wife looked at me and said, 'Why don't you guys do that?"
That lead to conversations with Safe Haven, along with officials from the Town of Strathmore and Alberta Health Services.
AHS is supportive, said Alexander, however the provincial health agency won't be involved in the setup or administering of the Hope's Cradle.
After working on the project for more than two years, Alexander was approached by a Calgary-based charity, Gems for Gems, four months ago, which was exploring the same idea.
The program will work similar to Angel's Cradle, which is run by Covenant Health at Grey Nun's Community Hospital and Misericordia Community Hospital in Edmonton.
Considered an anonymous last resort, the door is locked and an alarm triggered when a child is placed in the cradle, explained Gems for Gems CEO Jordan Guildford.
A stamped envelope will also be there for the person leaving the child, allowing them to submit a form about the parent's medical history. Information on resources and supports available will also be in the envelope, along with an option for the mother or parent to write a letter to the child.
"(To explain) her situation, what she hopes for her baby, maybe something about herself, whatever she wants to put in it," said Guildford.
Leaving a baby in a safe place will not result in criminal charges, unless the child is injured.
The cost of installing the Hope's Cradle in Strathmore will be about $20,000, said Guildford, with that amount being split between the charity and the Strathmore Emergency Services Members Association.
Strathmore will be the first fire station in Canada outfitted with a Hope's Cradle, and Guildford says the goal is to expand the program across the country. Construction is expected to be complete by Dec. 18.
Once a baby is left in a Hope's Cradle, the parent has 30 days to contact authorities if they want to change their decision.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What's a Barnacle? It's yellow, sticks and screams if you try to pry it off your car
Barnacles, bright yellow devices used to make sure parking scofflaws pay their tickets, could soon be making their way to cities across Canada.
Verdun Airbnb listing taken down amid complaints, fines and frustration from neighbours
An Airbnb in Montreal's Verdun borough was the source of much frustration from neighbours who say there were constant parties at the location. It has been taken down from the app, but housing advocates remain upset about short-term rentals.
Man who set himself on fire outside Trump trial dies of injuries, police say
A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former U.S. President Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said.
They were from different countries and barely spoke each other's languages. More than 20 years later, they're still happily in love
He decided to spend Christmas somewhere that wouldn't involve snowstorm disasters. She was spending the holidays with family, travelling for the first time outside of her native country of Venezuela. 23 years later, they're still in love.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
A Nigerian chess champion plays the royal game for 60 hours - a new global chess record
A Nigerian chess champion and child education advocate played chess nonstop for 60 hours in New York City's Times Square to break the Guinness World Record for the longest chess marathon.
Fire in Labrador town under control, officials tells residents to stay away
RCMP say the fire that prompted a state of emergency in a Labrador town is now under control.
12 students and teacher killed in Columbine school shooting remembered at 25th anniversary vigil
Thirteen victims of the Columbine High School shooting were remembered during a vigil Friday on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the shooting that was the worst the nation had seen at the time.
Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza city of Rafah kills at least 9 Palestinians, including 6 children
An Israeli airstrike on a house in Gaza's southernmost city killed at least nine people, six of them children, hospital authorities said Saturday, as Israel pursued its nearly seven-month offensive in the besieged Palestinian territory.