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
More than 10,000 Canadians received a medically-assisted death in 2021: report
More Canadians are ending their lives with a medically-assisted death, says the third federal annual report on medical assistance in dying (MAID). Data shows that 10,064 people died in 2021 with medical aid, an increase of 32 per cent over 2020.

Author Salman Rushdie on ventilator after stabbing, may lose an eye
Salman Rushdie remained hospitalized Saturday after suffering serious injuries in a stabbing attack, which was met with shock and outrage from much of the world, along with tributes and praise for the award-winning author who for more than 30 years has faced death threats for his novel 'The Satanic Verses.'
Canadian Blood Services in talks around paid donations of plasma as supply dwindles
Canadian Blood Services says it is in talks with companies that pay donors for plasma as it faces a decrease in collections.
LAPD ends investigation into Anne Heche car crash
The Los Angeles Police Department has ended its investigation into Anne Heche's car accident, when the actor crashed into a Los Angeles home on Aug. 5.
Who is novelist Salman Rushdie and why has he faced death threats?
After facing years of controversy over his book, famed novelist Salman Rushie remains hospitalized after a stabbing attack left him with serious injuries. CTVNews.ca has a look at his life and why his work has prompted years of death threats.
FBI seized 'top secret' documents from Trump home
The FBI recovered documents that were labelled 'top secret' from former U.S. President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, according to court papers released Friday after a federal judge unsealed the warrant that authorized the unprecedented search this week.
About 14 per cent of Ontario hospitals reporting less than a week supply of epidural catheters: Ontario Health
Approximately 14 per cent of hospitals in Ontario are reporting they have less than a week’s worth of epidural catheters in stock, according to an Ontario Health memo sent to hospital chief executive officers on Friday.
N.W.T. RCMP deploy controversial roadside cannabis screening devices
RCMP in the Northwest Territories have begun using roadside cannabis-screening technology that has faced criticism from defence lawyers elsewhere in Canada.
Anne Heche legally dead, remains on life support for donor evaluation
Anne Heche remains on life support and under evaluation for organ donation after a car crash that led to her brain death, a representative for the actor said Friday.