Town and Country Motor Inn starting new life as shelter for families

For nearly five decades the Town and Country Motor Inn saw countless parties in its bars and gave travelling truckers a place to rest and clean up from the road.

But there was also a darker side.

"(It held) a lot of good memories for a lot of people (but)  it also brought a lot of drugs, prostitution, murder," said Jacquie Meyer, with Victory Foundation.

The organization, which started out as a street church in the early 90's, bought the notorious property for $4 million last year and set about gutting its rooms and common areas with plans to give it new life as a refuge for vulnerable families.

"So what were looking to do here is to develop 48 more units for women, women with children and seniors," said Matthew Bannerman, director of housing with Victory. "We're getting so many referrals, obviously there's an incredible need in Calgary."

The foundation is in the process of putting another $7 million into the building, which will include retail space, a group kitchen and cafeteria as well as wellness supports for eventual residents.

The foundation also runs more than 70 beds in Ogden as well as an outreach program for sex trade workers and other exploited women called HER Victory.

"We want these individuals to have their stories to end better than they started," said Meyer.

Fundraising is still underway to complete the project, but roughly $2.2 million has been raised so far.

Organizers are hoping to have the building open late in 2023.