2025 Coldest Night of the Year in North Battleford on Feb. 22, 2025. (Image Credit: Kenneth Cheung/battlefordsNOW)

By Alyssa Rudolph

TERRITORIAL YOUTH SERVICES

Coldest Night of the Year walk to support TYS after provincial funding cut

Feb 21, 2026 | 7:41 AM

Battleford’s Territorial Youth Services (TYS) is gearing up for its biggest fundraiser of the year.  

On Feb. 28, community members will walk in support of the efforts of TYS for the ‘Coldest Night of the Year.’ The event is held by a cross-country organization that supports 190 communities to help people experiencing hurt, hunger, and homelessness.  

Keith Klippenstein, the senior pastor at TYS said the fundraised money goes directly back to the organization.  

“We use the money to cover things like staff salaries, all of our work equipment, our trucks, our tools, overhead costs, life skills costs, everything to run an all-encompassing program that helps a young person get a fresh start in life,” he said.  

This year, the fundraiser is especially important due to the organization’s loss of government funding.  

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“After 36 years, we got notice on October 14th that our funding from the provincial government will be discontinued as of March 31st, 2026,” said Klippenstein. 

TYS, along with many other programs across the province, were affected by a province-wide restructuring of the Youth Victim Restitution Program. 

“Coldest Night of the Year will help us recoup some of that funding. So, we lost our annual grant of $153,000 and the goal of $75,000 will help us get halfway there,” he said. 

The pastor acknowledged the need for the government’s restructuring of the program and why TYS’s funding was discontinued.  

“We’ve been so thankful for the partnership with the Government of Saskatchewan. We had the opportunity recently to personally thank our premier, Scott Moe, for believing in TYS all these years, and he still believes in us,” he said.  

The funding compiled roughly 30 per cent of their annual budget; 60 per cent was generated through services the organization offers, and the rest through fundraisers.  

“Now, because of the loss of funding, we are at a place where we’re just ramping up that ask for our community to support what we feel provides an amazing chance for young people,” Klippenstein said.  

Over the last 36 years, TYS has helped over 2,000 young people in the Battlefords who faced significant challenges such as addiction, crime-related issues, and a lack of job skills. 

 Klippenstein shared the story of one young man who has recently received help from TYS.  

“A year ago, he was dealing with addictions and was in jail. [He] came out of that, went into treatment, and then was referred to TYS, and has been just thriving with us, learning life skills, getting positive peer relationships, and feeling encouraged about who he is as a young man,” he said. 

Community members in the Battlefords can help contribute to TYS’s efforts by participating in a two-kilometer or five-kilometer walk as part of the Coldest Night of the Year fundraiser.  

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Alyssa.rudolph@pattisonmedia.com