Several residents attended Saskatoon’s city council meeting on Wednesday to express concern about the location of the new emergency residential shelter.
Saskatoon City Council is looking to approve 1701 Idylwyld Dr. N. as the location for a 15-person temporary emergency shelter.
The shelter is on the table for Saskatoon City Council because the provincial government submitted an application for it to be located there.
The approval report says the Ministries of Health and Corrections are bringing in a third-party service provider to run the facility.
Recommendations in the report have designated the Idylwyld Drive North location green-lit as a shelter for up to 18 months.
It was clarified that this site was different than the shelter spaces that the provincial government and the city are collaborating on through the province’s new strategy to combat homelessness.
The application from the provincial government falls under permitted use, therefore the city administration said council couldn’t turn down the application. Instead it has to decide on the time period between one and 18 months.
A range of letters were submitted from residents to council ahead of the meeting outlining concerns around safety, vandalism and lack of public engagement.
Jason Aebig, CEO for the Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce submitted a letter to city council emphasizing the importance of shelters, but pointing out how they can be detrimental to the surrounding community if not placed properly and without proper support. The letter suggested that stronger shelter requirements in the city were needed, a private security company needs to be considered to help deter crime and a rebate needs to be considered for local businesses in the area.
Coun. Darren Hill asked about whether the administration asked the province to delay the application so proper public engagement could be done, but was told that wasn’t a required discussion and the intent has always been to address these applications on an urgent basis.
“‘Required’ and ‘what should be done’ are different things for consideration for how this stuff impacts the neighbourhood,” Hill said.
Coun. Randy Donauer asked the administration if more stringent rules could be amended to a bylaw so some of the concerns being raised by residents could be addressed when it came to shelter spaces. He was told that they could.
Coun. Troy Davies raised some concerns about the location due to it being a high traffic area.
Chad Ryan, a provincial government spokesperson who attended the meeting on behalf of the Ministry of Social Services, said security services will be provided so that clients remain in the building.
“Security services will be strictly enforcing policies to prevent individuals from remaining on the grounds for the safety and security of all when (they are) released,” Ryan said.
Louise Michaud, assistant deputy minister for housing, explained that there will be emergency shelter spaces for people identified by police that need to be supervised during a crisis, they’ll also have traditional shelter spaces and then supportive housing spaces.
Hill asked if the provincial government knew how many people with complex needs were in the city and where they are staying currently.
“We don’t know exactly where all of them are. We do know there are a lot of complex needs individuals,” Michaud said.
Hill also asked what was stopping clients from the Idylwyld shelter from walking into the surrounding community after their 24 hour stay was up and Ryan said they were confident in the abilities of the medical and detox professionals that will be working on site.
“So can you guarantee that the users of this facility are not going to walk into that neighbourhood of Mayfair or into the businesses along Idylwyld?” Hill asked.
Ryan said he was fairly confident with their process.
“I can’t control the movement of people outside of this, however, we’re referring individuals to the supports and services within the city of Saskatoon that are offered here and we’re driving them to the destination, we’re providing warm hand offs, we’re doing all the essential components that these individuals need to ensure that they have that support outside of these 24 hours,” Ryan said.
Donauer asked for the criteria for what locations were considered in Saskatoon.
Ryan said they looked at buildings that were owned by the province and factored in the urgency of the matter as well as what could be renovated to accommodate the 15 people admitted to the facility.
It was noted that there were challenges with addictions programming in Saskatchewan but the provincial government was working to expand those services and capacity.
Coun. David Kirton brought up the effects that people with complex needs can have on a community, noting that this will likely impact a wider area than what the provincial government was suggesting.
He asked if the government would expand its security coverage.
Michaud said there were key differences between the Emergency Wellness Centre and the one they were proposing.
She said people can’t self-refer to the facility, adding that having police being the ones bringing people into the facility will be deterrent enough.
Through questioning it was noted that the company working in the facility will be the same one handling the security.
Davies asked who residents in the area would contact if they wanted to report something in relation to the shelter.
Ryan said the organization that will be running the facility has policies in place and has worked with communities before, so he said the government will discuss it with them.
It was noted that the service provider can’t be named at the moment, but Ryan said they were hopeful to announce it in the new year ahead of the facility opening.
Many residents came forward to speak on the city council item, with Wesley Stefanuk saying that this was an incomplete plan.
“And just so you know, 20 steps from that facility are families with children,” Stefanuk said.
He brought up a range of concerns, saying there were too many variables.
Hill suggested that if people have concerns they should reach out to the province’s ministers Everett Hindley, Paul Merriman and Gene Makowsky, as well as Minister Gordon Wyant, the representative for the area.
Josh Penner questioned who would take responsibility for this matter if the same problems from other shelters were to pop up from this new facility.
“In voicing my concerns to the city councillors and Saskatoon MLAs, one thing was very apparent: the city blames the province for this mess, and the province blames the city,” Penner said.
Erin Neufeld called this bad form, saying not enough public consultation was had and more time was needed.
Jennifer Shire said she owns a business a block and a half away from where the shelter will be located, but said she hadn’t received a notification that this shelter was coming.
She said the shelter was needed, and said she might be in support of the location if she had felt that the safety of the surrounding community was considered, but she didn’t.
“Currently it only looks like we’re shovelling problems from the Lighthouse, to Fairhaven, and now to Idylwyld,” Shire said.
Darlene Weichel works at a restaurant in the area and said she has been attacked, beaten and robbed.
“I can avoid going out that back door again, but now you’re putting it in the front,” Weichel said.
She said with the shelter right across the street staff are not safe.