Dozens of people gathered outside Saskatoon City Hall Thursday after to march to the Emergency Wellness Centre in support of the city’s homeless population.
“These are people that care and want to help,” said Saskatoon Tribal Council Chief Mark Arcand. “That’s what we are doing this for. We are not doing this for politics.”
Arcand said the walk is about raising awareness about the high number of unhoused in Saskatoon and to raise support for the shelter’s operations.
“We are helping the people who don’t have a voice, have a voice. We are speaking up for them,” Arcand said.
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The Emergency Wellness Centre, run by STC, has been under fire since its opening in 2022.
Residents of the Fairhaven neighbourhood have said crime has increased in the area and people don’t feel safe living near the facility.
“I’m open to the police having an office in our building to help the neighbourhood deal with the crime if that’s the best solution we can do in this situation.”
Arcand said the EWC still has to turn people away as they can only provide 106 spaces. He said the Salvation Army is operating at full capacity as well.
“We need to be coming down together and not try to close down shelters that are actually open,” Arcand said. “We are housing families. We have paramedics on site everyday. We have social services in our facility. We are making a difference.”
Saskatoon resident Clarence McCallum said he hopes people will get on board.
“I’m just hoping that the other people recognize that the homeless do need a home. I do feel for them. They have nowhere else to go and the EWC provides that home for stability.”
The walk was met with a silent counter-protest in the Fairhaven neighbourhood.
Residents held signs saying they were standing up for safety.
Cary Tarasoff said the walk isn’t “truthful” for the people of Fairhaven.
“There is an 1100 per cent crime increase year over year from when the shelter opened until now,” Tarasoff said.
“Sexual assaults right here. Many, many, many assaults right here, two dozen robberies, weapons possession and things that didn’t used to take place here.”
He said it isn’t fair to the community.
“Heavily addicted people should not be brought into a residential area. They should go for treatment and then when they are ready to live in a residential area in a peaceful way, then they can.”
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