A notice on a Starbucks door in Saskatoon is raising the discussion about how homelessness, mental health and addictions are affecting local business.
The sign on the store located in the Confederation area says seating and washrooms will no longer be available at that location.
A statement sent to Global News from Starbucks Coffee Canada said the store will mainly serve customers in a grab-and-go capacity, adding that patio space is still available and that washrooms will remain open for customers.
Other businesses in the area said they’ve been struggling with issues around mental health and addictions, some saying they are worried it could scare customers away.
Thanh Bui, owner of White Lotus in Saskatoon, described the last two years as overwhelming, saying they’ve seen several people wandering the area drunk or high.
“Last year alone we had two broken windows,” Bui said.
He said several of his neighbouring businesses have been experiencing the same.
“Everything is reported to police, and even the property manager.”
He said in many of these instances he feels like mental health is the crux of the issue, giving examples of people coming into a business and shouting or being so high they can’t even walk.
“It’s OK for us to give food or drinks sometimes, it doesn’t matter, we are happy to help, but sometimes it’s just too much.”
Bui said he worries that these issues could stop people from coming to their business and about how it impacts his staff.
“We have to do something in general about all these things — homelessness and mental health.”
He said these are issues exist all across the city and that supports are needed, giving an example of the shelter going up near his home in the Mayfair area.
“It’s OK, because there are a lot of people needing those services. But how you control it is more important.
“We need to find services. I mean, I’m just a tiny guy to speak up, but services are the answer.”
Laine Perena, general manager of Clarks Crossing, said the requirement for pubs to check IDs has been one of the ways they’ve prevented some people from coming into the building and passing out.
“It was bad last year; now, because it’s summer, it’s happening again,” Perena said.
She said while some folks might get angry about checking ID, it’s part of their job and how they ensure safety.
Perena said there are a lot of people loitering in the area, especially at night.
She said she worries that some of these issues in the neighbourhood could scare off some potential customers.
“It’s a good atmosphere, but because of what’s happening right now it’s a lot.”
The NSBA, Saskatoon’s business association, wrote a letter to the board of police commissioners in mid-May, saying it has received several complaints from members of the association regarding an increase in crime.
An NSBA survey found that 80 per cent of the members who responded said they’ve been directly or indirectly impacted by the increase in crime.
Vandalism and break-ins were the top two concerns of members.
“The NSBA recognizes the efforts being made tackling root causes, such as homelessness and addictions, but those are long-term and complex challenges, and we firmly believe that immediate actions are necessary to address the pressing issues businesses are facing,” the NSBA said.
A report from the Saskatoon Police Service (SPS) and fire department in April pointed to an increase in property crime as well as violent crimes like assaults and robberies.
“Property crime in Confederation SC has also increased significantly. The most significant increase was due to Shoplifting Under $5,000 specifically at one commercial business,” the report said.
Global News received a statement from SPS pointing to those same stats, adding that police will be doubling their capacity to engage in community-focused policing initiatives.
“The SPS will also have five additional Alternative Response Officers trained and deployed to the street. On top of that, four new uniformed patrol officers have already been added,” SPS said.