Some residents of Slave Lake, Alta., are feeling unsafe amid a growing number of crimes they say stem from the town’s homeless shelter and neighbouring encampment.
Councillors voted to suspend homeless shelter operations on May 22 and remain closed until Nov. 1. The 24-hour shelter near the town’s fire hall opened last November but began year-round operations this April.
The town previously offered a mat program from November to April to give people experiencing homelessness a safe and warm place to sleep during the winter months.
Reasons for homelessness in Slave Lake included not making enough money, not being able to afford rent or mortgage payments and mental health issues, according to a report presented to council in 2022.
At council’s last meeting on May 21, Deputy Mayor Shawn Gramlich said criminal activity has taken place around the shelter.
He said halting operations would not stop crime but would hinder its growth.
“This is something I think we can do to stop it where it’s at before it gets out of hand,” he said.
Town estimates show 108 people registered with the shelter between November 2023 and March of this year.
Of that number, 20 regularly used the shelter, 27 lived in the area but used it occasionally and 61 were from out of town.
Gramlich speculates homelessness in the town, about 240 kilometres north of Edmonton, has gotten worse because of encampment crackdowns in urban areas.
Slave Lake doesn’t have the resources to handle the growing number of people coming from out of town, he said.
Gramlich called on the provincial government to provide mental health and addiction services. The province already provides operational funding for the shelter.
Province to re-evaluate shelter funding
Alexandru Cioban, press secretary for Seniors, Community and Social Services Minister Jason Nixon, told Global News the province allocated $900,000 for Slave Lake to run the shelter year-round.
“Given city council’s decision that the shelter be closed effective May 22, the funding provided by the province will need to be re-evaluated for the duration of the closure,” Cioban said in an emailed statement.
Gramlich also demanded the RCMP make more arrests and appealed to the federal government to keep criminals locked up.
Earlier in the meeting, Slave Lake RCMP detachment commander Sgt. Casey Bruyns said the town saw an uptick in crime between January and March, ranging from assault and drug offences to suspicious persons and break-ins.
Gramlich believes much of the crime stems from a tent encampment on a piece of provincially owned land on the southern edge of town. He asked Bruyns why the RCMP hadn’t dismantled it.
Bruyns said the RCMP legally couldn’t dismantle the camp without orders from the province but encouraged residents to call police to report issues directly.
Coun. Steve Adams told Bruyns crime is going unreported because residents are “giving up” on the RCMP’s ability to lay charges.
“It seems like an officer shows up … I never hear a follow-up and nothing ever happens,” he said.
Bruyns said charges are laid if there are grounds to do so. Victims of crime often know who the perpetrator is, he said, but don’t wish to give police a formal statement or get involved with the court process, influencing the ability to lay charges.
“We’re definitely charging people,” he said.
“Beyond that — what happens with the court system — that’s beyond our control.”
Coun. Ali Mouallem said the number of incidents he hears about arising from the encampment and homeless shelter are causing residents to feel unsafe.
Residents express concern for safety in Slave Lake
Lynn Bowes, a Slave Lake resident of 28 years, told Global News the increase in crime has led to some businesses and residents investing in extra safety measures, like upgrading security systems.
Homelessness in Slave Lake was much different a year or two ago, she said.
“I wouldn’t have thought that Slave Lake would be the type of place where we would have this type of stuff,” she said.
“People are scared to walk around town. People are scared to let their kids play outside and it’s just gotten very bad.”
Bowes is a member of the Slave Lake Cleanup Crew, a group of volunteers cleaning up vacated encampments on town property.
In the span of three weeks, the group found close to a dozen needles. Some were full, she said.
Bowes said urban centres like Edmonton have homeless support programs that aren’t available in a small town like Slave Lake. She believes solutions to homelessness in Slave Lake will need to come from all levels of government.
She’s calling on the federal government to impose stricter penalties on repeat offenders.
On Friday, the Alberta government announced it was allocating $35 million to build a 50-bed long-term addictions treatment centre in Grande Prairie, Alta., 300 kilometres west of Slave Lake.
So-called recovery communities in Lethbridge and Red Deer opened last year. The province said other such facilities are underway for the Blood Tribe, Calgary, Edmonton, Enoch Cree Nation, Gunn, Siksika Nation, Tsuut’ina Nation and one more location to be announced.
Bowes is calling on the province to also help fund mental health and addiction services locally in smaller communities like Slave Lake.
Mayor Francesca Ward declined an interview request with Global News but, in a statement on social media, said council’s goal of helping those in need has resulted in an abuse of the system.
She called the increase in crime “unacceptable.”
“We have heard … that many homeless clients do not feel comfortable accessing the shelter due to the criminal activity in the area,” she said.
Ward said council has asked town administration to facilitate transportation for homeless clients to receive support outside the town. Staff will also look at hiring a security company to enhance nighttime patrols.
For now, Bowes feels hopeful homelessness in Slave Lake will improve with the shelter now closed.