Jason Mercredi is leaving as executive director of Prairie Harm Reduction (PHR) to join Métis Nation–Saskatchewan (MN-S) as their homelessness manager.
Mercredi calls it a chance to make an impact.
He said homelessness is an issue that has been near and dear to his heart for a number of years and moving to MN-S is the perfect opportunity to work on initiatives to address the situation.
“I’m going to be working with organizations and community members and leadership in northern and remote Saskatchewan to come up with strategies and programming to address homelessness,” he said.
“Seeing how Saskatchewan has embraced Prairie Harm Reduction over the last nine years — the policy, programming, awareness, and advocacy we have developed and implemented — I am content with my time at the organization.”
Kayla DeMong is taking over for Mercredi at Prairie Harm Reduction (PHR).
Mercredi said DeMong is the right person to take over from him.
“When you have a dynamic female leader with lived experience like Kayla, I think sometimes you need to make room so they can take it even further,” he said.
DeMong has spent nine years at PHR focusing on harm reduction programming with families and youth.
She has been in recovery from substance use disorder for 18 years.
“I am honoured to have the opportunity to lead Prairie Harm Reduction and to continue to support the incredible work of PHR in our community,” DeMong said.
“This is a time of immense growth and change for PHR and I am excited to take on the challenge.”
Among Mercredi’s accomplishments in more than 17 years of working in community-based organizations is opening the province’s first safe consumption site in Saskatoon.
He is also a co-founder of Canada’s National HIV Testing Day.
Mercredi said one moment he cherishes is getting drug pipes and needle exchanges programs to reduce HIV transmission and prevent people from injecting drugs.
“It felt like a really big win for the province,” he said.
“It’s always good when community and government come together on solutions. And you know, that’s probably that was probably the biggest highlight for me.”
Mercredi is still holding out hope the province will fund the safe consumption site.
He said one of the main things he has been able to do at PHR is making the provincial government aware of the issues and acknowledge the needs in the community.
“We have more treatment beds available. We have drug checking available now. We have naloxone kits available now. These are all things that weren’t available not too many years ago, and now it’s kind of viewed as standard practice,” Mercredi said.
“And I know for a fact that Prairie Harm Reduction was at the forefront of that.”
MN-S president Glen McCallum said Mercredi is an excellent addition to the organization.
He said Mercredi is bringing leadership, ideas and compassion to his new position.
“Addressing homelessness is a priority for our Métis Nation–Saskatchewan government, and we have a great team in our Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure,” McCallum said in a statement.
“We are pleased to welcome Jason to work within our Métis government. We are determined to engage with our Métis citizens to accomplish great things together for our Métis communities.”
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