REGINA - Brandee Steenhuisen and her son Davey moved from Alberta to Regina, hoping for a better life, but things have not gone their way at all.
The pair came to Regina to live in a more affordable area and have some help from relatives. However, after living with family for over a month, the two moved into a house to rent out monthly, and now Brandee herself is struggling to pay for rent, food, goods and more.
Currently, she is on income assistance, but that is not nearly enough to cover her costs, she said. The rent alone for the space the two use in the home is $1,000 a month, while the money she receives for her income is a little over that amount.
Working most jobs is not an option for Brandee, as she suffers from multiple conditions. Brandee suffers from fibromyalgia, a condition that causes pain in the soft tissues and muscles around her body. She also is dealing with degenerative bone disease and arthritis up and down her spine.
Despite having all these issues, Brandee has had a hard time getting her disability transferred over to Saskatchewan from Alberta.
She has been trying to get on Saskatchewan Income Support (SIS) since the middle of September but has had no luck. SIS offers support to people who are enduring disabilities through the Saskatchewan Assured Income for Disability Program (SAID).
Brandee said the whole process has been a "lack of communication" on SIS’s end. She added, "I did [some] phoning around and stuff when I first got here and did some emails and never once did anybody that I talked to say that there was going to be this much stuff required."
Brandee admitted she understands a process is needed to ensure people do not abuse the system but said if people truly need the help, "it's harder than hell to get assistance."
Because Brandee has not gotten the additional money and has yet to receive her Saskatchewan health card, she cannot afford to see a doctor or get the medication she needs.
Brandee described being in extreme amounts of pain for the last few months and struggling to be able to sleep or walk because she cannot afford to get medication.
While the pain has been keeping her up at night, Brandee also stays awake at night because she thinks a lot about what will happen next for her and Davey.
She said if this struggle continues, she and her son are "going to wind up being, I don't know yet another person homeless or living off the land or you know like living in downtown, [or North] Central because it's the only place that can be afforded on what people get [income support]."
Davey echoed what his mom said, saying he has had trouble sleeping most nights, too, and worries about the pets they currently take care of.
Davey attends high school in Regina and has to bike or walk to school because Brandee does not have a car or cannot afford to give Davey money to take public transit.
His bike, which he got as a gift, was stolen one day from the school. The bike was never found, and Davey was given a used bike for transportation to school, and that almost got stolen as well. The incidents added to Brandee's frustration and reminded her of the reason why she left Alberta in the first place.
While there were negatives for the pair in Alberta, Davey said it's been hard moving away from all his friends and family.
Since the two struggle to make ends meet, Davey cannot get a plane ticket to go back home for Christmas, making him sad over missing out on getting the chance to see his family again.
As things stand, Brandee does not know what the holidays will look like. Brandee and Davey may not be able to celebrate Christmas at all.
Brandee has tried to get help from churches, but none of them have responded. She is also trying to use the house as a daycare to earn money but has not gotten any interest in that.
If Brandee cannot get the money soon, she and her son may be forced to move a few hours away to stay at a family friend's house.
However, Brandee feels that would not be fair to Davey. She described him as "only getting into the groove of things at school and making friends." She added a move would make everything go downhill.
With an uncertain future, Brandee said getting on SIS would alleviate so much stress. She added it would help her sleep at night knowing she would have a place to stay.
What she hoped would be a better life has not gone the way she thought at all.
