City council has given the green light to a homeless shelter to be operated by the Battlefords Indian and Métis Friendship Centre on 103rd Street not far from the city's downtown core. The proposal, approved at a special meeting Monday, stipulates the centre may operate during the winter months must close prior to May 15. A new application will be required for it to continue to operative over the spring and summer or again next winter.
It could easily have been a case of "not in my neighbourhood" for the proposal, but despite some misgivings council gave the OK over the objections of three area businesses, which campaigned against the move.
Battlefords Publishing was one of the businesses given the opportunity to voice an opinion on the proposal. Management's reaction was to endorse the idea. A constant stream of the community's less blessed passes by the windows of our building every day. It is comforting to know they have a safe place to go if they choose.
The businesses opposed to the idea fear increased vagrancy and vandalism, and council was also unsure if such a move was the direction they want to go while trying to revitalize and clean up the downtown core.
By granting temporary permission, council has prudently allowed for ongoing assessment of the centre's operations and impact on downtown.
It seems, however, if these folks have a place to turn to, they are less likely to be hanging around in bank lobbies and other warm places where they are less welcome.
Being homeless during a prairie winter has to be one of the biggest challenges the less fortunate have to face. Making judgments about the lifestyle choices that lead to some of these people being without homes does nothing to improve their situation.
With eyes wide open, the Friendship Centre has its finger on the pulse of what is needed to keep these people safe through another bone chilling Prairie winter. And while their initiative deserves our respect and support, social agencies within the community need to recognize it for what it is. A stopgap measure, not a long term solution to the problems faced by society's marginalized people in our community.
