SASKATOON — Mayor Cynthia Block is prioritizing the city’s homelessness to help the community's most vulnerable members as winter weather is upon us. Winter officially starts on Dec. 21, but below-zero temperatures always come early in the prairies. Saskatoon has experienced two snow events that dumped over 30 centimetres (more than 12 inches) of snow in less than two weeks.
Block, elected as the city’s first female mayor, said she appreciates the work being done by various non-profit organizations and individuals to help accommodate people living in the streets, either through temporary housing or in warming centres, as the temperature continues to drop.
“To me, that’s [homelessness] the first order of business. That does not take away from the extraordinary work of many people in our city trying to get ahead of the homelessness crisis. It's not unlike every other city in Canada that, you know, where cities are on the front lines, but we don't have all the tools to solve it. It's the biggest reason why I think we need a task force, but not to study it,” said Block.
She added that the task force would comprise a diverse group of residents and those from the business community, alongside individuals working to help those experiencing homelessness and living on the streets.
“So that we can reflect back to the community and also, I think, maybe teach and learn together what's possible. You know, if we have to have homeless shelters, where can they be? And if they're going to be somewhere in our city, which they have to be, how can we ensure that those unhoused and their neighbours are safe? I think those are the pieces that residents and businesses can do an excellent job of if we're doing it together,” said Block.
She added that homelessness had been a growing concern in the city, and she was glad a transitional home, Aggie’s House, would be built in Kensington to provide care to those seeking shelter. The transitional home is owned and will be operated by the Central Urban Metis Federation Inc.
“It was mentioned several times that we must figure out how to ensure people have roofs over their heads always, but especially as it gets colder, it's concerning, and we need to move urgently to make sure that we are making sure that people have a safe place to be in the cold every time of the year,” said Block.
“The hard work starts now. We do have support in place. We do have folks who can help us, and they can help open up those pathways so we can start having those conversations. [The] task force, how that gets made up, will be the council's decision. My hard work begins with discussions with my colleagues to determine what they want to see and what they think is the best approach.”
She added that they would invite residents, businesses and service providers to work with police and fire officials to fill up the task force, which will be an opportunity to be proactive and advocate for a more straightforward plan in dealing with homelessness so that when federal and provincial funds are provided, they can be put into use quickly.
