Saskatoon homelessness rally proposes tent city as 'emergency action to keep people safe'
Dozens of people gathered at Saskatoon city hall Tuesday to voice their concerns about the growing issue of homelessness in our city, and to offer their own solutions.
One man who is unhoused took the open mic to share his story, telling the crowd he is considering moving to Edmonton because they have better supports in place.
“Do I stay here, or do I go to Edmonton where there are resources? Like, they have homeless shelters there, like a place called the Bissel Center where they have clothes washers for the homeless; individual showers,” he said.
He declined to share his name with CTV News, but said that he lost his job in the oil field and ended up addicted to alcohol and living on the street. He’s now sober and looking to get back on his feet. Having a simple service like showers, would allow him to look presentable to go apply for a job saying,
“You can’t apply for a job with dirty clothes. No one will hire you.”
He worries about his chances making it through another winter in Saskatoon, with so many unhoused people looking for help.
“You take a look in any direction, you walk around here, you're going to find so many people homeless. You know, he's going to be outside tonight.”
Manuela Valle Castro, who helped organize the rally for the Prairie Community Coalition, told the crowd that action needs to be taken now to support the homeless in Saskatoon, especially with winter approaching.
“We want to see shelters that are centered in community needs, harm reduction, that are Indigenous led, that are safe for Indigenous people in whatever point in their lives they are, and for anybody who needs a house,” Valle Castro told CTV News.
Valle Castro told the crowd that her group is currently considering establishing a tent city this winter to house those who don’t have a place to live.
“It’s an emergency action to keep people safe and to help them through the duress they face in Saskatchewan winter. We are going to protect our relatives and our community members,” she said.
She hasn’t had discussions with the city yet, but Valle Castro said she plans to soon.
In an email to CTV News, the City of Saskatoon indicated it would not allow people to live in a public park in freezing temperatures.
“The city and various social agencies have been patient, mindful of process, continued to work on solutions for many years and have offered solutions to the issues highlighted by this group,” the city said in a statement.
“But out of concerns for personal safety, health, and welfare, the city cannot in good conscience allow people to live in freezing temperatures at a public park.”
The city says tent cities create greater health and safety risks, including fires.
David Fineday works out of Saskatoon's Pleasant Hill neighbourhood, giving the community an opportunity to smudge and reconnect with First Nations culture. (Carla Shynkaruk / CTV News)
Other solutions from the rally included having Indigenous people hired to offer mental health supports, with a high number of Indigenous people represented in the unhoused population.
"Why can't they bring $1 million worth of mental or mental health workers and help people walking around on the streets,” David Fineday said.
Fineday works in the Pleasant Hill neighbourhood offering opportunities for individuals to smudge and reconnect with culture.
Some of the speakers at the rally also called on churches to open their doors to help the homeless since they only operate a few hours a week. It was also suggested during the rally that businesses get on board and help with funds or to offer vacant buildings.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Live updates: Tornadoes reported in southwest Florida as Hurricane Milton approaches
Hurricane Milton is a Category 4 storm forecast to bring extreme flooding, high winds and heavy rain to the central west coast of Florida.
Pilot dies aboard Turkish Airlines flight, forcing emergency landing in New York
A Turkish Airlines jetliner headed from Seattle to Istanbul made an emergency landing in New York on Wednesday after the captain died on board, an airline official said.
Hundreds of thousands of popular vehicles recalled in Canada over steering issue
Hundreds of thousands of vehicles are being recalled in Canada due to a steering-related issue that could increase a driver's risk of crash.
What women should know about their breasts, according to a doctor
One in eight women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in their lifetimes, according to the American Cancer Society. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death for women in the United States, with 42,000 women dying every year from this cancer.
B.C. protester who praised Hamas allowed to attend rallies again
A B.C. woman who was recorded praising Hamas as 'heroic and brave' can return to protest rallies, authorities confirmed this week.
'We have lost two of our friends': Sask. family searching for information in fatal shooting of pet dogs
Erin Folk and her family are dealing with a nightmare of a situation, after their pet dogs were shot last week and left to suffer.
'A cause for concern': Canadian universities slip down world ranking list
An organization that ranks the best universities across the globe says its latest report shows a concerning trend that several of Canada’s institutions are slipping down its list.
COVID-19 may increase the risk of heart attacks, strokes and deaths for three years after an infection, study suggests
COVID-19 could be a powerful risk factor for heart attacks and strokes for as long as three years after an infection, a large new study suggests.
New actions announced to encourage building of secondary suites, more homes in Canada
The federal government introduced a number of measures related to housing on Tuesday, which include measures for homeowners wanting to add a secondary suite, taxing vacant land and building homes in place of underused federal properties.