‘We can do this better’: Downtown business owners meet with province about shelter services
Members of Saskatoon's downtown business community had a meeting with provincial ministers last week to discuss the future of downtown homeless shelters and supported living facilities.
Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce CEO Jason Aebig said more than 15 small and medium business owners met with Minister of Social Services Gene Makowsky and Health Minister Paul Merriman last Tuesday about persistent issues in the downtown core.
"Our goal was to give those ministers an opportunity to hear directly from people who have made a significant investment in a downtown business or downtown property, share some of their perceptions of what's happening and certainly the impact to help shape how the province proceeds with its ultimate strategy regarding shelter facilities," Aebig said.
The meeting comes less than two months after Makowsky abruptly announced an incoming end to the province's relationship with The Lighthouse Supported Living Inc., which has been providing shelter services in Saskatoon for 30 years.
Aebig said the province is expected to reveal more information on other providers or agencies before the end of September.
"Any future shelter facilities should be better equipped to address the complex challenges and the number of people who use those services. So moving away from this idea where we simply sort of shoehorn shelter services into buildings that were never designed for those purposes," he said.
Aebig said one example of this is providing an outdoor gathering space for any shelter to avoid congregating on sidewalks and in alleyways.
Current practices at both the Lighthouse and at the Saskatoon Tribal Council's Downtown Wellness Shelter involve removing some users for portions of the day, which can be as long as 12 hours in some cases.
"That's not only unfair, it's cruel. We can do this better. If we look at shelters from the point of view of what the end user needs, and what the implications are for stakeholders, if we're intentional about planning around this, we can do this right," Aebig said.
The conversation was "really productive," according to Aebig. The ministers were very understanding of the issues business owners are facing, which Aebig said are concerns about safety, vandalism and security, which are beginning to cost businesses.
Aebig said being impatient or uncaring is not what's at stake, but rather the increasing costs for small businesses that have been impacted by inflation and other forces in 2022.
"If you're a particularly big business, for example, a mall -- you're adding maybe 10, 15 per cent more to your budget for added security just so that you can maintain a safe environment for everybody," Aebig said.
Using lessons learned over the past decade, Aebig said the greater community and the province both understand the complex needs facing the homeless population and how shelters can better serve them moving forward.
"Let's think it through so the next 10 years doesn't look like the last 10 years," he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Rainfall warnings of up to 80 mm among weather alerts in effect for 6 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres and other alerts have been issued for six Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Bus plunges off a bridge in South Africa, killing 45 people. An 8-year-old child is only survivor
A bus carrying worshippers headed to an Easter festival plunged off a bridge on a mountain pass and burst into flames in South Africa on Thursday, killing at least 45 people, authorities said.
Calgary bridges remain closed due to ongoing police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.