'We’ve already had one too many people freeze to death in the city': Unhoused group wants extra funding from council
A recently-formed Saskatoon group is hoping their presentation to city council creates change for those who face a lack of housing in the city.
The Saskatoon Unhoused Initiative was formed in October and with the help of donations they are handing out warm clothing, blankets and food on a wintery Monday outside city hall.
Sheila Tataquason faced homelessness between 2005 and 2008 in various cities across Canada, and while she now has a place to live, she knows the struggles those on the streets face.
She says she’s worked at various jobs, but found it difficult to pay the rent in the past which made her choose between eating and paying rent.
This event hit close to home for her.
“I’m here because I care for the people that are sleeping outside. Because I’ve experienced it and I know what it’s like to be sleeping outside in the winter,“ Tataquason told CTV News.
Members of the group also presented to city council Monday hoping for change from the city. Mikayla Schultz was one of those who addressed council.
“Our councillors and our mayor hear the voices from businesspeople, landlords, service providers, but it seems no one is listening to the people who are actually experiencing homelessness,” said Schultz, who is a member of Saskatoon Unhoused Initiative told CTV News.
One things that could be done quickly is to have round the clock emergency warm up locations, says Schultz.
Some suggestions for overnight warmup shelters include a stationary city bus, heated and open to the public — already in place in Regina — and heated bus shelters.
“A lot of our group members are asking for 24-hour warmup shelters because a lot of the warm up spots are only like a nine to five sort of thing so there’s nothing available overnight,” Schultz says.
Schultz worries what will happen as the weather cools down if no solution is found.
“Just to get them out of the cold because we’ve already had one too many people freeze to death in the city.”
With the Saskatoon Tribal Council’s new larger wellness center opening in Fairhaven this week, it’s hoped some of the pressures for those who are unhoused will ease.
The Unhoused group will continue to be out on the streets providing hands-on help, but ultimately hope city officials see the need to fund more solutions.
“I’m hoping that they realize it’s not only an organization’s problem but the city as a whole,” Tataquason said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction overturned by N.Y. appeals court
New York's highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction, reversing a landmark ruling of the #MeToo era in determining the trial judge improperly allowed women to testify about allegations against the ex-movie mogul that weren't part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
New deep-water channel allows first ship to pass Key bridge wreckage in Baltimore
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.