Residents concerned over Emergency Wellness Centre impact fill Fairhaven school gym

At least 250 residents from the Fairhaven and Confederation neighbourhoods packed Fairhaven Elementary School Thursday night for their chance to address community leaders, including city councillors Hilary Gough and David Kirton, Saskatoon Police and Saskatoon Fire Department representatives.

The crowd was told at the beginning of the meeting that a representative from Saskatoon Tribal Council – the Emergency Wellness Centre General Manager – would attend the meeting, however no one from the STC or the EWC came.

Saskatoon Fire Department Asst. Chief Yvone Raymer described her department’s role in maintaining a reasonable capacity at the EWC, Saskatoon Police Insp. Tonya Gresty told the crowd they had seen an increase in social disturbance calls and that it was incumbent upon residents to contact police.

“We care about the safety of the people living in the communities and we’re going to do the best that we can to assist in making them (residents) feel safe again,” she said.

A microphone positioned in front of the panel was used to allow for questions to be asked in an orderly manner. While those asking questions or answering them were interrupted several times by one individual in particular, both police and a moderator from the City of Saskatoon were able to eventually move the meeting along and listen to what community members had to say.

Fairmont Baptist Church Pastor Robert Pearce was one of the first to speak on behalf of the community.

“There seems to be a disconnect. There seems to be nobody is talking between each other, and nobody is actually talking to us,” he said to loud applause.

Residents expressed concerns about the STC Wellness Centre at a meeting on Feb. 9, 2023 (Lara Fominoff/650 CKOM)

Others questioned police about what to do when they encountered someone who may be intoxicated near their property, or what do if they felt unsafe. Many said they simply weren’t equipped to deal with, nor should they have to take it upon themselves, to interact with those who have severe mental health and addictions issues.

Several times, members of the audience questioned why no one from the EWC, in particular Tribal Chief Mark Arcand, were at the meeting to answer their questions.

“What specific programs are put in place to help the people at the centre get jobs and get housing and get off drugs?” asked one woman. “The person that could answer it (that) isn’t here… It’s incredibly disrespectful to us.”

Councillor David Kirton said he was disappointed as well.

“I support the Wellness Centre. I support what goes on in the Wellness Centre.

“I’m disappointed, and I’ll say this publicly and I’m probably going to get in trouble for it – I’m disappointed that Chief Arcand only cares about what goes on inside that building, not outside.”

One woman who identified herself as an addictions counsellor for more than 20 years said as a single parent and as a long time community member, she didn’t get the choice to come home anymore to raise her children away from her clients.

“What do I do when they show up at my door? Because they will. Everybody thinks this is a great idea. This isn’t a great idea… we should have been given those choices,” she said.

Later during the meeting, the same woman told the panel had the EWC been a shelter for women and children only, or a halfway house for men or for women, she and most of the community would have been on board with it.

“You can not mix everybody together. Did we not learn from The Lighthouse? Why are we repeating it? Every single community organization puts a BandAid on… and it all rolls out.”

Another woman who said she represented Slow Pitch National, Saskatchewan told the panel the organization had rented the ball diamonds adjacent to the EWC since 1995, but that they would no longer continue to do so.

“We’re pulling out…it is not safe for our ball players to go to a park and risk sliding to catch a ball and having needles jabbed into them.”

Community Representative Darla Brown said she was glad at the number of people who came to the meeting, but said she didn’t believe there was a firm community plan in place to help those who need it.

“Those people need real services. They don’t want to be where they’re at and our governments at all levels need to start helping these people and that has to become a priority over everything, I believe.”

Ward 2 Coun. Hilary Gough and Kirton described the city’s role regarding bylaws, and encouraged the crowd to contact police, call for needle pick up, and to also hold the provincial government accountable for the funding to the EWC, and its decision to lease the former Jehovah’s Witness Hall to the Saskatoon Tribal Council.

“The neighbourhood is very frustrated,” said Kirton, noting that he would take the concerns raised at the meeting to City Hall and to the provincial government.

“I definitely hope that we’ll see another meeting with provincial representation, Saskatoon Tribal Council representation as well,” he said.

CKOM reached out to the Saskatoon Tribal Council to ask why no one from the organization attended the meeting.

In response, the tribal council sent the following statement:

“Tribal Chief Mark Arcand along with officials from (Saskatoon Police Service) and Councillor David Kirton did meet with the President of the Fairhaven community association Jason Hicks earlier. At that meeting there was great dialogue between the association president Jason Hicks and STC. STC appreciates the time that the association leadership has given to constructive dialogue regarding the EWC.”

When asked to clarify when those meetings occurred, a tribal council spokesperson said he wasn’t sure of the specific date, but believes the meetings occurred more than a week before Thursday’s public community association meeting.

–Editor’s Note: This story has been updated with a statement from the Saskatoon Tribal Council.