Homeless encampments on 20th Street continue to cause safety concerns

Encampments in the 1500 block of 20th Street West continue to cause safety and access concerns for business owners and residents.

That includes an apartment complex for low-income seniors, explained Randy Pshebylo, executive director of the Riversdale Business Improvement District.

During a presentation to the Board of Police Commissioners on Thursday, Pshebylo said seniors living in the nearby Columbian Place were essentially “being held hostage.”

Randy Pshebylo, executive director of the Riversdale Business Improvement District, said encampments and issues with crime along 20th Street are very concerning for businesses in the area. (Lara Fominoff/650 CKOM)

“(They) can’t walk to the Rexall to pick up their prescriptions. They can’t walk to the bus stop and stand at the bus stop. When they order a cab or a taxi, they have to stay indoors,” he said.

“At what point do we say, ‘You know, that’s enough’?” he asked.

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He said disturbance call to police have risen from an average of around 1,000 calls per year to more than 2,500.

Pshebylo said Canada Post only recently resumed its mail delivery to several businesses in the area after pausing delivery for several weeks because of safety concerns for its carriers.

Pshebylo urged both the Saskatoon Police Service and the City of Saskatoon to enforce its bylaws to keep sidewalks unobstructed and safe for everyone.

“This isn’t a provincial responsibility,” he said. “These are your bylaws that need to be enforced.”

To improve safety and maintain fairness for business owners, he suggested re-implementing the Downtown and Riversdale Community Safety Plan, which expired in 2023.

“We’d like a plan going forward, starting immediately,” he said.

Ward 2’s Hilary Gough asked Pshebylo if he’d had a chance to meet with a collaborative group that formed to address issues caused by crime in the area. Pshebylo said his group received an invitation to take part, but added that suggestions from businesses in the area indicate that significant changes need to happen, including around Prairie Harm Reduction, a supervised injection site on 20th Street West.

“It was suggested by the urban reserve One Arrow Fire Creek Gas and Grill, the Rexall, and the flower shop that the injection site close to truly turn the neighbourhood around to what it was before,” Pshebylo answered.

Keith Moen, executive director of the North Saskatoon’s Business Association, also made a presentation at the meeting, citing a recent survey the organization conducted that showed 80 per cent of businesses were impacted by rising crime rates, including vandalism and break-ins, especially in the downtown and north business areas.

Moen asked for an increase in police patrols, a more streamlined and reliable ways for businesses to report thefts over $5,000, and a property damage relief program to help support affected businesses.