Compassion, safety concerns raised at Saskatoon city hall during emotional public meeting about shelter

An emergency shelter in a west Saskatoon residential area was the topic of an at times emotional meeting at city hall on Wednesday, as participants grappled with issues that included safety and compassion.

The city's governance and priorities committee discussed a recent report into crime and call-for-service statistics in the Fairhaven and Confederation Suburban Centre neighbourhoods, including an analysis of the shelter's impact on those areas since it was established in Fairhaven in December 2022.

Based on data compiled by the Saskatoon Police Service and Saskatoon Fire Department, the report said there was a spike in violent crime in Fairhaven a few months after the Saskatoon Tribal Council's emergency wellness centre opened.

But it also said this past January only had one more violent incident than December 2021, a year before the shelter opened.

The report also said property crime doubled in Fairhaven after the shelter opened, but it is now dropping back toward levels seen before its opening.

Report challenged

Robert Pearce, a church pastor in Fairhaven who has announced plans to run for council in this fall's election, said there are things missing in the report.

"This is where you need our stories," he said.

"If you want a complete picture of what is happening in Fairhaven, you need to understand it's not that crime is normalizing or decreasing. It's because crimes are no longer being reported because it's futile to do so."

Pearce, who lives and works a few hundred metres from the shelter, said it's time to plan for a "structured shutdown" of the Fairhaven shelter.

"I think the whole concept of shelters in residential communities in Saskatoon is pretty much dead, because I doubt any residential community will welcome a shelter now," he said.

He said it's time to work with the provincial government to find "safe and responsible" solutions for the homeless outside of residential areas.

When asked where shelters should be placed, Pearce said that isn't his area of expertise, but that there needs to be collaboration with the city and the province to find areas that work.

Acting Saskatoon police chief Dave Haye said police and fire officials are working to determine the best way to hear about the community's experiences on a broad basis as part of a whole-of-city approach.

"What statistical information can never capture is the perception or a belief in the community from a resident or a business operator that they are not safe," he said.

Haye said there will soon be a larger police presence west of Circle Drive once officers hired for new positions are trained.

'No choice and no dignity'

The committee also heard from Ashley Shingoose, who lives in the core neighbourhood of Pleasant Hill.

Through tears, Shingoose described how a lawyer from CLASSIC (Community Legal Assistance Services for Saskatoon Inner City), which provides legal help for low-income people, recently remarked on how many of its clients are facing public urination charges.

Shingoose said it's almost impossible for an unhoused person to find a washroom after 6 p.m.

"The city has left these people with no choice and no dignity," Shingoose said.

Shingoose said instead of being "scared of the possibility of crime" and worrying about encountering an unhoused person on the street, people need to think about the kind of day a homeless person has faced.

"It is so difficult for me to imagine a wealthy, housed person feeling more unsafe than someone with nothing living on the street … and also having the police constantly enforcing the policies made in these rooms filled with more suits than hearts," she said.

Organizations 'absolutely overwhelmed': mayor

Mayor Charlie Clark said Shingoose's remarks were a sobering reminder of what the city is facing: a homelessness crisis driven by additions, mental health and intergenerational trauma.

He said the system is not working right now, and there are many organizations that are "absolutely overwhelmed" trying to respond to the need.

That also leads to real concerns and fears in neighbourhoods, said Clark, adding part of the tension is from what feels like a breakdown in trust related to people's feelings and experiences in Fairhaven.

"Good dialogue and problem-solving with residents is something that I believe has not been in place as much as it's needed to be," he said.

Clark said the work at shelters around the city has saved lives and is crucial to saving lives.

"When I do hear people say, 'Close down the existing facilities and don't open things up until everything is perfectly in place with the province and all the systems,' that's not going to work," he said.

"We don't have the luxury of that kind of time to do that."