Athabasca candidate says he sees attitude shift in riding

Susan McNeil, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
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Athabasca candidate says he sees attitude shift in riding

Local Journalism Initiative 

Former RCMP officer, and current First Nations and Indigenous Policing Program manager Jim Lemaigre says he sees a change in thinking in the Athabasca riding; a change that is focused more on the economy and investment.

That shift is one of the reasons Lemaigre, a member of the Clearwater Dene First Nation, thinks he can win the longtime NDP stronghold in a by-election that must be held before Feb. 15.

“I think there’s a shift in attitude towards government and leadership and a lot of the people I’ve spoken too are seeing an opportunity here,” said Lemaigre. 

“I think that is what has encouraged me to move ahead with this. (It’s) the trust that people have given me to represent them as a Sask. Party rep.”

Lemaigre left a 14-year career with the RCMP in 2017 to work for the provincial government as the program manager for Indigenous and First Nations Policing. 

He said that job, his previous career and growing up in the north have given him a good look into the issues facing northern Saskatchewan. 

“I’ve experienced firsthand some of the challenges,” he said. 

Along with a need for things like improved health care, education and roads, Lemaigre said he sees opportunity for economic growth. 

“I’ve always heard, especially from my parents, what opportunity the north has always had, and I’m a strong believer of that,” he explained. “Anything that shows investment and development of Saskatchewan is something that I’ve always believed in.”

Being part of the Saskatchewan Party, which has never elected a candidate in the riding, means more development and more opportunity, Lemaigre said. 

The riding has always been a Liberal or NDP stronghold and has sent an NDP candidate to Regina consistently since 1998. 

Lemaigre said he still hears from communities and leaders across the Northwest that the region wants more. 

“In the Northwest there is a shift. From listening to people wanting some self-sufficiency and some economic prosperity,” he said. 

He was approached and asked to run. Despite not having a long history in politics, Lemaigre said he has spent some time on the Clearwater Dene First Nation council.

“I’ve always had an interest in politics. Primarily more geared towards my first nation. I’ve always had interest there and sometimes an opportunity presents itself,” he stated. 

“I think advocacy is a skill that I have that they saw in me. I’m not scared to speak up, but I’ve always been a person who articulates a position very well. I do my research. I know my material and I move forward with that.”

Also running in the Athabasca by-election is former MP Georgina Jolibois, a fellow member of the Clearwater Dene First Nation. She represents the NDP.

Snowmobilers rescued after night in -35C

Susan McNeil, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
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Snowmobilers rescued after night in -35C

It was a group effort of family, the Canadian Rangers and the RCMP that led to the rescue of five snowmobilers stranded in the bitter cold near Clam Lake recently.

The five adults found just enough cell phone coverage to call for help in the remote area 70 kms northwest of La Ronge when they became stuck in still unfrozen muskeg.

“It was a life-threatening situation,” said Cpl. Shane Marion of the La Ronge RCMP. “The temperatures had dropped to -35 or -40 C. There is real danger in temperatures like that – that kind of exposure to the elements could lead to hypothermia, which can be fatal.”

Police received the call about 8:30 am on Dec. 18 that the five adults were stuck and would be spending the night outside.

Even though they were dressed in winter gear, had some supplied and had a fire going, one of them had become wet from the muskeg and was extremely cold.

After getting out a call for help on the cell phone, communications stopped however.

Family members that are very familiar with the area, Rangers and RCMP officers headed out to find them, towing snowmobiles to use on the trail. They were met at the trail head by two of the snowmobilers who rode out looking for help.

“They were tired, cold but okay and were able to provide the search parties the location and status of the three still stranded on the trail,” said an RCMP news release issued on Dec. 20.

Along with making sure officers are trained to respond to such situations on sleds, ATVs or boats and with proper gear, the force also relies on local knowledge.

“It’s a big factor in how we police in situations like this,” explained Cpl. Marion. “Our police officers may not have the knowledge of local geography like long-time community members do. That’s why they are a key asset for us, especially when we’re dealing with situations in the bush and on the trails in remote areas.”

In this case, the snowmobilers’ family immediately travelled to the area to assist, as they have excellent knowledge of the area where their loved ones were stuck, Cpl. Marion explained.

Rangers are members of the Canadian military reserve, are local to the community they are based in and are tasked with search and rescue services amongst other duties.

Family members located the three remaining snowmobilers and brought them out to the trailhead, with the assistance of the Canadian Rangers and the RCMP. They then were assessed by EMS. They were reported to be in good health and were cleared to head home.

“We were very happy,” Cpl. Marion said. “With those frigid conditions, we knew these people were in danger and time was of the essence. We thank the family and the Canadian Rangers for helping get them back to safety – and warmth – quickly.”

Two new cases in North Central

Susan McNeil, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
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Two new cases in North Central

Only two cases of COVID-19 were reported in North Central on Monday, Dec. 20. One was in North Central 1, bringing the active case load there to 10.

The second case was in North Central 2, bringing the case load there to 23.

North Central 3 has 12 active cases.

None of the new cases were confirmed to be the Omicron variant, but there are 55 suspected cases in the province, an increase from the 10 cases that had been confirmed.

Deaths remain at 87 in the North Central zone.

There are now 45 active cases in North Central, and seven people are in hospital. That’s a decrease of one from the previous day. Six are receiving in-patient care and one is in the ICU.

Provincially, 102 people are getting inpatient care and 32 people are in the ICU after contracting COVID. Most are in Regina and Saskatoon.

Yesterday, 29 tests were done in the North Central region.

For vaccinations, 65 doses were reported with 59,797 people now fully vaccinated.

Province-wide 59 new cases were reported yesterday, a decrease of 19 from the day before. There are 564 active cases of COVID in the province and so far, 80,760 people are considered recovered.

Yesterday, 1,089 tests were done in Saskatchewan bringing the total since the start of the pandemic to 1,311,193.

Vaccinations dropped by 233 for 1,223 doses and 849,609 people are now fully vaccinated, an increase of 517 from the previous day.

So far, 1,786,599 doses have been administered in the province.

North Central has five new cases, no new deaths

Susan McNeil, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
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North Central has five new cases, no new deaths

While COVID numbers in other parts of Saskatchewan have started to increase slightly, the North Central zone reported five new cases on Dec. 19 and no new deaths.

Prince Albert (North Central 2) had another two cases for a total of 25 and North Central 3 also saw two new cases to bring them up to 15 active infections.

One new case was reported in North Central 1 to bring them to nine.

Nearby in the North East, numbers have also dropped with eight active infections in North East 1 (Nipawin, Carrot River), four in North East 2 (Tisdale, Hudson Bay) and one in the Melfort area (North East 2).

Provincially, however, active cases increased by 78, which is 18 more than the previous day and another four people are in the hospital for a total of 105 hospitalizations.

Of those, 72 people are receiving in-patient care and 33 are in the ICU. No residents are receiving care out of province.

In the North Central area, of the eight patients, one is ICU.  The North East has one resident in hospital.

Yesterday, 1,456 vaccinations were given across the province and 849,092 people are now fully vaccinated.

 First doses for five to 11 years old in the North Central zone are 33 per cent of those eligible, while 72 per cent of 12-17 year olds are fully vaccinated.

For 18 to 39 year olds, 77 per cent are fully vaccinated and 76 per cent of the 40 year olds have received both doses.

Of those in their 50s, 83 per cent are fully vaccinated, 86 per cent of the 60 year olds and 92 per cent of those in their 70s have been fully vaccinated. For 80 and older, 97 per cent have both doses.

Provincial Highlights

As of December 19, there are 78 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the total to 82,208 reported cases.

The new cases are located in the Far North West (2), North Central (5), Saskatoon (25), Central West (1), Central East (9), Regina (21), South West (3), South Central (3), South East (8), and one (1) new case has pending residence information.

Two (2) cases with pending residence information were assigned to the Far North West (from December 11 (1)), and Regina (from December 17 (1)) zones.

One (1) repeated test was removed from the case counts in the North West (from December 17 (1)) zone.

82,208 cases are confirmed

19,987 cases are from the North area (8,871 North West, 8,266 North Central, 2,850 North East)

19,637 cases are from the Saskatoon area

16,072 cases are from the Regina area

10,362 cases are from the South area (2,204 South West, 3,017 South Central, 5,141 South East)

9,398 cases are from the Far North area (4,421 Far North West, 541 Far North Central, 4,436 Far North East)

6,209 cases are from the Central area (1,449 Central West, 4,760 Central East)

543 cases have pending residence information

576 cases are considered active and 80,690 cases are considered recovered.

Almost one-third (30.8%) of new cases are in the age category of 40 to 59.

Nearly two-third (63.9%) of new cases eligible for vaccination (aged 5 years and older) were fully vaccinated.

As of December 19th, a total of 105 individuals are hospitalized; including 72 inpatient hospitalizations, and 33 ICU hospitalizations. Of the 105 patients, 66 (62.9 per cent) were not fully vaccinated.

No (0) new deaths reported today. 942 Saskatchewan residents with COVID-19 have died with a case fatality rate of 1.1 per cent

1,310,104 COVID-19 tests have been performed in the province. As of December 16, 2021, when other provincial and national numbers are available from PHAC, Saskatchewan’s per capita rate was 1,105,357 tests performed per million population. The national rate was 1,323,947 tests performed per million population.

The  7-day average of new COVID-19 cases is 56 (4.7 new cases per 100,000).

Five new cases, seven people in hospital

Susan McNeil, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
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Five new cases, seven people in hospital

The North Central zone reported five new cases of COVID-19 on Dec. 18 and seven people are in hospital. So far, 8,124 people have recovered and there are 50 active infections in the zone.

No new deaths were reported. Of the seven hospitalized people, one person is in the ICU.

Broken down, there are 17 active infections in North Central 3, an increase of two from the previous day.

North Central 2 (Prince Albert) has 25 active infections, an increase of three and North Central 1 has had no new cases and eight people remain actively infected.

For vaccines, 145 new doses were reported in the North Central area with a total of 125,551 given out so far. A total of 59,680 people are now fully vaccinated, an increase of 84 from the previous day.

In the age breakdown, 2994 children aged five to 11 have been vaccinated, a ratio of 33 per cent of that group.

In the 12-17 age range, 81 per cent have one dose and 72 per cent are fully vaccinated.

For the 18-29 year olds, 76 per cent are fully vaccinated and 77 per cent of people in their 30s are.

The 40s lag a little behind with 76 per cent fully vaccinated while 83 per cent of people in their 50s have both doses.

For the 50s, 86 per cent are fully vaccinated and 92 and 97 per cent of people in their 70s and over 80 respectively have both shots.

The provincial breakdown is as follows:

As of December 18, there are 61 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the total to 82,131 reported cases.

The new cases are located in the Far North West (2), North West (3), North Central (5), North East (2), Saskatoon (24), Central West (1), Central East (3), Regina (16), South Central (1), South East (3), and one (1) new case has pending residence information.

One (1) case with pending residence information was assigned to the Far North West (from October 15 (1)) zone.

Two (2) SK residents tested out-of-province were added to the case counts in the Saskatoon (from December 15 (1)), and Regina (from December 13 (1)) zones.

One (1) repeated test was removed from the case counts in the North West (from October 19 (1)) zone.

82,131 cases are confirmed

-19,983 cases are from the North area (8,872 North West, 8,261 North Central, 2,850 North East)

-19,612 cases are from the Saskatoon area

-16,050 cases are from the Regina area

– 10,348 cases are from the South area (2,201 South West, 3,014 South Central, 5,133 South East)

– 9,395 cases are from the Far North area (4,418 Far North West, 541 Far North Central, 4,436 Far North East)

– 6,199 cases are from the Central area (1,448 Central West, 4,751 Central East)

-544 cases have pending residence information

-562 cases are considered active and 80,627 cases are considered recovered.

Almost two-fifths (39.3%) of new cases are in the age category of 40 to 59.

Two-thirds (66.1%) of new cases eligible for vaccination (aged 5 years and older) were fully vaccinated.

As of December 18th, a total of 101 individuals are hospitalized; including 69 inpatient hospitalizations, and 32 ICU hospitalizations. Of the 101 patients, 63 (62.4%) were not fully vaccinated.

In addition to SK ICUs, there are no (0) residents in an out-of-province ICUs.

No (0) new deaths reported today. 942 Saskatchewan residents with COVID-19 have died with a case fatality rate of 1.1%.

1,308,693 COVID-19 tests have been performed in the province. As of December 16th, 2021, when other provincial and national numbers are available from PHAC, Saskatchewan’s per capita rate was 1,105,357 tests performed per million population. The national rate was 1,323,947 tests performed per million population.

The 7-day average of new COVID-19 case numbers is 50 (4.2 new cases per 100,000).

NDP candidate named for Athabasca by-election

Susan McNeil, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
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NDP candidate named for Athabasca by-election

Current La Loche mayor and former MP, Georgina Jolibois, will be the NDP candidate for the upcoming provincial byelection in Athabasca.

The provincial NDP announced Jolibois’ candidacy on Friday. She said issues in northern areas often are related to sparse populations and distance from services, and that has been exacerbated by the health system slowdowns brought on by the pandemic.

“The concerns around COVID-19 raise a number of issues. The residents that need health care services are getting further and further delayed,” Jolibois said. “The issue is when the appointments are available and sometimes they get delayed and they don’t get the appointment. Health care delays due to COVID-19 is a really big issue.”

She said northern residents are seeing delays in all areas, from patients with cancer or diabetes, to less time-sensitive areas like optometrist appointments. Mental health and addiction services have also suffered, she added.

“Mental health issues were put aside and now they are slowly coming back, but there has to be more support around mental health services for all ages, but especially the young people,” she stated.

Food security is another issue that’s hitting Canadians hard, but Jolibois said the problem has impacted northern residents for a long time.

“The food prices and things are getting more and more expensive for all of us, not only those in northern Saskatchewan,” Jolibois said. “It’s going to be interesting how we tackle this particular issue.”

She added that housing and access to resources continue to be problems for northern residents.

Jolibois has multiple reasons she chose to run for the NDP candidacy but it is a sense of shared purpose that really drew here.

“There’s the Canadian society, there’s the economy, the industry, the infrastructure and the programming,” she said, “When you look at statistics for people on the North West, the number of inequalities that exist, the NDP addresses those inequalities. They help improve the quality of life for all residents.”

Jolibois is no stranger to the political scene. From 2015 to 2019, she served as the Member of Parliament for Desnethé-Missinippi-Churchill River and introduced a Private Member’s Bill that led to the creation of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. She is also a fifth-term mayor.

NDP leader Ryan Meili welcomed Jolibois’ decision to run for the provincial party.

 “The Athabasca constituency will be well-served with a proven and experienced leader like Georgina,” Meili said. “Her service to her community as a Mayor and a Member of Parliament is exactly the experience and expertise that the people of Northwest Saskatchewan need from their MLA. With her proven track record, I know she will be an outstanding representative for Northwest Saskatchewan, and a wonderful addition to our NDP team.”

Jolibois is running in constituency that has consistently voted orange in the last few elections. The NDP has won in the Athabasca riding in every election since 1998.

No date has been set for the upcoming by-election, according to Elections Saskatchewan, but it must be held before Feb. 15, 2022.

The Saskatchewan Party also announced their own by-election candidate on Dec. 17. Former RCMP officer Jim Lemaigre will represent the Sask. Party in the riding. The Herald will have more information on Lemaigre’s campaign in an upcoming issue.

Police look for robbery suspect

Susan McNeil, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
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Police look for robbery suspect

Prince Albert RCMP are looking for public help finding 29-year-old Joshua Naytowhow of Sturgeon Lake following a robbery in the community.

The robbery was reported on Dec. 14 at about 9:20 pm. Police say that a man approached a vehicle and threatened the occupants with what they described as a firearm.

The occupants fled uninjured and the man along with two other people tried to steal the vehicle but were not successful.

Naytowhow is charged with

– 1 count, robbery with firearm, Section 344(1)(b), Criminal Code

– 1 count, use of imitation firearm while committing an offence, Section 85(2)(a), Criminal Code

– 2 counts, fail to comply with probation order, Section 733.1(1), Criminal Code

A warrant has been issued for his arrest and he is actively being sought by police.

Naytowhow is described as about 6’ tall and 150 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes.

If you see him, do not approach him. Call the Prince Albert RCMP at 306-765-5500. If you have information about his whereabouts or this incident, you can also report it anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1‐800‐222‐TIPS (8477) or www.saskcrimestoppers.com.

The investigation continues.

Larger ER and 40 per cent bed increase planned for Victoria Hospital

Susan McNeil, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
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Larger ER and 40 per cent bed increase planned for Victoria Hospital

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Construction of a new acute care tower, replacing the adult mental health space, and renovations to the existing building are all on the to-do list for Prince Albert’s Victoria Hospital expansion.

The province announced on Dec. 17 that interested parties were allowed to submit their qualifications for construction. The province will narrow the list of submissions down to a maximum of three parties, who will then be invited to submit proposals.

“We’re pleased to see this significant project moving forward,” Health Minister Paul Merriman said. “Being close to home when you’re most vulnerable is important to a swift and complete recovery. Increased hospital capacity and expanded services at Prince Albert Victoria Hospital will benefit residents for years to come.”

Along with the construction of 32,000 square metres of new space, the successful company will have the job of renovating 7,000 square metres of the existing building

This will make a bigger emergency department, more medical imaging services and a 40 per cent increase in beds from 173 to 242.

It is expected that the new tower will be built first, with the renovation and redevelopment of the existing space to follow.

There will also be shelled space to allow for future expansion of up to 282 beds.

The deadline for interested parties to submit their qualifications is Feb. 17, 2022. Requests for proposals will be released in the spring or summer of 2022.

While the province will pay all of the cost of building the facility, the local community and Victoria Hospital Foundation will raise the money needed for furniture and equipment.

The new building will be constructed in a way that shows a shared commitment to Truth and Reconciliation, said the news release announcing the procurement process on Dec. 17.

“On behalf of the Executive and our 12 Chiefs’ of our member First Nations, I am pleased that our vision of a new hospital is closer to becoming a reality,” Prince Albert Grand Council Grand Chief Brian Hardlotte said. “As one of the partners, I’m looking forward to our continued collaboration with the Government of Saskatchewan and Saskatchewan Health Authority to ensure a welcoming, inclusive health care facility that we can all take ownership of.

The project represents a partnership between the provincial government, Sask. Health Authority and the PAGC to make sure that culturally appropriate services and spaces are included.

“This project milestone has been long anticipated for the community and the SHA,” Saskatchewan Health Authority Acting Vice President of Infrastructure, Information and Support Derek Miller said. “Once completed, the hospital will be better able to serve those in Prince Albert and northern Saskatchewan with expanded acute care and mental health and addictions services closer to home.”

Police recover large amount of cash stolen from Beardy’s First Nation

Susan McNeil, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
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Police recover large amount of cash stolen from Beardy’s First Nation

When Rosthern RCMP got a report of a theft on the Beardy’s First Nation that a vehicle had been stolen with a significant amount of cash in side, they immediately started investigating.

Officers were told at 7:43 am on Dec. 13 that the truck, a grey 2016 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk with Saskatchewan license plate 967 MDH , had been stolen from a residence.

Rosthern Detachment immediately asked the public for any help and leads they could give and identified a male suspect that had just a left business south of Saskatoon and was in a taxi going towards the city.

Officers found the taxi with a man and woman inside and arrested them at 9:21 am the same morning.

Following the execution of a search warrant that involved officers from Rosthern and Saskatoon officers and with the involvement of the GIS section, police managed to recover a large portion of the missing money.

“A large portion of the money reported missing was recovered in three locations as a result of the executed search warrant and overall investigation,” said Sgt. Spence. “I would say it was especially meaningful to share this information with the victims considering it’s so close to the holiday season. The excellent collaboration between multiple RCMP Detachments and support units is what ultimately led to the incredibly quick progression of this investigation and arrests in less than two hours from the initial call for service.”

As a result of investigation, Waylon Gardypie, age 37, and Nikki Gardipym age 34, both of Beardy’s First Nation, are charged with one count each of:

– Theft of motor vehicle, section 333.1(1) of the Criminal Code

-Theft over $5000.00, section 334(a) of the Criminal Code

-Possession of property obtained by crime, section 354(1) of the Criminal Code

Their next court date is January 11, 2022 in Saskatoon Provincial Court at 2:00 p.m.

Police are still looking for the stolen vehicle.

Anyone with information can call Rosthern RCMP at 306-232-6400 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).

City launches homelessness initiative

Susan McNeil, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
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City launches homelessness initiative

Local Journalism Initiative

The face of homelessness has changed in Prince Albert, and now the City of Prince Albert and multiple community partners are looking to do something about it.

A few years ago, homeless residents could be found walking around the City during the day, but most found a place to sleep at night. Now, almost 30 people can be found sleeping in tents or boxes, and that’s prompted  the City and their partners to look into why that’s happening and what they can do to change it.

“There’s been significant changes in the dynamics of our homeless community in Prince Albert and some of the pressures that affect people,” said Dr. Chad Nilson of the Living Sky Centre for Social Inquiry.

Nilson has been hired as lead researcher to take a deeper look at the growing problem.

“Observational changes have been an acute spike in the number of individuals camping out in our streets. Five years ago it was about homeless individuals who were just walking around finding a place to be. Now we’re seeing individuals committed to ‘I’m camping in that corner tonight and I’m taking my wares with me’,” he said.

Homelessness has been part of the city landscape for years, but never used to be as obvious to the general public.

“We always had people but they were able to find a couch or the living room of a family or friend to sleep on,” Nilson explained. “That’s changed. We have an observation of what we call absolute homelessness where there are people actually camping out in tents, in shopping carts, in cardboard boxes on the streets.

“That is an image of homelessness but it goes much deeper. Our job is to find those deeper tracks and find out what leads to that.”

Finding solutions to a complex problem requires many people from many different areas of expertise. The City of Prince Albert decided to help create a group that is expected to deliver results, according to Mayor Greg Dionne, who has raised the issue at multiple council meetings.

“Homelessness is a complicated issue and it is certainly nothing we can solve in council chambers or within city hall as a single organization,” Dionne said while standing outside on a city sidewalk in -20 degree weather.

“To have an impact, we need to bring multiple partners together where we can have sensible, balanced dialogue around causes, consequences and solutions for our community.”

Dionne, city representatives, and members of some the key agencies outdoors to announce the new Homelessness Action Initiative on Dec. 16. One of the initiative’s goals is to mobilize the stakeholders so that each sector can provide it’s unique expertise and support.

Along with the City and Nilson’s Centre, social organizations, the justice sector and indigenous and provincial governments will be involved.

“Everybody has a role to play in this,” Nilson said. “The city is organizing the partnerships, the Community Advisory Board is about bringing in some of the main stakeholders in homelessness and my role is to bring in the research side of it.”

This will include looking at statistics, surveying not just the homeless population but also businesses.

In the last 10 years three studies have been completed on the issue in the City. Nilson has co-ordinated several point-in-time homeless counts with the latest in March of 2021.

That count found 71 people who are homeless but have access to shelter and another 26 who meet the criteria of absolute homelessness in that they have no place to sleep, not even an emergency shelter.

“The tipping point of the iceberg is when they are on the street but there’s a lot of stuff that has happened before they got there,” Nilson explained. “Part of this exercise is finding out those pathways to intercept that journey.”

Several hundred other people are estimated to be homeless but managing to ‘couch surf’ or find temporary accommodations nightly. 
The causes of homelessness are myriad and diverse and so will be the solutions.

“Homelessness is not solved by simply popping up another couple shelters. We have to look at the impacts of homelessness,” Nilson said.

This can include needles left in public places from addicts, defecation on sidewalks from the lack of facilities, the ability of the community to feel safe and the image of the community.

“The conversation is really about chronic risk, that’s what we’re talking about,” Nilson said.

The growth in homeless is starting to be felt around the city, with businesses, families and service providers all feeling the additional strain.

From having a core group of homeless people that were in the city, the demographics have changed in the last three years.

“There is a lot of transients, a lot of urban migration that Prince Albert is the centre of. There are people that are coming and going all over the place and they come through Prince Albert, they’re here for a couple weeks and months and then they’re gone,” explained Nilson.

Social agencies have difficulty making headway with people who are not around long enough to develop a relationship with and can’t follow up with the visits they do have.

By early January, Nilson said they hope to have the right group together so they can start identifying problems and researching solutions.

By March, they should be able evaluate how well it is working and prioritize exactly which problems they will focus on first.

susan.mcneil@paherald.sk.ca

Cutline:

Photo Susan McNeil

Mayor Greg Dionne, Craig Guidinger, Director of Planning for the City and Dr. Chad Nilson announed the launch of the Homelessness Action Initiative on Dec. 16 in downtown Prince Albert. The City and other groups hope to identify some of the causes of a growing problem on city streets.

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