Prince Albert city council received an update Monday on community safety and well being efforts heading into winter, with administration outlining funding levels, active programs, and coordination among agencies responding to homelessness, addictions, and public safety concerns.
The update was presented during the executive committee meeting as part of the Community Safety and Well-Being Update for Winter 2025-2026 by Community Safety and Well Being Manager Anna Dinsdale. The report provided an overview of how the City and its partners are responding to ongoing pressures, particularly during winter months.
Dinsdale said the City’s approach has shifted from short term initiatives toward a more embedded and coordinated model involving multiple departments and community partners.
“This isn’t something that one person does,” Dinsdale said. “This is something that we do collectively.”
She told council the City has secured significant provincial and federal funding to support community safety and well being initiatives, with a large portion flowing directly to service providers.
“In the last two years, we’ve secured over six million in government investment,” Dinsdale said, adding that “$4.3 million” has gone directly to community organizations.
The report highlighted several active programs, including the winter warming centre, the hygiene hub, the hub table, and the mobile complex needs team. Dinsdale said demand for winter services remains high.
Referring to last winter’s warming centre operations, she said the facility recorded “four thousand six hundred and sixty four visits,” with “up to ninety people” accessing the service on some nights.
She also highlighted the hygiene hub, which she said serves “approximately fifty people a day,” and noted that the mobile complex needs team currently manages “forty to fifty active cases.”
Council members asked questions during the presentation about funding sustainability, long-term planning, and public understanding of the City’s role in addressing complex social issues.
Ward 6 Coun. Blake Edwards said he was encouraged by the progress being made through the community safety and well being work, particularly when it comes to issues residents have raised in the past, such as discarded needles in public spaces.
“When we talk about community safety and well-being, I become super proud,” Edwards said, adding that the work has led to “amazing progress.”
Mayor Bill Powalinsky said long-term funding remains a challenge for council.
“It’s always the dirty issue of money,” Powalinsky said, cautioning against relying too heavily on short term grants.
Ward 3 Coun. Tony Head said the work is definitely being felt in the community.
“I’ve certainly seen the impacts from the work,” Head said.
Ward 4 Coun. Bryce Laewetz referenced the response following the Salvation Army fire, pointing to the importance of coordination among agencies during emergencies.
“There was a whole group of community members and organizations that all came together,” Laewetz said.
Ward 1 Coun. Daniel Brown raised questions about the scale of spending and long-term outcomes.
“It is a lot of money that the province is spending,” Brown said, noting concerns raised by residents.
Ward 7 Coun. Dawn Kilmer emphasized the importance of clear and accurate communication with the public.
“I like good information, not misinformation,” Kilmer said.
Council also discussed issues such as public intoxication, encampments, and winter shelter capacity. Adminstration emphasized that many of the programs outlined rely on provincial and federal funding and partnerships, with the City acting primarly as a coordinator and advocate.
The Community Safety and Well Being report was received and filed. Administration indicated further updates will be provided as winter progresses and as funding and program conditions evolve.
arjun.pillai@paherald.sk.ca
