Emokhare Paul Anthony
Daily Herald.
Coun. Blake Edwards has proposed city administrators develop a proposal for a complex needs centre that will provide a safe place for people who are intoxicated or addicted and who pose a danger to themselves and others.
Edwards said the project will be a collaborative multi-disciplinary approach with the City playing a leading role and partnering with the province. Council approved the vote on Monday after Edwards received approval to have the item added to the agenda.
“This is a little bit different than an emergency shelter where anybody can come and go freely,” Edwards said. “The centre is going to be a little bit different from the other shelter to be built. Anyone who comes in to this centre would have to stay 24 hours, and we’ll try and get them support once they are ready to go.”
“This in a way will take the burden off the hospital from attending to intoxicated homelessness, addicted or any other issues that have people spending nights in the emergency room,” Edwards added.
Edwards would like to see at least a 60 bed centre built in Prince Albert, but hopes to see something bigger when administration bring a proposal forward at a future meeting.
The motion was seconded by Coun. Dawn Kilmer with no objection from council.
Edwards said a facility like this is needed in Prince Albert. He said Saskatoon and Regina already have similar centres, but Prince Albert is still on the wait list.
“Prince Albert needs this centre now, and not a couple of years later after there’s a review done by Saskatoon and Regina,” he said.
“Intoxicated people in our community are a growing concern. People are endangering themselves on a regular basis—or others. It makes me sick to my stomach when I hear residents, especially seniors say they are frightened at times to go grocery shopping because of the aggressive people—who are intoxicated (and) generally on crystal meth where you can’t generally control some of your actions—and they harass people, and it’s unfortunate.”
Edwards said in 2022, 15 people were arrested 850 times, roughly, for eviction purposes. He said those arrests aren’t occurring today because there are risks that something will go wrong. He said that’s leading to people trying to find a safe place to take these people, which has led to police becoming a taxi service.
He said it’s also leading to a rise in hospital visits and emergency service calls.
“It’s taking valuable time from our police officers,” Edwards said. “It’s also tying up our hospitals.”
When asked afterwards about a potential location for the proposed centre, Edwards said that is yet to be decided.
“It’s a little bit different. I think it will impact residential and commercial businesses a little different for where it can go, but it’s obviously a concern and we’ll address those concerns as they come forward,” he said.
The motion passed with unanimous consent.
