The City, using MEEP (Municipal Economic Enhancement Program) money from the province, and the provincial government, are both anteing up $100,000 a piece to fund a pilot project to address escalating issues in downtown Saskatoon.

There has been a significant effort underway for the pilot project, led by the Saskatoon Tribal Council with many of the lessons learned coming from the experience of closing the City Centre Inn and Suites which included a coordinated approach, viewed as a success, to house those most vulnerable.

The Saskatoon Interagency Response, the Ministry of Social Services, Saskatchewan Health, Police, Fire, Downtown Saskatoon and the Combined Business Group are all part of the process to develop the pilot project. Those involved view this as an unprecedented opportunity provide better outcomes for those on the streets and for the safety of all people in Saskatoon, particularly in the downtown.

Chief Mark Arcand and the Saskatoon Tribal Council are seen as the backbone part of the Interagency Response to Downtown Safety and Well-Being. The Chief says that includes a “boots on the ground” team determining things like how many people are in short term and long term housing, how many people are they following up with in regards to addictions and how many people actually want to change their lives as well as how many of those are accessing cultural services like talking to Elders.

Chief Arcand says the city is seeing a hundred overdoses a week. And he says one of the challenges they may be facing is weather. He points out winter is coming and it is supposed to be a cold winter this year.

“Do we have to go look along the riverbank to find people, do we have to do this kind of stuff? The majority of people we want to tackle is around the Lighthouse because I think it’s going to support the overall picture of the city’s vision but I think we need a lot of backing to support the actual data that we’re going to collect in regards to saying there has to be more done to help people get off their addictions.”

A special meeting of city council Wednesday unanimously approved the Saweyihotan Pilot Project. Phase 1 is Comprehensive Community Based Case Management Strategy, Phase 2 is a Long Term Transitional Support Housing Model.