The message from the Tribal Chief of the Saskatoon Tribal Council to the Premier and the ministers who received a letter from Saskatoon City Councillor David Kirton is that he had zero knowledge of this letter and he was completely blindsided by it. Kirton is asking the province for a review of the Emergency Wellness Centre and forming a working group to find solutions on how to help people with more complex needs.

Tribal Chief Mark Arcand points out that the EWC is more than a shelter – it includes wrap-around services, because just providing a bed doesn’t solve anything. Finding support for those with mental health challenges and with addictions is part of what the STC does. Arcand suggests Kirton should take action instead of complaining because he is just fanning the flames and playing politics with people’s lives. He urges Kirton to talk to Council about contributing $1.5 million for the operational costs of the EWC. The Tribal Chief explains that the province helps with the EWC, but the City hasn’t contributed any funding since they moved to Fairhaven.

Arcand adds that the province has already conducted a review, and there is already a group of stakeholders who gather bi-weekly to address concerns inside and around the EWC, so what Kirton has asked for is already being done. He hopes this letter won’t be an issue for the province, because the STC is in negotiations with the government, and is right now in a two month extension of their previous lease agreement.