Cindy MacDougall
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Mar 10/00) - The two staff members at a Yellowknife homeless shelter are demanding another worker for overnight shifts after one of them was held at knife-point and stabbed four times Tuesday.

Chris Green, a supervisor at the Yellowknife Home for the Homeless, was attacked early Tuesday morning after a man broke through a basement window and held him at knife-point for two-and-a-half hours.

The man allegedly stabbed Green four times when the terrified worker ran for help.

Green was the only one on duty in the 10-bed residence when the attack occurred. He said he no longer feels safe during the night shift.

"It's not safe here alone," he said. "He (the other supervisor) is burnt out and I'm getting there. We need another person."

Green said it is difficult to monitor both the upstairs, where people sleep, and the living area downstairs, where the attack occurred.

A Fort McPherson man will appear in court today to face charges of attempted murder and two other violent offences in connection to Green's stabbing.

Frankie James Smith, 27, was charged Wednesday with one count each of attempted murder, forcible confinement and break, enter and commit aggravated assault, according to Yellowknife RCMP Cpl. Greg Brown.

Smith remains in police custody and will appear in territorial court this morning.

Staff and residents have been discussing Green's attack and how to prevent more violence at the 10-bed shelter for men.

The home's head supervisor, Ernie Glowach, said the window where the attacker entered will be fixed and the shelter will install heavy locks on all windows.

His main concern now, he said, is the safety of his staff and shelter residents.

"There isn't much more we can do," Glowach said. "We were going to get a monitoring (video) system, but since this place is a pilot project..."

Glowach agreed the shelter needs a third staff member for safety reasons.

The shelter is a project of the NWT Housing Corporation and the Department of Education, Culture and Employment.

Glowach said he has left several messages with the housing corporation's president, Tom Beaulieu, but has not heard from him.

Beaulieu said he has not had a chance to speak with Green and Glowach about the shelter's safety, but understands their concerns.

"I suppose that (another staff member) is a possibility, but we haven't made any decisions yet," Beaulieu said.

He said he and the corporation are taking the stabbing seriously.

"I think since someone was stabbed, it's important, but I don't think these guys are in danger of something like this happening again right away," Beaulieu said.

Beaulieu said the corporation may be looking for proposals to create a permanent shelter with more beds and staff, but no decisions have been made.

Green said the corporation should act quickly. He said he doesn't know if he'll be able to keep working at the shelter if he feels unsafe.

"I want to stay," he said. "People like Ernie helped me change my life around.

"I feel it's my turn to help."