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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - When Rose-Marie Jackson walked downtown Yellowknife with her two young children recently, she didn't feel at ease.

"I had three negative experiences walking with my baby and my three-year-old," she said at a public forum last Thursday on improving the city's social well-being.

Rebecca Hall shares her views during the city's social forum April 23. April Robinson/NNSL photoo

"I didn't feel safe."

The social ills of the downtown was just one of the topics discussed at the forum as consultants gathered input for Yellowknife's first social plan.

"It's all about people," said Lois Little of Lutra Associates Ltd., who conducted the group discussion.

About 50 diverse members of the public gathered at Northern United Place for the forum.

"If the city hadn't taken on, there'd be a huge missing piece. How do you build a sustainable city without dealing with social issues?"

Little and her colleagues are in the middle of drafting the social plan for the city, which is expected to be complete by mid-May.

"It's a plan that defines the city's role in social issues," she said.

Mira Hall said she would like to see a shift in urban planning.

Building on the shelter system that already exists could help get homeless people off the streets, said Sue Glowach. She said people need a safe place to go, where they could also find employment.

"I think we need some level of government to take responsibility for that," she said.

It was a point rousing doubt in many of the participants' minds – how much can the city actually do?

"To pay for social services with property taxes just won't work," Ben McDonald, a former city councillor.

With a new council elected every four years, Ruth Spence said she doubted any plan would stick.

"It's a lot for the city to take on," she said.

Mary-Ann Jeremick'ca of Whati, a social work student at Aurora College, said she would like to see a more diverse city council.

"All of them are Caucasian," said Jeremick'ca.

Any social plan must take into account the racial and cultural make-up of the community, she added.

"The policies should be from Yellowknife – not adapted from other provinces," she added. A quarter of the city's population is aboriginal, Little said, referencing the annual report for the Centre for Northern Families. Another 10 per cent of Yellowknifers are of other visible minorities.

Lena Pedersen, former MLA and the first woman to sit in the legislative assembly, said the plan must advocate for aboriginal families. Residential schools created a gap in good parenting skills, she said.

"I'm not against social services. I'm against the system because it doesn't work."

Most forum participants agreed the social plan should be a "living document" – fluid and changing as residents and social issues change.

Most agreed building public washrooms is a simple starting point.

Talking about social problems can be overwhelming, said Bree Denning.

A lack of public washrooms creates "a public health issue, and it's also an issue of dignity," she said. "I think it's a good place to start – it lends credibility to the idea of a social plan."