Home page

Text size

E-mail this page

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The Yellowknife Day Shelter reopened on Monday with fresh paint on the walls, a new layout and optimistic plans for the future. Two new windows and a sign above the front door will complete the repairs over the next few weeks.

The day shelter was closed for four weeks beginning July 13 in order to give staff two weeks of paid vacation time, most of whom had not had extended time off since the shelter opened three years ago.

The vacation time was followed by two weeks of training and team-building. The two weeks of training were also used to repaint and rearrange the interior of the building.

As the shelter nears the end of its three-year pilot project, Lydia Bardak, executive director of the John Howard Society, and the seven-person shelter staff have been busy working on the next phase of the shelter's development.

"There is an expectation in the community that people are going to get more help to move on from the street life and that takes some fairly advanced skills in social work and counselling," Bardak said. "We don't have that kind of funding to do that right now but certainly as we move on to our next phase, phase 2, we're absolutely looking at some case management."

An effective case management worker would be able to work with clients of varying levels of disability, addiction, and mental health issues, said Bardak, and she estimated the added cost of that employee would be between $60,000 and $70,000 per year.

"People here know that they can go to the Salvation Army or the Tree of Peace for addictions counselling; they know they can go to the Healing Drum," she said. "But, oftentimes, they're not ready ... it's a really little window of opportunity where they'll express just total misery with their lifestyle.

"The staff can't leave the (day shelter) because we need two here all the time. So it would require that third person, who is the case manager, would recognize the window of opportunity and say 'let's go do it right now.' The pull on the street is so strong that if you miss it, people are right back to the same patterns and habits."

In the meantime, Bardak and shelter staff are considering possible program options to keep clients engaged at the shelter and away from the liquor store.

Their ideas include arts and crafts, where clients with skills in crafts such as beading could practise and teach others, or games such as a cribbage tournament.

Bardak said she is also exploring the possibility of partnerships with local business and organizations to develop a job pool or help interested clients get involved in apprenticeship programs and move toward independent living.

Bardak estimated 40 of the male clients were younger than 29 years old and could stay in the shelter system for another 40 years or more if they are not able to establish an independent life.

"That's something we're going to be exploring with .... community stakeholders and be asking, 'is that something you think should be happening? What do you see happening and how will we make it happen?'" Because it is going to take resources," said Bardak.

Concerns were raised when it was reported the shelter was closing for the month-long period, and many questioned where Yellowknife's homeless would go during the day.

Mayor Gord Van Tighem said no one reported major issues and the public library, a usual problem area for loiterers, did not see any influx of people.

Bardak said the shelter was closed during the summer months intentionally since few people stay indoors all day and generally come by just for a hot breakfast and mid-day snack. Both Van Tighem and Bardak noticed more homeless outside the Yellowknife Inn but attributed the change to the construction of a new bench in the area.

We welcome your opinions. Click here to e-mail a letter to the editor.