'We need somewhere to go'
Day shelter users start petition to keep the facility open past May 31
Cody Punter
Northern News Services
Published Friday, March 28 2014
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A group of homeless people who depend on the city's day shelter is pleading for it to remain open in response to news that the local health authority will not continue to fund it after May 31.
Maria Adele Desjardins signs a petition to keep the day shelter open after May 31. Three homeless people who depend on the shelter started the petition Wednesday morning. - Cody Punter/NNSL photo |
Sophie Thrasher and a couple who asked to be identified only as W.T. and R.J., all of whom use the Dene K'o Shelter almost everyday, came to Yellowknifer's office on Wednesday morning to announce that they wanted to start a petition to keep it open throughout the summer and to tell their side of the story.
"If they shut this place down, they might as well shut down city council and the MLAs," said R.J.
Thrasher explained that homeless people rely on the shelter to rest during the day because they are often unable to find somewhere to sleep at night. She said the men's and women's shelters, which are only open during the evening, are often full and do not admit people who are intoxicated. As a result, people with nowhere to go end up sleeping in stairwells of apartment buildings and local businesses.
"We checked out of our tent in October and we've been sleeping in stairwells ever since," said R.J., who sleeps next to his partner in a sleeping bag to keep warm.
Stairwells only provide a temporary place to sleep, however, as security guards often force them out around 3 or 4 a.m., they said.
"We pretty much have to walk around until the day shelter opens," said R.J.
"I'm not ashamed to say anything," added Thrasher. "I just walk around and cry."
R.J. warned that once the day shelter closes, homeless people will end up going to places such as the Centre Square Mall and the library, or the drunk tank.
He pointed out that people will urinate and defecate in public more often because the day shelter is currently the only place in the city that will allow homeless people to use the washroom.
"It's degrading. We're the capital city of the Northwest Territories, this shouldn't be happening," he said.
When Yellowknifer went to the day shelter later that afternoon, R.J. had encouraged a total of 28 patrons to sign a hand-written petition which he had crafted.
"Even in the summer time, we need somewhere to go," said Maria Adele Desjardins, who was one of the people to sign it.
The petition also asks for the shelter to stay open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. instead of the new proposed hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The new hours are to come into effect once the NWT Disabilities Council takes over operations on April 1.
Denise McKee, executive director of the NWT Disabilities Council, said the decision to shorten the operating hours of the shelter was made by the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority.
"I can understand that there is fear and anxiety about what's going to happen next," said McKee. "I hope there is a timely answer to help ease people's anxieties."
Rachel Abel, executive assistant for the CEO of the health authority, Les Harrison, said he would not be commenting on the petition.
Thrasher said the group hoped to get more people to sign it. However, they do not have many resources and there in currently only one copy of it on a single page, which is in Thrasher's possession.
The group hoped to eventually bring the petition to the attention of MLAs.
