SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Yellowknife's health authority is to blame for shutting down the city's day shelter, says Lydia Bardak, executive director of the NWT branch of the John Howard Society, the organization that's been running the shelter since it opened in 2009.

Lydia Bardak, executive director of the NWT branch of the John Howard Society, says the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority is to blame for the closing of the day shelter. - Cody Punter/NNSL photo

The prisoner advocacy group's contract to run the shelter had already been extended by six months last September after it was the only non-governmental organization to respond to a request for proposals issued by the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority more than a year ago.

However, after extensive discussions with the health authority over the past six months, Bardak said it's clear now that it had no intention to keep the day shelter open past March 31 as long as the John Howard Society was at the helm.

"If I read between the lines, if they didn't award the contract to us, I guess they don't want us operating it because we're willing," said Bardak yesterday - two days after news broke that the day shelter was set to close.

"That's what I read into it because we were willing and we've always been willing."

Bardak said the majority of the staff that works at the shelter are people who were previously homeless or who have struggled with the law. She said the staff, which work mostly part-time, get paid between $18 and $22 per hour.

"I think that's the same rate the grass-cutting people are paid," said Bardak.

Because they are able to relate with the clients on a personal level, they are willing to do work that not many government workers would be prepared to do.

"Because the day shelter is open to people that are intoxicated, you're not going to have a long line up of social workers that want to work in that environment," said Bardak. "There's very few highly skilled professional people who are willing to do that work."

Bardak added government workers have the benefit of being able to turn away people who are intoxicated or rude.

"We don't do that," said Bardak. "In the day shelter, we know that people ... might be using foul language, they might be aggressive, whatever they present with - we know that means we have to ask them, 'What's wrong?'"

The timing of the closure is particularly upsetting because the team of staff currently working at the shelter is dedicated to helping those in need.

"They're truly committed and truly passionate about this work. And so it's so sad to see it get disbanded when we have the best working team ever."

Although the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority knew the John Howard Society's contract expires on March 31, it is now scrambling to fill the gap left by the closing of the day shelter.

Bardak said the lack of foresight on the health authority's part should come as no surprise.

"The health authority has had this experience before. They shut down the other shelter without a plan in place," said Bardak, referring the New Horizon day centre, which was closed down in 2007.

"That's when everyone started hanging around my office."

Bardak's criticisms stand in contrast to statements made during a press conference on Wednesday, attended by both Les Harrison, executive director of the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority, and Michael Keohane, president of the NWT branch of the John Howard Society.

The two men made it sound like the decision to close the day shelter was mutual.

"It is the collective view of our board that the time has come to realize that we have done all that we can do," said Keohane.

"We went in there with the expectation that we would essentially be providing the homeless in Yellowknife with a place that's warm and that's away from the elements, and access to a phone and access to a bathroom. It became obvious that there actually is more to it than that. We have a big heart, but we don't have a big capacity."

The press conference was called after Yellowknifer received an e-mail the day before from the premier's office, stating that the John Howard Society had indicated in writing that it was no longer interested in running the day shelter past March 31, and that Health Minister Glen Abernethy has instructed his department to find a way to keep the shelter open until the end of May so the city's homeless population will continue to have a place to go to stay warm.

Meanwhile, Bardak insists the John Howard Society has expressed interest in running the shelter for an extra two months. The society already provided 30 days notice to their landlord Bromley and Sons, with whom the society had a month-to-month contract, but Bardak said she called Bromley and Sons on Tuesday to see if they could extend the lease another two months. However, she was told the building is scheduled for demolition and that it could not be occupied for any longer.

Harrison said he has offered funding to shelters and NGOs, such as the Salvation Army and the Centre for Northern Families, in order to allow them to open their doors for those in need until the end of May.

So far, no one has taken him up on his offer.

Even if someone were to step up in the short term, Harrison said no funding will be made available for a day shelter during the summer, even though the authority, which receives 94 per cent of its funding from the GNWT and is led by a board appointed by the minister of Health and Social Services, has committed $250,000 to keep a day shelter running until March 2015. Another $50,000 contribution from the city is available, but only if there is a shelter in operation. Harrison said unspent funds could be used toward building a new shelter.

Bardak said the lack of a plan for the summer months is disappointing.

"Homeless people don't disappear just because it's summer," said Bardak.

Harrison said the health authority does not yet have a plan in place to provide a new day shelter facility. He said the organization would need to consult with local NGOs, including the John Howard Society, before it went ahead with plans for a new shelter.

"I don't think it's feasible to create a longer-term solution in two months and make it the right solution for this community," he said.

Although Harrison said he hoped that process would be completed by next winter, he said he had no idea how long it will take.

"We don't have the answers, that's what it comes down to," said Harrison. "If anybody has any ideas that they would like to share with me about that, I'm certainly open to hearing them."

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