Tank: Province blasted for ‘fantastically’ failing Saskatoon on homeless

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If Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe was paying any attention to the province’s two largest cities this week, there appeared scant evidence of it.

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Regina city council voted to declare a citywide “houselessness crisis” and requested funding from the provincial and federal governments to pay for an action plan.

In wording with extremely clear implications, council called on Moe’s government to “partner in good faith on a time-bound, well-resourced plan.”

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Saskatoon city council also adopted a homeless strategy this week, including approving a council subcommittee. Mayor Cynthia Block promised during the fall election campaign to launch a mayor’s task force on homelessness, but councillors wanted to take part, too.

And rookie Coun. Robert Pearce, who ran successfully on a platform of closing a homeless shelter near the Fairhaven neighbourhood and a more effective homelessness strategy, delivered a stunning rebuke at council of the Saskatchewan Party government’s ineptitude on the issue.

“I just want to comment that I think it’s incredibly sad that our province has dropped the ball so fantastically on helping the homeless in this province and in this city,” said Pearce, who also serves as pastor of a Fairhaven church. “And I think it’s incredible that in this city we’re rallying together, we’re coming up with a great plan.

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“I want to see what the province is going to follow up to help us with this, because they do have a core responsibility in this as well.”

If Moe, whose government elected just one MLA in Regina and Saskatoon in the October election, heard or cared about the homelessness crisis in the two largest cities, it took a back seat to his announcement Thursday on pausing the industrial carbon tax.

We can only imagine a province where the premier cares a fraction as much about the welfare of people living in Saskatchewan’s cities as he does about his crusades against climate action and the federal government.

Pearce agreed to spend a night on the streets in Saskatoon in January with homeless advocate David Fineday to get a better understanding of the challenges.

The time has arrived for Moe to do the same. Or, since it’s extremely unlikely the premier would agree to it, how about the only Saskatoon government MLA left standing, Ken Cheveldayoff?

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Or maybe Social Services Minister Terry Jenson or Mental Health and Addictions Minister Lori Carr.

Surely now that winter is retreating — although slowly — a night on the streets represents a far less onerous undertaking than it did in January when Pearce explored the city.

Conversely, you can argue whether a formal declaration of a crisis in Regina will accomplish much. A similar motion in the summer of 2023 failed. And Montreal city council rejected a motion to declare a state of emergency over homelessness in November with opponents expressing doubts about its practical value.

The only real symbolic value can be measured in attention and, perhaps, action from the provincial and federal governments.

But there can be little doubt that both cities are suffering through a crisis, including the expanding numbers of unhoused people and the reasons driving that situation, most obviously mental health and addiction.

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Regina’s point-in-time homeless count from October identified 824 people, while Saskatoon’s count revealed a staggering 1,499. Some sad details were revealed in a city report about the nearly 1,500 in Saskatoon without permanent shelter, like that the number included 315 children and 175 youth.

About a third cited insufficient income as the reason for their unstable housing, 82 per cent suffered from substance abuse and 61 per cent struggled with mental health.

That addiction crisis continues to plague Saskatoon with Prairie Harm Reduction releasing a statement this week that overdoses have claimed 58 lives so far this year and accusing the province of inaction and playing politics.

For context, 72 drug toxicity deaths were confirmed by the Saskatchewan Coroners Service in Saskatoon all last year.

“We are tired of watching our community members die while the government drags its feet,” says the statement from Prairie Harm, which has closed until Tuesday due to the trauma of the overdose tsunami. “How many more lives need to be lost before real change happens?”

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If only homelessness and overdose deaths represented the same level of urgency as the carbon tax.

Phil Tank is the digital opinion editor at the Saskatoon StarPhoenix.

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