Saskatoon Tribal Council Chief Marc Arcand Tuesday stepped forward to address some of the stories coming from the Fairhaven community about the Emergency Wellness Center.
He said he wanted to address a priest in the community, noting that he was getting frustrated with him.
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“This pastor is really letting me down in Fairhaven because he runs churchAnd if we look at our churches in our city and our province and our country, they are probably one of the wealthiest organizations,” Arcand said.
He said he heard the priest say in an interview with other media that the priest had closed the door to another person, and that Arcand expressed concern about the situation.
“I’m worried about it because he should open his door. One of the commandments is to love our neighbors. Why is he closing his door? How is he helping the system? He’s homeless. Who is he helping? Who is he helping with addictions and mental health?”
“The answer I see is zero,” said Arcand.
He said that this pastor needs to change the way he works, and open his door to help people.
“He never came back to the shelter and talked to our manager and saw what was happening. But there’s a perception here that he needs to be an adult and talk to me instead of the media.
“Churches are supposed to be places of harmony, and I’m really disappointed in these people because of how they’re conducting themselves.”
Arcand says he has police data that says crime in the Fairhaven community has remained the same since the wellness center reopened in late November.
He said one side of the story was being told and it was creating problems.
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“So they’re telling one side of the story, and that’s not fair. I need them to stop, because it’s causing hardship, and it’s a divide-and-conquer strategy that I don’t support.”
“I’m not going to sit and fight to help the people in my city,” Arcand said.
Support from others within the city has been strong, she said, adding that she has had more than 400 Christmas gifts donated to the wellness centre.
Arcand said he was disappointed that the wellness center needed to hold a press conference to confirm the work it was doing.
He said he addressed one of the stories that had come out about crime at the 7-Eleven on the corner of Pendigrass Road and Thomas Crescent going bad.
“The 7-Eleven manager and my manager have reached out and spoken.”
Arcand said he learned that people at the wellness center were spending as much money as they could at 7-Eleven and that no crime had been committed.
“They’re not stealing, they’re not robbing, they’re not doing anything.”
He said that there was a theft in the community on Saturday and the welfare center was blamed for it.
“It’s not all Fairhaven residents, it’s just a select few, but they’re adding fuel to the fire, they’re spreading gossip, not the truth, and I’m tired of it.”
“People are spreading out lies and corruption, and all of this is unacceptable,” Arcand said.
He said that these lies need to be exposed.
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Arcand looked at statistics from the Saskatoon Fire Department and the Saskatoon Police Service, noting that incidents in the community had not increased.
But Arcand also wanted to focus more on success stories.
He said demand for the wellness center is high, noting that the building has 106 beds, with the ability to hold some additional space in the lobby during the night.
Arcand noted that in three weeks there were 583 people waiting for a bed at the wellness center.
“The City of Saskatoon has a homelessness problem in our community, it’s not just a neighborhood problem.”
Arcand said many people don’t understand why people are homeless or have problems with addictions, and those people shouldn’t be critical.
“We’re really helping people, I don’t need to defend that.”
He said he received a complaint from someone about the stuff being piled up by Tim Hortons, noting that if people have issues like this STC Sweihtotan Mobile Services All contact information should be listed on their website.
Ward 3 Councilor David Kirton says he has been receiving some concerns from people about the wellness center.
He said police and firefighters are working on a coordinated approach to community safety with a focus on Fairhaven, and he expects to speak more about it over the next week.
Kirton said police and firefighters are checking wellness centers in the area every hour.
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“People in Fairhaven are going to see more police and fire, cruisers and so on. It doesn’t mean they’re responding to a call, it means they’re checking in at the wellness center every hour,” Kirton said.
He said he supports what the wellness center is doing.
“I think what’s happening inside the building is saving lives.”
Kirton said he is calling on the provincial government to take a look at the situation, noting that he wonders whether enough wrap-around services are being provided.
“I think the province needs to step up more.”
Kirten said he would like to see the community, the clergy, as well as Arcand and others come together to discuss these issues.
“We need more communication. We need more communication from the city as well. I don’t think people are aware that there are occasions where there are police and fire stops every hour at the wellness center.
He stressed that residents need to call the police if an incident occurs, noting that calls serve as data for officers.
