Saskatoon continues to see growing numbers of people living on our streets gripped by severe drug addiction or mental health challenges with few places to turn for treatment.

They live on our streets because either they refuse shelter or they are refused shelter because they threaten the safety of others. The result: the threat is unleashed into the community, where businesses and residents are tormented with acts of vandalism, petty crime, personal harassment and sometimes violence.

On June 27, the Saskatoon Chamber and Discover Saskatoon convened community leaders to address the issue. Data and insight provided by Chief Troy Cooper (Saskatoon Police Services), Assistant Chief Yvonne Raymer (Saskatoon Fire), Angela Sereda (Medavie), Drs. Morris Markentin and Larissa Kiesman (Community & Westside Clinic) and Tribal Chief Mark Arcand (Saskatoon Tribal Council) informed the discussion. Representatives from numerous community-based organizations, neighbourhood associations as well as Metis Nation Saskatchewan, were also present.

A broad consensus was reached on three urgent priorities:

1. 100 new addiction and/or mental health treatment beds to provide care for those with complex needs. This will give first responders and shelter providers another option to triage help, renew focus on treatment and recovery, and offer individuals an alternative path instead of returning to the streets.

2. Increased funding to shelter agencies providing baseline services. This will ensure the sector has the capacity to provide emergency shelter space as we approach Winter.

3. A summit, co-led by Provincial officials and the City of Saskatoon, to address gaps in the continuum of care afforded to those struggling with addiction and/or mental health challenges. A one-day summit is needed to identify (a) service deficits and (b) duplication in the community to ensure we are optimizing resources and organizations are working together as effectively as possible.

The Saskatoon Chamber and Discover Saskatoon are preparing a letter to the province and hope to see movement on these priorities for our city.

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