[00:00:02]
SO ALL OUR GOVERNMENTS AND PRIORITIES COMMITTEE MEETING FOR MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27TH,
[1. Opening Statement]
2021 TO ORDER AND I'D LIKE TO BEGIN BY ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE IS LOCATED IN CHIEF DRYGEESE TERRITORY.FROM TIME IMMEMORIAL, IT'S BEEN THE TRADITIONAL LAND AND THE CITY FIRST NATION.
WE RESPECT THE HISTORIES, LANGUAGES AND CULTURES OF ALL OTHER INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, INCLUDING THE [INAUDIBLE] AND ALL FIRST NATIONS, METI AND INUIT, WHOSE PRESENCE CONTINUES TO ENRICH OUR VIBRANT COMMUNITY.
MS. BASSI-KELLETT, ANYTHING FURTHER TO ADD TO THE AGENDA?
[2. Approval of the agenda.]
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR.[3. Disclosure of pecuniary interest and the general nature thereof.]
NEXT, WE HAVE DISCLOSURE OF PECUNIARY INTEREST IN THE GENERAL NATURE THEREOF.COUNCILLOR WILLIAMS? YEAH, THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.
WOULD LIKE TO DECLARE FOR ITEM NUMBER FOUR ON TODAY'S AGENDA, WHICH IS THE DAY SHELTER.
I'M THE NEW OWNER OF THE PROPERTY IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO THE PROPOSED LOCATION.
THE NORTHERN IMAGES BUILDING AND THE NEW LOCATION OF WHERE MY STORE IS GOING TO CURRENTLY OPERATE.
SO I THINK IT MAY BE A CONFLICT.
ANY OTHER PECUNIARY INTERESTS? SEEING NONE.
WITH THAT COUNCILLOR WILLIAMS, YOU CAN EXCUSE YOURSELF.
[4. A memorandum regarding whether to approve a Conditionally Permitted Use (Special Care Facility) on Lot 24, Block 28, Plan 65 (4709 50th Avenue) for a Day Shelter to be operated until October 31, 2024.]
NEXT, WE HAVE A MEMORANDUM REGARDING WHETHER TO APPROVE A CONDITIONALLY PERMITTED USE A SPECIAL CARE FACILITY ON LOT TWENTY FOUR BLOCK TWENTY EIGHT PLAN SIXTY FIVE, WHICH IS CIVIC ADDRESS 4709 50TH AVENUE, FOR A DAY SHELTER TO BE OPERATED UNTIL OCTOBER 31ST, 2024.AND I DO THINK EVERYBODY WHO HAS JOINED US TODAY, IT WILL BE A PRETTY LONG MEETING.
WE HAVE QUITE A FEW SPEAKERS, SO TO LET FOLKS KNOW I WILL PASS IT OVER MOMENTARILY TO MS. BASSI-KELLETT JUST TO INTRODUCE THE ITEM, AND THEN WE WILL GO TO PRESENTATION FROM THE GNWT ON THE PROJECT AND THEN COUNCILORS CAN ASK THE QUESTIONS.
THEN WE WILL HAVE PRESENTER MICHAEL FATZ AND EACH PRESENTER WILL HAVE TEN MINUTES TO TO ADDRESS COUNCIL.
THEN COUNCIL CAN ASK QUESTIONS.
SO WE'LL HAVE MICHAEL AND THEN ANESHA RAU, THEN JERRY SHARPE AND THEN THE YELLOWKNIFE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
SO AGAIN, EACH OF THOSE SPEAKERS WILL HAVE TEN MINUTES AND THEN COUNCIL CAN ASK THEM QUESTIONS IN BETWEEN.
WITH THAT, I WILL PASS IT OVER TO MS. BASSI-KELLETT FOR OPENING TO INTRODUCE THE DAN.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR.
YES, AS EVERYBODY KNOWS, THE GNWT IS SEEKING AN ADDITIONAL ALTERNATE SPACE UNTIL 2024 IN ORDER TO PROVIDE DAY SHELTER SERVICES TO THE VULNERABLE POPULATION IN YELLOWKNIFE.
GIVEN THE PRESSURES WE'RE CURRENTLY FACING FOR PHYSICAL DISTANCING IN OUR CURRENT COVID CONTEXT, THERE ARE LIMITS ON THE OPTIONS THAT CAN MEET THIS NEED.
GNWT IS SEEKING TO USE THE FORMER LEGION BUILDING AT 4709 50TH STREET FOR THIS PURPOSE.
THIS IS A CHALLENGING ISSUE FOR OUR COMMUNITY, BUT IT IS APPARENT THAT GOVERNMENTS, BUSINESSES, NGOS, CHURCHES ALL WANT TO COME TOGETHER TO FIND A RESPECTFUL, WORKABLE SOLUTION.
THE SHELTER SERVICES DO MEET THE TEST OF THE SPECIAL CARE FACILITY UNDER OUR EXISTING ZONING BYLAW AND THEREFORE REQUIRE COUNCIL TO CONSIDER THIS AS A CONDITIONALLY PERMITTED USE.
THE CITY HAS STEPPED UP IN THE MEANTIME TO PROVIDE EMERGENCY SPACE DURING THIS PARTICULARLY CHALLENGING TIME OF GATHERING ORDERS THROUGH THE USE OF THE YK COMMUNITY ARENA.
BUT THIS BUILDING IS EMERGENCY SHELTER AT BEST, AND IT'S NOT THE LONG TERM SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM.
SO TODAY WE ARE SEEKING THE OVERVIEW FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH THAT CAN DESCRIBE THEIR INTENTIONS AND HOW THEY SEEK TO OPERATE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR.
WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO THE GNWT, AND JOINING US TODAY WE HAVE SARA SCHAKOWSKY, JANICE GARVIN, PERRY HEATH AND WAS JENNY THOMPSON JOINING US? I WILL TURN IT OVER, THOUGH, TO PERRY.
ARE YOU LEADING THE PRESENTATION? OR SARAH? WHO'S TAKEN THE LEAD THERE? YEAH.
I'LL BE TAKING THE LEAD, SORRY, MY MICROPHONE WAS A LITTLE BIT DELAYED.
SO I'M GOING TO TRY SOMETHING WITH THE PRESENTATION, SO JUST GIVE ME A MINUTE THAT MAKES SURE EVERYBODY CAN SEE IT.
CAN YOU SEE MY SCREEN? OK? YES, IT'S GREAT.
SO THANK YOU, EVERYBODY FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO COUNCIL ABOUT OUR PROPOSED TEMPORARY SHELTER.
I'M GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THIS IS AND MAYBE WHAT THIS ISN'T.
THANK YOU, MR. AND MRS. MAYOR, FOR INTRODUCING A TEAM.
JUST I'LL JUST SUMMARIZE AGAIN.
SARAH SCHAKOWSKY IS THE DIRECTOR OF MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTIONS.
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JANICE GARVIN IS THE DIRECTOR OF MENTAL HEALTH AND COMMUNITY WELLNESS.JENNY THOMPSON IS THE SHELTER MANAGER, SITE SUPERVISOR FOR A FACILITY AND MYSELF.
I'M A DIRECTOR OF INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING.
THIS PROPOSAL IS ON THE TABLE BECAUSE OF PRESSURES WE'RE FEELING FROM COVID.
WE REDUCED CAPACITY AT THE EXISTING SOBERING CENTER DAY SHELTER, AND WE NEED A PLACE TO ADD ADDITIONAL CAPACITY FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE A EMERGENCY SHELTER.
THIS SHELTER IS A PLACE TO GIVE PEOPLE WARM.
WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS IS NOT AN IDEAL SITUATION, AND UNFORTUNATELY, WE'RE NOT NECESSARILY IN A SITUATION WHERE WE CAN WAIT FOR IDEALS.
WE HAVE TO GET A SOLUTION THAT GIVES PEOPLE THE BASIC NEEDS SHELTER, FOOD, WASHROOM, EMERGENCY SERVICES.
THIS IS NOT A TREATMENT FACILITY.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT HERE AT A TIMELINE.
WE'RE SAYING WE NEEDED IMMEDIATELY UNTIL OCTOBER 2024.
THE REASON WHY WE HAVE THAT DATE THERE IS WE WANT TO HOLD OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE IN TERMS OF BUILDING A PERMANENT SOLUTION.
WE'RE HOPING TO HAVE A PERMANENT SOLUTION IN PLACE FOLLOWING THE APPROPRIATE RULES, THE BYLAWS AND DESIGN AND TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS BEFORE THIS DATE.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT IF WE DON'T, THAT WILL HAVE TO COME BACK TO COUNCIL.
WE'LL HAVE TO GIVE 90 DAYS NOTICE AND WE'LL HAVE TO EXPLAIN THE SITUATION.
WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT? WE ARE PREPARED TO BE ACCOUNTABLE.
WE NEED TO DO WHATEVER WE CAN TO GET GET THIS SHELTER IN PLACE.
SO I'LL JUST MOVE FORWARD A LITTLE BIT.
YOU CAN SEE THE FACILITY IS PLANNED ON THE INTERSECTION OF FRANKLIN AVENUE AND 48TH STREET.
WE UNDERSTAND AND ACKNOWLEDGE THIS IS A VERY BUSY PART OF TOWN, AND THERE IS ALSO NOT A LOT OF OUTDOOR SPACE AROUND HERE.
WE'VE TAKEN THIS INTO CONSIDERATION IN THE PLAN AND WE'RE GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT TODAY.
HOPEFULLY, I'LL GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO MITIGATE SOME OF THOSE THINGS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THE ACTUAL LOCATION OF THIS NOT NECESSARILY NEED TO BE A NEGATIVE THING WE CAN.
IF WE CAN WORK TOGETHER, WE CAN FIND A WAY TO MAKE SOME POSITIVES HERE.
SO THREE PITCHERS ON THIS SLIDE, THE FIRST ONE IS THE VIEW FROM 48TH STREET.
PREDOMINANTLY, WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING TO DO HERE IS HAVE AN EMERGENCY EXIT.
WE'RE NOT PLANNING TO HAVE AN IN AND OUT OR ANYTHING.
THIS IS LITERALLY CLOSING FOR AN EMERGENCY WAY TO GET OUT OF THE BUILDING.
THE CENTER PICTURE IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE FROM 50TH AVENUE.
I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL HERE WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING TO DO AT THAT SPOT.
AND THEN THE LAST PICTURE IS THE VIEW FROM THE ALLEY.
AND AGAIN, WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
JUST GETTING INTO THE SITE PLAN, YOU CAN SEE THIS ONE IS MARKED UP WITH QUITE A BIT OF DETAIL AND HOPEFULLY YOU CAN SEE IT FROM YOUR SCREENS.
BUT ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING AS THREE ENTRANCES IN THE FACILITY, THE MAIN ENTRANCE, WHICH IS DESIGNATE HERE, WILL BE THE PRIMARY WAY IN AND OUT OF THE BUILDING.
THE SECONDARY ENTRANCE IS, WELL, ACTUALLY FUNCTION AS AN EXIT AND A SECONDARY ENTRANCE.
AND THE INTENT HERE IS THAT ANYBODY WHO HAS ACCESSIBILITY CHALLENGES WILL COME IN THROUGH AN ACCESSIBLE RAMP ON THE, FROM THE ALLEY.
AND THEN THE FINAL ONE EXIT WAS PREDOMINANTLY JUST FOR THE EMERGENCY EXITS.
IT SHOULDN'T BE USED ON A NORMAL COURSE OF ACTION.
YOU CAN SEE HERE FROM THE DETAIL THAT WE'RE PROPOSING SOME CHANGES OUT FRONT, AND WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE MAY HAVE TO WORK WITH THE CITY TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY THE TECHNICAL DETAILS AROUND THIS.
BUT WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING TO DO IS TO INSTALL A JERSEY BARRIER OR SOME OTHER MECHANISM.
IF IF WE DEEM APPROPRIATE TO LIMIT VEHICLES CRACKING HERE, ELIMINATE THIS AS A DRIVABLE LANE.
AND THE INTENTION AROUND THAT IS TO MINIMIZE ANY POTENTIAL RISK OF SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, TRIPPING, FALLING, STUMBLING WHILE THEY'RE GOING IN AND OUT OF THE BUILDING.
SO THIS CAN BE SOMEWHAT OF A PROTECTED AREA.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT OUR COMMITMENT TO KEEP THIS AREA TO MANAGE THE SNOW CLEARING, TO KEEP THIS AREA CLEAN, TO NOT BE A BURDEN ON THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE.
WE ABSOLUTELY COMMIT TO DO THAT.
WE'RE GOING TO USE OUR PARTNERS THAT WE HAVE IN THE CITY.
COMMON GROUND WILL LIKELY BE ENGAGED.
I IMAGINE MICHAEL MIGHT BE QUITE INTERESTED IN HELPING US OUT HERE TO TRY TO KEEP THESE AREAS CLEAN.
WE'RE GOING TO ASK FOR SOME MOVING OF SOME SIGNAGE TEMPORARILY WHILE THE FACILITY IS OPENING AND JUST DESIGNATION THAT WE CAN HAVE THIS AS AN EXTENSION TO THE SIDEWALK SO WE COULD PROTECT THE THE INTEREST IN THE SAFETY OF EVERYBODY WHO'S USING THE FACILITY AND WALKING ALONG THAT SIDEWALK.
YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE'S NOT A LOT OF OUTDOOR SPACE, AND PREDOMINANTLY BECAUSE THIS BUILDING TAKES UP THE ENTIRE LOT THAT NOT NEED NECESSARILY BE A BAD THING.
[00:10:02]
OUR SERVICES ARE PLANNED TO BE INSIDE.WE'LL TALK ABOUT THOSE IN A FEW MINUTES, BUT THIS IS HOW WE'RE GOING TO FOCUS OUR EFFORTS ON THE INSIDE AND TRY TO DISCOURAGE USE OF THE FACILITY ON THE OUTSIDE.
JUST TALK A LITTLE BIT OF MORE DETAIL ABOUT WHAT THE OUTSIDE LOOKS.
YOU CAN, I'VE ACTUALLY BORROWED THIS SLIDE FROM THE COUNCIL MEMO PACKAGE, AND THIS GIVES A BIT OF A VIEW OF SOME OF THE OPTIONS THAT WE'RE GOING TO ENTERTAIN ABOUT.
THESE ACTUAL MEASURES HERE PROBABLY WON'T WORK IN THE WINTER, OR WE'LL HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHAT THE BEST PLAN IS FOR THAT.
BUT THE ACCESSIBLE PARKING STYLE IS TO BE REMOVED, AND THE LOADING ZONES WILL BE ESSENTIALLY REMOVED TO GIVE US AN EXTENSION TO THE SIDEWALK TO HELP IN.
TALK A LITTLE BETTER USER ACCESSIBILITY, SO THE BACK OF THE BUILDING IS GOING TO BE A TIGHT FIT FOR ANY.
WE SUBMITTED DRAWINGS WITH THE PERMIT APPLICATION AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE A COMMITMENT TO DO HAVE THIS PROFESSIONALLY ENGINEERED, HAVE AN ARCHITECT AND AN ENGINEER TO GET THROUGH THE DETAILS.
BUT ESSENTIALLY, WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN HERE IN THE BACK OF THE BUILDING IS THIS EXISTING STAIRWELL WILL BE REMOVED.
THERE WILL BE A WHEELCHAIR RAMP THAT GETS PUT INTO PLACE.
THAT WHEELCHAIR RAMP WILL IMPEDE A LITTLE BIT ON THE ASPHALT.
I'LL JUST SHOW YOU HERE, IT WILL COME OUT A LITTLE BIT.
DEPENDING ON HOW THE FINAL CONFIGURATION IS, BUT IT'S NOT PREDICTED THE PROJECTED TO IMPACT THE TRAFFIC FLOW BACK AND FORTH INTO THE ALLEYWAY.
WE WILL ALSO HAVE TO MAKE AN ARRANGEMENTS ON THE EXISTING DUMPSTER THAT IS THERE.
IT WON'T FIT WITHIN THE PLAN THAT WE'RE DOING AND WE'RE GOING TO WORK, WE HAVE A COMMITMENT TO WORK WITH THE CONTRACTOR TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE BEST SOLUTION IS TO HANDLE THE WASTE LOAD IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO WE UNDERSTAND THESE PIECES.
WE ALSO DO UNDERSTAND THE TIMELINES AROUND HAVING THE THE STAIRWELL CONSTRUCTED.
THE OWNER OF THE BUILDING HAS OFFERED TO HAVE CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTING SERVICES TO DO THAT AS SOON AS WE GET APPROVAL TO GO FORWARD.
WE WILL DO THE NECESSARY BUILDING PERMITS TO GET THE COMMITMENT TO GET THOSE PIECES TAKEN CARE OF.
JUST GOING TO TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO WALK THROUGH THE OPERATIONAL APPROACH.
SO WE'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY THROUGH THE WELLNESS AND RECOVERY CENTER PLANNING TO ENGAGE A FAIRLY COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE USING THE FACILITY.
WE HAD TWO SEPARATE ENGAGEMENTS, BOTH OF WHICH WERE WE WERE AT THE MAXIMUM CAPACITY.
WE WERE LIMITED BY 25 PEOPLE IN THE BUILDING AT THE TIME.
WE WERE AT CAPACITY IN OUR FIRST MEETING WHERE WE TALKED ABOUT THE WELLNESS RECOVERY CENTER AND THE PROGRAM FOR THAT FACILITY.
AND THEN WE HAD A SUBSEQUENT ONE FOLLOW UP WHERE I WOULD SAY PROBABLY TWO THIRDS OF THE PEOPLE WERE DIFFERENT FROM THE POPULATION IS GOING TO BE SERVED HERE.
AND WE TALKED ABOUT THE OPERATIONAL PHILOSOPHY AND GOT FEEDBACK FROM THAT GROUP.
A COUPLE OF THINGS EMERGED FROM THAT THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO TRY TO LEVERAGE THIS FACILITY TO DO.
THEY TALKED ABOUT THE NEED FOR A NOISY ZONE.
THERE'S PEOPLE WHO COME IN FRESH FROM THE STREET WHO YOU KNOW, ARE IN A SITUATION OR IN A MOOD THAT THEY WANT TO ENGAGE WITH THEIR PEERS.
THEY WANT TO BE TALKING, THEY WANT TO SIT AND HAVE COFFEE, AND THEY ESSENTIALLY THEY WANT TO BE NOISY AND THEY NEED A PLACE TO DO THAT.
SO WE'RE LUCKY ENOUGH THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED IN THIS FACILITY, WHICH IS GENERALLY OPEN, THAT WE CAN HAVE SOME AREAS WHERE PEOPLE ARE FREE TO BE NOISY, BUT WE'RE ALSO LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE A QUIET ZONE.
AND ANYBODY WHO'S BEEN IN THIS BUILDING KNOWS THAT QUIET ZONE IS ACTUALLY DECORATED LIKE A CABIN.
THERE IS WOOD TIMBER ON THE WALL.
WHAT ACTUALLY DOES QUITE A GOOD JOB OF A SOUND ATTENUATION, AND IT'S QUIETER IN THAT SPACE.
SO THE INTENTION HERE IS TO RUN A NOISY SIDE OF THE PROGRAM AND THEN A QUIET SIDE OF THE PROGRAM.
THESE WILL BE DISTINCT AND SEPARATE FROM THE FOOD DISTRIBUTION.
THERE IS A WANT TO BE CLEAR THERE IS NO FOOD COOKING PREPARATION THIS FACILITY.
WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES WE RAN INTO WHEN WE HAVE A DETAILED SITE VISIT? IS THERE IS NO WORKING APPLIANCES IN THIS BUILDING, SO THE INTENT IS WE WILL DO FOOD DISTRIBUTIONS, COFFEE, PERHAPS THOSE TYPES OF THINGS, BUT WE WILL HAVE TO GET SUPPORT TO BRING FOOD INTO FACILITY.
THERE IS WASHROOMS HERE FOR SHELTER USERS ON THE FLOOR, SOMEWHAT SEPARATED FROM THE NOISY ZONE AND THE QUIET ZONE.
YOU'LL ALSO NOTICE THAT WE POINTED OUT WE HAVE OUTREACH SPACES.
THESE OUTREACH SPACES CAN CAN BE WHATEVER THEY NEED TO BE.
WE'VE HAD COMMUNITY OUTREACH NURSES OPERATING IN THE SIDE DOOR FACILITY.
WE EXPECT THAT THOSE PROGRAMS WILL WILL EMERGE AND GROW AS AS WE GET ON THE SPACE.
MAYBE I'LL JUST GIVE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR JENNA OR JENNY TO MAYBE TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE OPTIONS WE HAD AND OUTREACH AND PROGRAMING.
ARE YOU GUYS AROUND? CAN YOU CAN YOU TURN YOUR MICS ON FOR A SECOND, PLEASE? YEAH.
CAN YOU HEAR US? JENNY AND I ARE HERE TOGETHER.
[00:15:01]
YEAH.SO IN ADDITION TO THE OUTREACH NURSES, WE HAVE ALSO PLANNED AND ENGAGE WITH OUR MENTAL HEALTH TEAM TO INCLUDE MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING IN THE OUTREACH SERVICES THAT ARE PROVIDED, AS WELL AS CASE MANAGEMENT THROUGH ICM AND CASE MANAGEMENT THROUGH OUR ADULT SERVICES PROGRAM.
SO THERE'S DEFINITELY A PLAN TO TO ENHANCE AND EXPAND ON SOME OF THE SERVICES THAT WERE BEING PROVIDED AT THE MINE SAFETY BUILDING.
OH, YEAH, SOME OTHER PROGRAMING THAT WE DID WAS A LOT OF TRADITIONAL CRAFTS, SO WE DID BEADING TWICE A WEEK WITH OUR CLIENTELE AND WE ALSO HAVE PARTNERED WITH NATIVE WOMEN'S AND THEY CAME IN AND DID THE HOME MAKING WITH US.
ALSO, IT'D BE NICE TO GET KIND OF SOME PEOPLE IN FOR EMPLOYMENT STILL WORKING, MAYBE WITH MICHAEL FAT ON HELPING EMPLOY PEOPLE DO SOME RESUME BUILDING.
LIKE A SHARING CIRCLE, WE HAD SHARING CIRCLE ONCE A WEEK AS WELL WITH TRADITIONAL COUNSELOR.
SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE WERE DOING IN THE MINE SAFETY BUILDING BEFORE IT CLOSED.
YEAH, AND I GUESS THE INTENTION HERE IN THIS FACILITY IS TO TAKE THE LESSONS LEARNED FROM THOSE FACILITIES, TAKE THE LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE WELLNESS RECOVERY WORK THAT WE DID AND ENHANCE AND POSITION THIS ONE TO BE THAT.
I MEAN, WE UNDERSTAND THERE'S CONSTRAINTS THE BUILDING DOES NOT THERE'S NO OUTDOOR SPACE AND WE HAVE TO MAKE THE BEST USE OF WHAT WE HAVE HERE.
THE GOOD NEWS IS THIS FACILITY IS LARGER THAN THE OTHER ONE.
IT'S QUITE OPEN AND WE DON'T HAVE TO DO ANY RENOVATIONS ON THE INSIDE.
LIKELY WHAT WE'LL DO IS MAYBE TAKE OUT THERE IS SOME DECORATIVE GLASS ON THE INSIDE THAT WILL LIKELY REMOVE, BUT WE'RE NOT WE'RE NOT PROPOSING ANY SIGNIFICANT OR ANY RENOVATIONS.
JUST TO TALK QUICKLY ABOUT THE BOTTOM FLOOR.
SO ESSENTIALLY, THE BOTTOM FLOOR WILL NOT BE ACCESSIBLE BY USERS OF THE FACILITY UNLESS THEY'RE ACCOMPANIED BY A STAFF MEMBER.
WE HAVE A SHELTER USING USER STORAGE SPACE AND WE HAVE LAUNDRY AND WE HAVE A STAFF WASHROOM DOWNSTAIRS.
SO ESSENTIALLY, IF SOMEONE HAS THEIR PERSONAL EFFECTS THAT THEY WANT TO LEAVE IN A SAFE SPACE OVERNIGHT, WE HAVE A SPACE FOR THAT DOWNSTAIRS.
PART OF THE REASON WHY WE DESIGNATED THIS AREA LIKE THAT AND SO PEOPLE CAN FEEL SAFE AND COMFORTABLE DOWN THERE, AND IT CAN BE BEHIND A LOCKED DOOR AND THEY CAN BE ASSURED THAT THEIR MATERIALS WILL BE THERE WHEN THEY COME BACK.
A LOOK FROM THE REST OF US REALLY IS REALLY GOING TO BE PREDOMINANTLY STORAGE AND LAUNDRY FOR FREE FOR USERS.
IT'S INTERESTING HOW THROUGH THE WELLNESS RECOVERY SESSIONS WE HAD AND EVEN USE AT THIS FACILITY, HOW THE LEVEL OF IMPORTANCE THAT THE USERS PUT ON THIS AND SAYING THAT NORMALLY THEY WOULD CARRY A 50 OR 60 OR 100 POUND BACKPACK ALL AROUND WITH EVERYTHING THAT THEY OWNED IN THAT PACK.
AND THIS ALLOWED THEM TO LITERALLY TAKE THE BURDEN OFF THEIR SHOULDERS AND ALLOW THEIR MATERIAL BE HERE SO THEY CAN COME BACK AND THEY CAN GET IT LATER.
BUT JUST TO LITERALLY TAKE THE WEIGHT OFF THE SHOULDERS.
IT'S IT'S A SMALL THING, BUT IN LIGHT OF THE SITUATION, IT REALLY STOOD OUT AS BEING AN IMPORTANT THING.
WE TALKED ABOUT IN OUR APPLICATION ABOUT MITIGATION STRATEGIES AND THE COMMUNITY SAFETY ELEMENTS.
THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE'RE COMMITTING TO DO AND AS A PART OF THE APPLICATION.
ONE OF THE ELEMENTS IS THE CLIENT RESPONSIBILITY BRIEFING.
SO EVERYBODY WHO COMES IN THE FACILITY WILL BE BRIEFED.
SO THIS IS HOW THIS FACILITY OPERATES IN HERE, INSIDE THE WALLS OF THIS FACILITY AND AROUND THE OUTSIDE THE DOORS.
YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES ARE SUCH AND YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO TO THE COMMUNITY.
YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO THE NEIGHBORS OF THE FACILITY AND THAT WILL BE REINFORCED.
THERE IS A THERE'S A COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY MEETINGS, MEETINGS WITH USERS, GOOD NEIGHBORS AND A MECHANISM AND AN AVENUE TO ADDRESS ISSUES AS THEY ARISE.
THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT INCREASED HOURLY PRESENCE.
THE COMMITMENT IS TO DO HOURLY PATROLS AROUND THE GENERAL AREA, TO DO SITUATION ESCALATION, TO ENGAGE OUR RCMP AS AS NECESSARY.
ONE OF THE KEY ELEMENTS THAT WAS IDENTIFIED AT THE OTHER FACILITY IS THE IMPORTANCE OF EARLY INTERVENTION AND HOW THAT'S A KEY PILLAR IN MAKING THIS WORK.
AND YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT SAYING WE'RE ONLY GOING TO PATROL AROUND THE 30 METER RADIUS THAT WAS DEFINED AS THE NEIGHBORS.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ENGAGING AND PATROLLING THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
KEEPING KEEPING IN MIND THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A RESOURCE INTENSIVE PLAN THAT WE'RE GOING FORWARD AND WE HAVE TO BE COGNIZANT OF.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE EVERYWHERE IN THE COMMUNITY, AND WE UNDERSTAND THERE'S CHALLENGES ON MANY DIFFERENT CORNERS OF YELLOWKNIFE.
BUT OUR COMMITMENT IS TO DO THE BEST WE CAN.
[00:20:01]
OUR COMMITMENT IS TO INCREASE AND OPEN ONGOING COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE NEIGHBORS AND TO DO THAT ON AN ONGOING BASIS.WE TALK ABOUT INCIDENT MANAGEMENT AND ESSENTIALLY THERE'S A COMMITMENT THAT WHEN AN INCIDENT OCCURS, THAT AND A SHELTER, IF A VISITOR OR USER NEEDS TO BE REMOVED, THE TEAM WILL DEVELOP A PLAN ON HOW THEY MANAGE THAT INDIVIDUAL GOING FORWARD AND GETTING THOSE PIECES STRAIGHTENED OUT.
JENNY TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUTREACH IN HOW WE SEE HOW THE OUTREACH THINGS CAN GROW, AND I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES THERE, PARTICULARLY IF WE CAN ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY AND WHAT I MEAN BY COMMUNITY.
I MEAN, IT'S EVERYBODY IN YELLOWKNIFE TO HELP SUPPORT THIS.
JENNY, JENNA, DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD? OR MAYBE SARAH? YEAH, I JUST WANT TO TOUCH ON KIND OF SOME OF THE SUCCESSES WE HAD AT THE MINE SAFETY BUILDING.
A BIG PART OF WHAT WE DO IS BUILDING THE RELATIONSHIPS AND HAVING MUTUAL RESPECT WITH CLIENTELE AND MEETING THEM WHERE THEY'RE AT AND ALSO BEING REALLY OPEN AND HELPING THEM MANAGE THEIR EMOTIONS AND HELP THEM.
JUST HELP THEM GET THEIR DIGNITY AND RESPECT AND HAVING THEM HAVE A SAFE PLACE TO GO.
I FEEL MY STAFF THAT HELPED ME RUN THE MINE SAFETY BUILDING REALLY ACTUALLY CARE ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ACCESSING THESE SERVICES AND THEY WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND WE WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE COMMUNITY AS WELL.
IT'S NOT JUST SAFETY FOR THE PEOPLE IN YELLOWKNIFE, BUT IT'S ALSO THE SAFETY FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ACCESSING THESE SERVICES.
AND I FEEL IT WAS A HUGE SUCCESS AT OUR MINE SAFETY BUILDING.
WE DID HAVE SOME INCIDENTS, BUT WE HAD A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH OBERLANDER AND THEY REACHED OUT TO US WHENEVER THEY NEEDED HELP AND IT WAS WITHIN SECONDS THAT WE WERE OVER THERE HELPING.
AND I THINK THOSE RELATIONSHIPS ARE IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT'S NOT REACHING OUT TO THE POLICE.
IT'S LIKE OUR RELATIONSHIP THAT WE HAVE WITH THE PEOPLE THERE AND.
DE-ESCALATING AND MEETING THEM WHERE THEY AT AND ACTUALLY SEEING WHAT'S GOING ON AND FIGURING OUT HOW WE COULD HELP THEM.
SO JUST MOVING ON A LITTLE BIT, SO IN THE COUNCIL MEMBER MEMO, THERE WAS REFERENCE TO COMMITMENTS THAT WE NEEDED TO MAKE FROM AS A DEPARTMENT.
AND SO JUST I WANT TO SUMMARIZE AND MAYBE JUST REITERATE, WE'RE COMMITTING TO A WRITTEN COMPLAINT.
CONFLICT RESOLUTION PROCESS FINDING A WAY TO DO THAT.
DO WE KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AT THIS POINT IN TIME? NO.
BUT WE HAVE A COMMITMENT FROM US TO SORT THROUGH AND DO THAT.
WE HAVE A COMMITMENT TO DEVELOPING COMMUNICATION TOOLS TO BE USED BY FACILITY AND ADMINISTRATION GOING FORWARD.
WE'RE MAKING A COMMITMENT TO APPROPRIATE SURVEILLANCE OUTSIDE THE FACILITY AND WITHIN THE ADJACENT COMMUNITY AREA.
AGAIN, KEEPING IN MIND OUR RESOURCE CONSTRAINTS, WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL NOT TO OVERCOMMIT AND NOT TO SAY WE'RE NOT GOING TO REACH EVERY CORNER OF THE FACILITY, BUT WE'RE GOING TO DO THE BEST WE CAN.
THERE'S A COMMITMENT TO MAINTAIN THE PUBLIC AREAS AROUND THE BUILDING, YOU KNOW, MANAGING.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO MANAGE THE GARBAGE IN THE WASTE COLLECTION.
WE TALKED ABOUT ENGAGING COMMON GROUND TO HELP US WITH SNOW CLEARING AND KEEP AN EYE ON THE PROPERTY AROUND US.
AND THERE'S A COMMITMENT FROM OUR GROUP TO WHERE, YOU KNOW, HAS BEST WE CAN TO HAVE APPROPRIATE STAFFING LEVELS TO MANAGE TO MANAGE THE LOAD.
I THINK WE'VE DISPLAYED THAT AT THE MINE RESCUE BUILDING THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT FROM THE GNWT.
SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT FROM THE NTHSSA TO SUPPORT THE OPERATION OF THAT FACILITY.
JUST GOING TO TURN OVER THE THE NEXT SLIDE TO SARA.
THIS IS TALK ABOUT HOW THIS IS A COG IN THE OVERALL CONTINUUM OF SUPPORTS.
YEAH, I THINK WE JUST WANTED TO JUST KIND OF MENTION, I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, CONCERN OVER THE PAST YEAR THAT WE'VE BEEN SEARCHING FOR A LOCATION FOR THIS TEMPORARY SHELTER.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HEARD A LOT OF CONCERN ABOUT THE NEED FOR SOMETHING THAT IS A SOLUTION AND HELPS MOVE PEOPLE OUT OF HOMELESSNESS AND SOMETHING THAT'S NOT JUST LIKE A BAND-AID SOLUTION, BUT SOMETHING THAT'S LIKE A PERMANENT ACTUAL SOLUTION TO THIS ISSUE.
AND WE JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT IN OUR OPINION AND IN WHAT WE KNOW TO BE THE EVIDENCE THIS THIS TYPE OF SHELTER A DAY SHELTER IS A HUGE PART OF DOING THAT WORK.
IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO CONNECT WITH PEOPLE TO DEVELOP THOSE RELATIONSHIPS
[00:25:02]
THAT JENNY SPOKE TO.IF YOU DON'T HAVE A PLACE TO HAVE THEM GO RIGHT, IF YOU'RE HAVING TO WALK AROUND AND TRY TO FIND PEOPLE ON THE STREETS AND THEY'RE IN A MUCH LESS STABLE SITUATION, IT'S MUCH MORE DIFFICULT TO DO THAT WORK TO CONNECT PEOPLE WITH RESOURCES.
WHEN WE KNOW THAT FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WE'VE BEEN, WE'VE BEEN OPERATING, TRYING TO CONNECT WITH PEOPLE AND TRYING TO SUPPORT PEOPLE WITHOUT A LOCATION FOR A NUMBER OF MONTHS NOW, AND IT DOES HAVE AN IMPACT.
AND SO AS MUCH AS THE PURPOSE OF A SHELTER IS TO PROVIDE SHELTER AND TO SAVE PEOPLE'S LIVES AND SHELTER THEM FROM THE ELEMENTS AND MEET THEIR MOST BASIC NEEDS.
IT IS ALSO A PLACE WHERE WE DEVELOP TRUST AND WHERE WE DEVELOP RELATIONSHIP WITH PEOPLE, AND IT IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL TO BEING ABLE TO CONNECT THEM TO THOSE OTHER, THOSE OTHER RESOURCES.
SO I JUST WANT TO TOUCH ON THAT.
SO JUST TO TALK ABOUT THE LAST LITTLE PIECE IS AND THE COMMITMENT TO THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND THE NEIGHBORS THAT ARE AROUND TO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE COMMITTED TO MAKE THIS WORK TO DO THE BEST WE CAN TO ADDRESS PEOPLE'S CONCERNS.
WHAT WE NEED IS A COMMITMENT OF SUPPORT FROM THE BROADER COMMUNITY TO MAKE SURE THESE UNDER INTERVIEWED INDIVIDUALS HAVE A SAFE, WARM PLACE TO GO THIS WINTER.
THE THE JOURNEY OF THIS SHELTER HAS BEEN PORTRAYED IN THE MEDIA OR DOCUMENTED IN THE MEDIA.
THIS HAS BEEN A LONG, TWISTY, TURNY ROAD FOR US.
THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CRITICISM, A LOT OF COMMENTS THAT WE SHOULD HAVE DONE BETTER.
WE SHOULD HAVE DONE OTHER THINGS.
THE SITUATION IN FRONT OF US IS WITHIN WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
THAT'S WILLINGNESS OF TO DO THIS.
ONE STAND OUT OF SOMEONE WHO SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT, I'M WILLING TO OFFER UP THIS FACILITY AND THIS IS OUR LAST CHANCE THIS CAN WORK.
IF YOU YOU HEARD THE COMMENTS, PEOPLE PROBABLY READ THE COMMENTS ABOUT JORDAN ABOUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING AT THE MINE RESCUE BUILDING, IT WASN'T ALL BAD.
HE'S INDICATED IT CAN WORK, BUT WE NEED SUPPORT FROM THE COMMUNITY TO MAKE IT HAPPEN IF WE DON'T GO AHEAD ON THIS.
I'M NOT SURE WHERE WE'RE GOING TO TURN NEXT.
AND I JUST WANT THAT TO BE CLEAR WITH EVERYBODY THAT.
NO, THIS IS OUR, YOU KNOW, THIS IS OUR BEST OPPORTUNITY.
SARAH, I JUST, I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE MENTIONING THERE, PERRY AND I JUST WANT TO ADD TO IT AND REALLY JUST REITERATE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE EVIDENCE THAT THIS CAN WORK AND THE LOCATION THAT THE MINE RESCUE OR MINE SAFETY BUILDING LAST WINTER, WHILE THERE WERE INCIDENTS FOR SURE, THERE WERE INCIDENTS.
BUT GENERALLY SPEAKING, IT WAS A SUCCESS, AND WE'VE HEARD THAT FROM SOMEBODY WHO WAS AN EXTREMELY CLOSE NEIGHBOR THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WERE GOOD TO WORK WITH.
YOU KNOW, WHEN THERE WERE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARTNERSHIP THERE AS WELL, RIGHT? LIKE OBERLANDER DID, LIKE A COAT DRIVE FOR FOLKS.
AND SO I THINK IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT THAT WE KEEP IN MIND WHAT ARE THE OPPORTUNITIES AND WHAT ARE THE POSSIBILITIES WITH THIS LOCATION? THIS COULD BE A REALLY GOOD THING FOR BUSINESSES AROUND THERE, RIGHT? LIKE WE NEED MEALS FOR PEOPLE.
MAYBE WE DO A SMOOTHIE DAY ONCE EVERY COUPLE OF WEEKS FROM THE SMOOTHIE BAR NEXT DOOR.
LIKE, IT'S NOT TO SAY THAT ANYBODY WANTS TO DO THAT WITH US, BUT IT'S JUST TO SAY THAT THIS THIS CAN BE A REALLY POSITIVE THING FOR THE COMMUNITY.
IT CAN HELP TO MEND RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, AND I THINK WE'RE OPEN TO BEING FLEXIBLE.
WE'RE COMMITTED TO WORKING WITH PEOPLE.
WE KNOW THAT THIS CAN WORK AND THAT WE CAN MAKE THIS A SUCCESS, BUT WE NEED THAT SUPPORT.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT A BUILDING AND WHERE IS THE LOCATION AND WHAT'S THE RIGHT LOCATION FOR IT.
AND I THINK THAT WHAT WE REALLY NEED TO FOCUS ON IS THAT THIS IS ACTUALLY ABOUT PEOPLE.
THIS IS ACTUALLY ABOUT TRYING TO SUPPORT MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY WHO NEED OUR HELP AND NEED OUR SUPPORT.
AND WE'RE COMMITTED TO DOING THAT AND WE REALLY HOPE THAT EVERYBODY ELSE CAN BE COMMITTED TO WORKING WITH US TOWARDS THAT END.
IF IT'S NOT MUCH TOO MUCH TROUBLE LIKE THE ADULTS, THE COUNSELORS, JUST FOR A QUICK STORY.
I HAD THE ABSOLUTE GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH THESE PEOPLE ON THE PLANNING FOR THE WELLNESS AND RECOVERY CENTER, AND I WAS SITTING IN THE ROOM OF PROBABLY WILL SAY, 25 PEOPLE BECAUSE THAT'S THE PERFECT COVID NUMBER.
AND AND I WAS GOING AROUND THE ROOM AND ASKING PEOPLE, SO IF YOU HAD A FACILITY, YOU KNOW WHAT? WHAT WOULD YOU WANT TO SEE IN IT? AND THERE WAS A VERY POLITE GENTLEMAN WHO LOOKED AT ME AND SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT? I DON'T WANT VERY MUCH.
I WANT TO DRY, CLEAN PAIR OF SOCKS.
SO IN A WORLD SUCH AS THE ONE THAT WE LIVE IN, GIVEN SOMEONE A WARM, DRY PLACE TO SPEND A DAY OR A FEW HOURS TO MAYBE GET A BIT OF REST AND A CLEAN, DRY PAIR OF SOCKS, I DON'T BELIEVE IT'S TOO MUCH TO ASK FOR.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION AND FURTHER DETAIL ON THIS PROJECT.
OPENING IT UP TO COUNCILLORS FOR QUESTIONS.
[00:30:03]
LET'S HOLD OUR COMMENTS TILL THE END BECAUSE WE HAVE A BUNCH OF SPEAKERS, SO JUST QUESTIONS.SO WE'LL START WITH COUNCILLOR KONGE, THEN COUNCILLOR PAYNE.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I NOTED IN THE PRESENTATION THAT THAT YOU'RE COMMITTING TO FIXING DAMAGE TO MUNICIPAL MUNICIPAL PROPERTY, BUT WE AS A COUNCIL RECEIVE A LOT OF COMMENTS FROM NEIGHBORING PROPERTIES ABOUT DAMAGE THAT ALREADY HAPPENS.
PEOPLE WHO ARE LOOKING FOR THOSE DRY, WARM PLACES TO SLEEP AT NIGHT, BREAKING OPEN DOORS AND WINDOWS AND THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.
AND THEY FEEL QUITE STRONGLY THAT THIS WILL INCREASE THOSE INCIDENCES.
SO WHAT COMMITMENT IS THERE TO THE NEIGHBORS ABOUT INCREASE IN THEIR PROPERTY DAMAGE? I'LL PUSH IT TO YOU FIRST, AND THEN YOU CAN DIRECT TO YOUR TEAM.
UNFORTUNATELY, DOWNTOWN YELLOWKNIFE, THESE TYPES OF THINGS HAPPENING.
I LIVE DOWNTOWN THAT IT HAPPENS TO MY FACILITY, THE PLACE THAT I LIVE IN.
OUR COMMITMENT IS WITHIN THE REACH OF A REASONABLE FOOTPRINT FOR THIS FACILITY AND THINGS THAT ARE WITHIN OUR CONTROL IN LOOKING AT SOME OF THE CONVERSATIONS ONLINE PEOPLE WERE TALKING ABOUT FROM YEARS AGO.
THESE GLASSES BEING BROKEN IN THEIR BUILDINGS, IT'S IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO PINPOINT ANY ONE INDIVIDUAL FACILITY AND THE LOCATION OF THIS FACILITY AS BEING THE SOURCE OF ALL THAT DAMAGE.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT THOSE THINGS HAPPEN NOW WITHOUT THE FACILITY, AND WE WOULD PROBABLY SUGGEST THAT THOSE TYPES OF THINGS WOULD BE MINIMIZED OR REDUCED WITH THIS FACILITY BECAUSE PREDOMINANTLY IT GIVES A PLACE TO PEOPLE TO GO, A PLACE TO GO.
SARA, DO YOU WANT TO ADD TO THAT? YEAH, THE ONLY THING I GET THAT, THAT'S A CONCERN FOR SURE.
WE'VE HEARD THOSE CONCERNS, AND WHAT I CAN SAY IS THAT THOSE WERE CONCERNS THAT WERE VOICED WHEN WE WENT IN THE MINE RESCUE BUILDING AS WELL.
THERE WERE COMMENTS MADE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN OBERLANDER GETS ALL THEIR WINDOWS SMASHED OUT.
YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A LOT OF SORT OF ASSUMPTIONS THAT BAD THINGS WERE GOING TO HAPPEN, BUT IT DIDN'T ACTUALLY PLAY OUT.
THOSE THINGS DIDN'T ACTUALLY HAPPEN.
SO, YOU KNOW, IF IF UNFORTUNATE THINGS LIKE THAT DO HAPPEN, THEN I GUESS WE'LL DEAL WITH THEM.
BUT I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD GO INTO IT ASSUMING THAT, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE GOING TO BE CERTAINTIES THAT ARE GOING TO TAKE PLACE BECAUSE IT DIDN'T IT DIDN'T HAPPEN BEFORE.
NO, BUT YOU'RE IN YOUR IN YOUR SLIDE, YOU'RE COMMITTING TO WORKING WITH THE MUNICIPALITY TO REPAIR DAMAGED THINGS.
I'M WONDERING WHY YOU WOULDN'T MAKE THAT SAME COMMITMENT IF YOU HAVE EVIDENCE THAT IT DOESN'T HAPPEN TO ADJACENT BUILDINGS, WHY WOULDN'T YOU MAKE THAT SAME COMMITMENT TO ADJACENT BUILDING OWNERS? IF YOUR EVIDENCE SHOWS THAT THIS IS NOT AN ISSUE? THAT WOULD GIVE THEM PEACE OF MIND.
THANK YOU FOR THAT COMMENT, THAT QUESTION.
AGAIN, THAT MAY BE A STRONG REACH OUTSIDE THE FACILITY WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OUR COMMITMENT IN MUNICIPAL INFRASTRUCTURE IS THE STUFF THAT'S ON OUR SITE, THE SIGNAGE, THE THE ELEMENTS THERE.
VERY CLEARLY, IF THOSE GOT IMPEDED BY OUR ACTIVITY, THEN WE WOULD WE WOULD HAVE TO ADDRESS THEM.
SARAH, YOU HAVE FURTHER DIMENSION ON THAT? NO, I MEAN, I THINK THAT WE'RE NOT SAYING THAT WE WOULDN'T, YOU KNOW, IF THAT'S THAT'S NOT WHAT I INTENDED TO SAY.
I THINK THAT WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY IS THAT WHILE THINGS MAY HAPPEN, THEY MIGHT ALSO NOT HAPPEN.
AND IF THEY DO HAPPEN AND IT'S CLEARLY LINKED TO THE SERVICE THAT WE PROVIDED OR SOME DEFICIENCY IN WHAT WE'VE DONE, THEN THAT WILL BE THAT WILL BE DEALT WITH APPROPRIATELY.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT I HAD HEARD PERRY SAY AS WELL IN HIS INITIAL RESPONSE.
HOLD THE GNWT AND THE DAY SHELTER TO THE SAME STANDARD AS OTHER BUSINESSES.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, A BAR DOWNTOWN, THEIR PATRONS MAY GET A LITTLE ROWDY AFTER CLOSE.
DO WE EXPECT THEM TO MAINTAIN ALL THE BUILDINGS DOWNTOWN? WE DO EXPECT ALL OUR ALL PROPERTY OWNERS ARE REQUIRED TO KEEP THEIR THEIR SIDEWALKS CLEAN, AND THIS WOULD BE NO EXCEPTION, BUT JUST MAKING SURE COUNCIL'S REMEMBERING TO TREAT ALL PROPONENTS WITH SIMILAR CONDITIONS.
YOU KNOW, PERRY, YOU MENTIONED THAT THE RAMP IN THE BACK IS GOING TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERS INVOLVED.
YOU REALLY DON'T HAVE A CHOICE ON THAT.
I'M JUST WONDERING IF YOU REALIZE THAT LIKE THAT BUILDING IS A PART THREE BUILDING, WHICH MEANS THAT IF YOU'RE GOING TO USE IT AND MAKE RENOVATIONS, YOU ACTUALLY HAVE TO HAVE ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERS INVOLVED.
YOU CAN'T JUST GO AND DO THINGS TO THE BUILDING.
YOU MADE IT SOUND LIKE IT WAS SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE DOING OVER AND ABOVE, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY A REQUIREMENT.
SO I'M WONDERING IF THERE WAS A REASON WHY THAT WAS STATED THAT WAY? IT WAS STATED THAT WAY BECAUSE IN YOUR MEMO, IT SAYS THAT THEY SHALL DO THIS, AND WE JUST
[00:35:02]
WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE WERE GOING TO DO THAT.WE WERE FULLY UNDERSTOOD THAT WE HAD TO DO IT ANYWAYS.
YEAH, WITH PROFESSIONAL INVOLVEMENT.
RIGHT NOW, THOUGH, ONE OTHER QUESTION.
I KNOW THAT BOTH THE CURRENT DAY SHELTER AND THE MINE RESCUE, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT HANG OUT OUTSIDE OF THOSE FACILITIES.
HOW WILL THAT LOOK? LIKE, WHAT IS YOUR PLAN TO MANAGE THAT? BECAUSE REALLY, YOU ONLY HAVE SIDEWALKS AND IF IF EVERYBODY IS HANGING OUT ON THE SIDEWALKS, YOU KNOW, THAT DOES IMPEDE TRAFFIC FLOW, PEDESTRIAN FLOW, THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.
HOW DO YOU PLAN TO MANAGE THAT? SO, YEAH, I'LL START OFF WITH THAT THE THE GOOD NEWS HERE IS THIS FACILITY IS A LITTLE BIT BIGGER THAN THE OTHER ONES.
PEOPLE ARE GOING TO GO OUTSIDE AND SMOKE.
BUT PREDOMINANTLY IS TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO BE ON THE INSIDE.
THE CONCEPT OF HAVING THE QUIET AND THE NOISY AREA, SOME OF THE REASONS WHY PEOPLE LEAVE IS IN ALL FAIRNESS, WHEN THEY'RE IN FACILITIES, IT'S TOO CROWDED OR THERE IS TOO MUCH NOISE AND THEY NEED TO GET OUT OF THE RUCKUS.
WE DO ABSOLUTELY UNDERSTAND THAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO SMOKE OUTSIDE AND WE'LL DO OUR BEST TO MANAGE THAT.
BUT PREDOMINANTLY THE THE PROGRAMS ARE GOING TO BE FOCUSED ON THE INTERIOR OF THE BUILDING.
COUNCILLOR PAYNE? THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.
THANKS FOR YOUR PRESENTATION, TOO, FOR EVERYBODY TO COME AND PRESENTING HERE.
I JUST HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
SO, OK, YOU TALKED A LOT ABOUT COMMITMENT AND IT SEEMS LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE COMMITTING TO A LOT OF THINGS.
BUT THE ONLY COMMITMENT THAT I DIDN'T SEE THERE WAS THE COMMITMENT TO HELP OUT THE NEIGHBORING BUSINESSES WHO IT'S NOT POTENTIAL.
IT'S I THINK THAT A LOT OF BUSINESSES ARE GETTING MONEY WITH THE SHELTER RIGHT THERE, ESPECIALLY THE ONES THAT ARE LIKE ATTACHED TO THE BUILDING AND ACROSS THE ALLEYWAY.
SO IS THERE A COMMITMENT TO PROVIDE ANY FUNDING OR LOSS OF REVENUE TO THESE BUSINESSES? I MEAN, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYBODY HERE THAT DENIES THE FACT THAT WE NEED THIS CENTER.
BUT THE LAST IT WAS PRETTY MUCH ONE BUSINESS THAT WAS THE FACT THAT NOW WE HAVE SIX OR SEVEN, NOT INCLUDING THE ONES ACROSS THE STREET LIKE LIKE DIRECTLY IN THAT AREA.
SO IS THERE GOING TO BE ANY FUNDING PROVIDED? OR AN OPTION FOR FUNDING PROVIDED FOR THESE BUSINESSES THAT WILL LOSE FUNDING? AND NOT ONLY THESE BUSINESSES HAVE ALL BEEN KICKED DURING COVID, REDUCED CAPACITY AND NOW UP ON THAT, AND ON TOP OF THAT, WE'RE GOING TO BE ADDING A SHELTER RIGHT NEXT DOOR.
SO I UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S A TOUGH DECISION AND YOU WOULD NOT WANT YOUR GUYS JOB AT ALL.
BUT I REALLY THINK THAT WE NEED TO BE LOOKING AT THE WELL-BEING OF THE NEIGHBORS AS WELL.
I AM NOT SURE IF YOU'VE CONSIDERED THAT OR OTHER WAYS THAT YOU'D LIKE TO ADDRESS WAYS TO MITIGATE ANY CONCERNS NEIGHBORS ARE BRINGING FORWARD.
I ACTUALLY REVERT BACK TO YOUR PREVIOUS COMMENTS.
THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS WE SHOULDN'T BE TREATED ANY DIFFERENT THAN ANY OTHER USER OR APPLICANT ON THESE TYPES OF THINGS.
BUT WHAT I'M SAYING AT THIS POINT IN TIME, WE'LL HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT.
AND AND IN PERSPECTIVE, I'M NOT SAYING IT'S IMPOSSIBLE, BUT WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE LEGISLATION THAT WE'RE REFERENCING.
I DON'T SEE A MECHANISM, OR A AN ELEMENT, HOW THAT COULD BE A CONDITION ON THIS.
THAT'S OK, THANK YOU FOR THAT ANSWER.
HAVE YOU GUYS CONSIDERED ANY PLAN B LIKE RIGHT NOW, IT SEEMS LIKE YOU'RE PUTTING ALL YOUR EGGS IN THIS BASKET.
AND I KNOW THAT YOU'VE LOOKED AT A LOT OF THINGS, BUT I'VE HEARD THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE THAT THERE'S BEEN A FEW OPTIONS BROUGHT FORWARD, SUCH AS AS TEMPORARY STRUCTURES BUILT.
AND I MEAN, THIS IS FOR THE LAST TIME WE DID THIS AND THIS.
THIS ALL SEEMS LIKE A BIT OF DEJA VU HAPPENING HERE.
BUT THE LAST TIME THIS WAS FOR A SIX MONTH PERIOD, I BELIEVE SIX OR EIGHT, SEVEN MONTH PERIOD.
AND NOW YOU'RE ASKING FOR OVER THREE YEARS.
SO BUSINESS CAN REALLY, YOU KNOW, MAYBE HOLD OUT OVER SIX OR SEVEN MONTH PERIOD.
BUT WHAT BUSINESS IS GOING TO HOLD OUT OVER SELL OVER A THREE YEAR PERIOD? SO WHAT PLAN B HAVE YOU HAVE YOU LOOKED AT? ALL RIGHT.
[00:40:04]
SO WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS IN THE PRESENTATION.RIGHT NOW, WE DON'T HAVE A CONCRETE PLAN B, AND IF WE IF WE HAD A BETTER PLAN, WE WOULD BE HAVING A CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT.
EVERY OPTION WE'VE LOOKED AT, THE TEMPORARY ONES ALL REQUIRE PERMITS, APPLICATIONS.
SOME OF THEM REQUIRE ENGINEERING WORKS, CONTRACTORS TO BUILD STRUCTURES, DEVELOP SITE WORK AND ALL OF THEM ARE COMPLICATED AND NONE OF THEM ARE GUARANTEED TO BE ANY MORE SUCCESSFUL THAN THAN THIS ONE IS.
WE TOOK THE EFFORTS TO AN ISSUE OF AN RFI IN AUGUST.
THIS WAS THE BEST SOLUTION THAT CAME FORWARD, THE MOST FEASIBLE, ONE THAT HAD THE LAST MINIMAL IMPACT.
SOME OF THE OTHER OPTIONS WE LOOKED AT WERE RIGHT NEXT TO A SCHOOL.
WE'VE BEEN DOWN THAT ROAD BEFORE AND PROPOSED FACILITIES NEXT TO SCHOOL, AND WE ALL KNOW HOW THAT CONVERSATION WENT.
UM, RIGHT NOW, WE DON'T HAVE ANOTHER OPTION.
THIS IS THE OPTION, WILL ANOTHER ONE EMERGE? IT COULD.
WE WOULD BE OPEN TO THAT, IF AT THIS ONE DIDN'T SUCCEED.
SO YOU WOULD BE OPEN TO OTHER OPTIONS IN A TRANSPARENT WAY THAT IF SOMETHING CAME FORWARD.
PERRY, I'M WE SEEM TO HAVE LOST, OR AT LEAST I'VE LOST, YOU ON MY SCREEN.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOUR CAMERA SHUT OFF.
I THINK WE JUST HAVE HAVING CONNECTIVITY CHALLENGES.
SO DID YOU WANT TO, I GUESS, TO ANSWER COUNCILLOR PAYNE'S QUESTION ABOUT YOU'RE OPEN TO CONSIDERING OTHER OPTIONS IF THEY'RE BROUGHT FORWARD? AND I'M PRETTY SURE THE CITY WILL WORK TOGETHER WITH YOU WHEN IT COMES TO PERMITS.
YOU KNOW THIS IMPORTANT THING.
SO THE CITY WILL WORK WITH US WHEN IT COMES TO PERMITS, BUT THEY ABSOLUTELY HAVE.
BUT THE REALITY IS THERE IS A PROCESS AND WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT PROCESS AND WE UNDERSTAND PEOPLE'S ABILITY TO APPEAL AND THE HORSEPOWER IT TAKES TO GET THOSE PERMIT APPLICATIONS IN PLACE.
AND JUST TO REMIND EVERYBODY IT'S SEPTEMBER 27TH.
WE LIVE IN YELLOWKNIFE, IN THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, AND IT'S GOING TO BE COLD ANY DAY AT ALL, SO WE CAN INVESTIGATE OPTIONS.
BUT THE PEOPLE WHO NEED A WARM PLACE TO BE, CAN'T WAIT FOR FOREVER.
AND CAN I ADD TO THAT, PERRY? BEEN DOING THIS FOR QUITE A PERIOD OF TIME AND WE CERTAINLY HAVE LOOKED AT TEMPORARY AND MODULAR STRUCTURES.
THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE'VE LOOKED AT.
TYPICALLY, THE OPTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN PRESENTED TO US HAVE BEEN TOO SMALL FOR OUR PURPOSES.
WE CAN'T USE A JOB SHACK TO PROVIDE THIS SERVICE.
AND WE'RE ALSO LIMITED ON WHERE THOSE TYPES OF TEMPORARY STRUCTURES CAN BE PLACED WITHIN THE CITY.
THEY'RE NOT ALLOWED IN THE DOWNTOWN CORE, AND WE KNOW THAT THAT'S WHERE THE SERVICE NEEDS TO BE BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE OUR SERVICES ARE.
SO WHILE I THINK WE'RE ALWAYS OPEN TO LOOKING AT OPTIONS LIKE WE WERE OUT OF OPTIONS, LIKE WE DID AN RFI BECAUSE THERE WERE NO OPTIONS AND WE GOT THREE RESPONSES TO THAT RFI, AND THIS WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT WAS VIABLE.
SO I JUST WANT TO BE REALLY CLEAR THAT THERE IS NO OTHER OPTION RIGHT NOW AND THAT ANY SEARCH OF OR BEING ASKED TO LOOK AT ANYTHING ELSE WILL DELAY THIS INTO THE WINTER.
AND IT WON'T MEET THE ACTUAL NEED THAT WE'RE THAT WE'RE NEEDING TO MEET FOR PEOPLE RIGHT NOW, WHICH IS THAT WINTER IS COMING.
JUST TO JUMP IN QUICKLY FOR THOSE, THEN WE USE LOTS OF ACRONYMS, RFI'S ARE REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION.
COUNCILLOR PAYNE? I APPRECIATE ALL THE ANSWERS AND I APPRECIATE YOUR BEING CANDID WITH US.
OBVIOUSLY, THIS IS A HARD DECISION FOR EVERYBODY.
YOU KNOW, LIKE, WE APPROVE THIS.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ONE HALF OF THE TOWN AGAINST US.
IF WE DON'T APPROVE IT, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE OTHER HALF IN TOWN AGAINST US AND WE WANT TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT AND THESE PEOPLE NEED A PLACE TO BE.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND ALL THIS, BUT WINTER HAS BEEN COMING FOR A LONG TIME.
WE CAN PRETTY MUCH SET A CLOCK OUT, YOU KNOW, LIKE AND IT'S THE LAST YEAR THAT YOU GUYS HAVE HAD COME TO US WITH THE SAME TYPE THING.
THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS IT'S THREE YEARS INSTEAD OF SIX MONTHS.
THAT'S ALL THE QUESTIONS I HAVE AND WAIT TO HEAR WHAT MY OTHER, WHAT THE OTHER COUNCILLOR HAVE TO SAY.
SO NEXT FOR SPEAKING ORDER I HAVE COUNCILLOR MORGAN AND COUNCILLOR SMITH AND COUNCILLOR MORSE.
SO, COUNCILLOR MORGAN? THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.
[00:45:01]
CAN YOU SEE ME AND HEAR ME? SORRY, I'M IN A DIFFERENT LOCATION HERE.YEAH, YEAH, YOU'RE KIND OF A LITTLE, WE CAN HEAR YOU.
YOUR YOUR IS JUST A LITTLE BLOCKY.
OK, WE'LL ATTEMPT TO GO FORWARD HERE.
SO THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION AND THANKS FOR ALL OF THE WORK THAT YOU'VE BEEN PUTTING INTO FINDING THIS LOCATION AND THEN TRYING TO WORK OUT DETAILS.
SO MY FIRST QUESTION IS JUST TO CONFIRM THAT HHS WILL IT JUST A STAFF WILL BE RUNNING THIS BUILDING THIS PROGRAM DIRECTLY AS OPPOSED TO, SAY, CONTRACTING IT OUT TO AN NGO.
AND THEN SECONDLY, AS A SECOND PART OF THAT IS THE THE FUNDING FOR THE STAFF TO RUN THIS DATA CENTER LINKED TO COVID FUNDING? OR WHAT FUNDING DO YOU HAVE FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS? MY IMPRESSION WAS THAT THE FIRST TIME THERE WAS AN ADDITIONAL TEMPORARY DAY SHELTER THAT THE FUNDING FOR HHS TO RUN THIS DIRECTLY WAS COMING OUT OF COVID FUNDING.
BUT I'M ASSUMING THAT WE WON'T HAVE COVID FUNDING FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS.
SO IF YOU COULD JUST CLARIFY THAT.
I'LL GIVE THAT QUESTION TO SARAH, AND I'LL MAYBE FOLLOW UP WHEN SHE'S DONE.
YEAH, YOU'RE CORRECT THAT WE HAVE USED COVID RELATED FUNDING IN THE PAST, AND I THINK AT THIS PARTICULAR POINT, THIS IS STILL VERY MUCH COVID RELATED.
AND I THINK THAT WE'VE ALSO SEEN THAT PANDEMICS NOT GOING ANYWHERE ANYTIME SOON.
SO THIS IS PROBABLY GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE A COVID RELATED RESPONSE FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE, WHICH IS PART OF THE REASON WHY WE'RE ASKING FOR THIS FOR A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME.
WHEN WE WERE HERE A YEAR AGO, WE CERTAINLY THOUGHT THAT ONE WINTER WOULD BE SUFFICIENT WITH VACCINES COMING.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY, WE NOW HAVE NEW VARIANTS THAT ARE MUCH MORE CONTAGIOUS, WHICH ARE FORCING THE NEED FOR THIS TYPE OF FACILITY OVER THIS COMING WINTER, WHICH WE DID NOT FORESEE HISTORICALLY.
SO THIS CONTINUES TO BE A COVID RESPONSE FOR US.
THANKS, SARAH, NOTHING ELSE TO ADD.
AND THEN SECONDLY, IS THE PLAN TO, YOU KNOW, TO REOPEN THE OTHER DAY SHELTER SOBERING CENTER? LIKE WHEN? STAFF ARE ABLE WHEN THE DISABILITIES COUNCIL IS ABLE AND HAVE THESE TWO FACILITIES BOTH RUNNING AT THE SAME TIME.
AND DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW SOON THE OTHER DAY SHELTER SOBERING CENTER WILL BE ABLE TO BE BACK UP AND RUNNING? PERRY OR SARAH? SO SARAH CAN TAKE THAT ONE.
THE INTENTION IS TO HAVE BOTH FACILITIES OPERATING AT THE SAME TIME THAT WE NEED THAT FROM A NUMBERS PERSPECTIVE, WHICH IS WHY THIS TEMPORARY FACILITY IS BEING STOOD UP IN THE FIRST PLACE IN TERMS OF THE FACILITY ON 50TH STREET, LIKE THE ONE OPERATED BY THE DISABILITIES COUNCIL.
THERE ARE GOING TO BE OPEN AGAIN AS SOON AS THEY HAVE THE AVAILABLE STAFF TO APPROPRIATELY STOP IT.
SO SHOULD BE HOPEFULLY IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE.
OK, GREAT, SO THOSE ARE THOSE ARE ALL MY QUESTIONS FOR NOW, THANKS.
THANK YOU, COUNCILLOR SMITH AND COUNCILLOR MORSE.
COUNCILLOR PAYNE PRETTY MUCH TOUCHED ON A GOOD PORTION OF MY QUESTIONING, SO I WILL JUST JUMP RIGHT INTO THE NEXT ONE.
CAN I GET CLARIFICATION ON THE STEPS THAT THE GNWT WILL BE TAKING OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS IF THEY IN FACT GET THIS LOCATION? HOW ARE YOU GOING TO FIND SOLUTIONS TO THIS REOCCURRING ISSUE OF FINDING A PERMANENT LOCATION? A BIT OF THAT IS THE WELLNESS AND RECOVERY CENTER, WHICH PERHAPS WE CAN SCHEDULE A MEETING TO GET AN UPDATE ON THAT AT A FUTURE MEETING, BUT.
YOU COULD TOUCH ON COUNCILLOR SMITH'S QUESTION.
AND WE DO HAVE APPROVED FUNDING THROUGH RELATIONSHIP WITH FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND THE GNWT FOR A PERMANENT FACILITY.
WE'VE CURRENTLY, AS MANY PEOPLE KNOW, WE'VE CURRENTLY ENGAGED IN PROFESSIONAL DESIGN FIRM TEG ARCHITECTURE OUT OF HERE IN YELLOWKNIFE, AND WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF TAKING THE LESSONS WE'VE LEARNED FROM THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, THE USER ENGAGEMENT AND THE NGO ENGAGEMENT, AND WE'RE NOW GOING THROUGH SCHEMATIC ALTERNATIVES.
IT'S OUR HOPE THAT IF WE KEEP OUR KEEP THE PRESSURE ON THAT, WE CAN GET GOING
[00:50:03]
REALLY QUICKLY AND HOPEFULLY HAVE THIS FACILITY OPEN AND OPERATIONAL BEFORE THE OCTOBER 31ST, 2024.AS YOU CAN PROBABLY ALL ATTEST, GIVEN THE DYNAMIC CONSTRUCTION ENVIRONMENT WITH COVID AND THE PRESSURES AND LOCKDOWNS IN YELLOWKNIFE, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO COMMIT TO A TIMELINE WHEN WE ARE UNCERTAIN WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN WITH COVID IN THE NEXT SIX TO EIGHT, 10, 12 MONTHS.
BUT WE'RE KEEPING OUR FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR AND PUSHING AS HARD AS WE CAN, AND SO ARE THE INTENTION IS THAT THIS FACILITY, ALONG WITH THE FACILITY, THE EXISTING DAY SHELTER SOBERING CENTER WILL BE.
I MEAN, BEYOND THAT, I MEAN, REALLY MY MY BIGGEST CONCERN IS HOW DID WE GET HERE AGAIN? THIS IS THE SAME SONG AND DANCE AS AS LAST YEAR.
THE SAME WORDING AS THIS IS OUR LAST CHANCE WAS USED LAST YEAR, THE EXACT SAME TIME.
SO I AM CURIOUS TO SEE WHAT MY OTHER FELLOW COUNCILORS HAVE IN TERMS OF QUESTIONS.
SO I JUST HAVE MY CAMERA OFF TO BE ABLE TO EAT A LITTLE BIT OF LUNCH.
SO YEAH, MY MAIN QUESTIONS ARE KIND OF IT SEEMS TO ME AND I'D LIKE TO STOP TO CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG OR JUST PERHAPS ANSWER HIS QUESTIONS.
SO IT SEEMS TO ME THAT PART OF WHAT'S CREATED THIS SITUATION IS THE FACT THAT THE EXISTING SOBERING CENTER IS HAVING TO OPERATE AT HALF CAPACITY DUE TO COVID.
I HAVE TO ADMIT WHEN I WHEN I FIRST HEARD ABOUT THIS COMING FORWARD, OF COURSE, IT WAS, AS MOST CITIZENS DID THROUGH A LETTER FROM THE HEALTH MINISTER THAT ENDED UP IN MY MAILBOX.
I WHISPERS OF IT BEFORE THAT, AND I WAS UNDER THE ASSUMPTION IT WAS AN EMERGENCY SITUATION.
IT WAS GOING TO BE VERY TEMPORARY.
SO I WAS A LITTLE BIT SURPRISED WHEN I SAW THE APPLICATION THAT THAT HEALTH IS LOOKING TO OPERATE THIS BUILDING FOR THREE YEARS.
SO I GUESS MY FIRST QUESTION IS JUST AROUND THE EXISTING SOBERING CENTER AND PERHAPS MAYBE GETTING A BIT OF CLARITY AROUND HOW THAT SOBERING CENTER RELATES TO THIS.
AND IT SEEMS TO ME THAT HEALTH IS OPERATING UNDER THE ASSUMPTION THAT THE EXISTING SOBERING CENTER IS GOING TO BE OPERATING AT HALF OR LESS CAPACITY ON A SEMI-PERMANENT BASIS GOING FORWARD FOR AT LEAST THE NEXT THREE YEARS.
IS THAT CORRECT OR IS THERE SOMETHING ELSE GOING ON HERE THAT I'VE MISSED? I'M JUST KIND OF WONDERING, I GUESS, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE SITUATION THAT'S CREATED THE NEED FOR THIS ADDITIONAL CENTER AND HOW THAT RELATES.
JUST SEEING THE LONGER TIMELINE ON THIS, IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN JUST AN EMERGENCY SITUATION.
I MEAN, IT'S TEMPORARY IN THE SENSE THAT IT DOES HAVE AN END DATE, BUT IT IS ALSO KIND OF SEMI-PERMANENT.
I MEAN, THREE YEARS IS NOT A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.
I THINK EVEN WITHOUT COVID, THE GNWT REALIZED THAT THE DAY SHELTER WAS BEYOND CAPACITY AND NEEDED A SECOND ONE, BUT PERRY WOULD BE ABLE TO TOUCH ON THAT.
YEAH, IF IT'S OK, I'LL START WITH THE RESPONSE AND THEN PASS IT OFF TO SARAH.
SO THE PROGRAMING AND PLANNING FOR THE WELLNESS AND RECOVERY CENTER IDENTIFIED A NEED BEYOND THE EXISTING SHELTER SOBERING CENTER.
SO THE NEW BUILDING WILL BE BIGGER AND HAVE MORE CAPACITY THAN THE THAN THE EXISTING FACILITY DOES.
THE HOPE IS THAT THE NEW FACILITY WILL BE ABLE TO ENCOMPASS THE CAPACITY OF THE EXISTING DAY SHELTER, SWIMMING CENTER AND THE TEMPORARY FACILITY.
I MEAN, THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT COVID HAS CONTRIBUTED TO OR IS THE PREDOMINANT DRIVER AND WHY WE'RE NEEDING TO DO THIS ABOUT THE RESTRICTIONS THAT REDUCE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THERE.
BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS ARE UNHOUSED POPULATION IS INCREASING IN YELLOWKNIFE AND WE NEED A LARGER FACILITY TO ACCOMMODATE IT.
SARAH, ANYTHING TO ADD? MM HMM, I DON'T THINK SO, PERRY, LIKE I THINK IT'S JUST THAT, YEAH, WE'VE REALIZED AND CERTAINLY FROM THE EXPERIENCES OF BEING ABLE TO OFFER THE TWO LOCATIONS AND HAVE PEOPLE SPACED OUT A BIT MORE.
WE KNOW THAT THAT'S BENEFICIAL FOR ALL PROGRAMING OR ADDRESSING ANY ISSUES THAT DO COME UP.
AND SO THE DRIVING FORCE RIGHT NOW IS CERTAINLY COVID.
AND THERE IS AN EMERGENCY SITUATION HERE STILL IN THE SENSE THAT WE DO NEED AN OPTION FOR WINTER FOR THESE INDIVIDUALS.
BUT WE SEE THAT THAT NEED IS GOING TO BE MORE OF AN ONGOING NEED THAN WE INITIALLY HAD ANTICIPATED.
AND YOU KNOW, AND I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S CONFUSING LIKE YOU ONLY HEAR
[00:55:02]
FROM US ONCE A YEAR AND IT'S THE SAME STORY AND THE SAME ASK.BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S THAT THIS IS AN EVOLVING SITUATION.
NOBODY CAN HAVE FORECAST SPECIFICALLY HOW IT WAS ALL GOING TO PLAY OUT.
AND SO UNFORTUNATELY, WE ARE WE ARE BACK STILL WITH THE NEED TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THESE INDIVIDUALS.
YEAH, I MEAN, THAT'S THAT'S THAT'S KIND OF BEEN HIGHLIGHTED FOR ME, I MEAN, I REALLY HOPE THAT A YEAR.
I MEAN, FRANKLY, I HOPE THAT A FEW MONTHS FROM NOW, WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION WE'RE IN.
THAT'S PERHAPS SOME FACTORS RELATED TO THAT AREN'T FOR TODAY'S DISCUSSION.
I GUESS KNOWING ALL THIS AND THIS QUESTION ISN'T DIRECTLY ON TOPIC, BUT I CERTAINLY AM HOPING AND MAYBE GETTING CONFIRMATION FROM HEALTH STAFF THAT NOTING THAT THEY HAVE FOUND THAT THE EXISTING SOBERING CENTER, WHICH HAS A PRETTY HIGH CAPACITY.
I THOUGHT IT WAS OVER 100 INDIVIDUALS.
I HOPE THAT THE NEW FACILITY IS BEING BUILT, WHICH IS SCHEDULED TO BE OPENED IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS WOLL HAVE ADEQUATE CAPACITY AND PERHAPS MAYBE THEY COULD BUILD IT WITH ADDITIONAL CAPACITY IN MIND SO THAT WE DON'T END UP IN THIS SITUATION GOING FORWARD.
IT'S JUST A SUGGESTION, PERHAPS A QUESTION.
THANKS AND YEAH, PERHAPS PERRY OR SARAH WHEN YOU HAVE FURTHER INFORMATION, YOU HAVE A PRESENTATION, THANK YOU.
OR IF ONE OF THE ORGANIZERS OF THE MEETING CAN CALL HER ONE.
MY APOLOGIES, MS. MAYOR, I'VE ONLY HEARD JUST A PORTION OF THAT.
SO THE INTENTION IS TO DO SO AS MUCH AS THE CAPACITY FOR THE EXISTING DAY SOBERING CENTER MIGHT BE IN THE RANGE OF ONE HUNDRED PEOPLE.
THAT'S KIND OF LIKE A FIRE MARSHAL COUNT.
IT'S NOT REPRESENTATIVE OF A COMFORTABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR PEOPLE TO BE IN.
IT DOESN'T AFFORD PEOPLE ENOUGH SPACE TO HAVE ANY DISTANCING FROM ONE ANOTHER.
YOU KNOW THAT WHEN PEOPLE ARE CRAMMED INTO A SMALL SPACE, YOU MIGHT BE MORE PRONE TO GET ANNOYED WITH EACH OTHER.
MAYBE FIGHTS BREAK OUT THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO SO WHILE TECHNICALLY FROM A FIRE PERSPECTIVE, YOU CAN HAVE THAT MANY PEOPLE IN THERE, IT'S REALLY NOT COMFORTABLE.
AND ABSOLUTELY, THE INTENTION IS WELLNESS AND RECOVERY CENTER WILL HAVE A MUCH LARGER CAPACITY SO THAT WE CAN MORE COMFORTABLY ACCOMMODATE PEOPLE AND NOT NEED ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS IN THE FUTURE ONCE IT'S IN PLACE.
I'D JUST LIKE TO ADD BRIEFLY IN THE ENGAGEMENT THAT WE DID WITH THE USERS.
THAT'S THE NUMBER ONE THING THAT THEY TALKED ABOUT.
THEY SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE JUST NEED A LITTLE BIT OF SPACE SO SOMEONE'S NOT IN MY FACE.
SO I CAN GET A CHANCE TO DECOMPRESS.
YOU KNOW, THEY MAY HAVE HAD A VERY TROUBLESOME, COMPLICATED NIGHT.
AND SO WE EVEN TALKED ABOUT IN THE NEW FACILITY HAVING A HOT ZONE AND A COLD ZONE OR THE QUIET AND THE NOISY TO GIVE PEOPLE WHILE THEY'RE INSIDE WHY THEY'RE SAFE AND THEY'RE BEING A LITTLE BIT WARM A PLACE JUST TO DECOMPRESS.
SO ABSOLUTELY, THOSE CONSIDERATIONS HAVE BEEN WOVEN INTO THE NEW FACILITY GOING GOING FORWARD.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM COUNSEL FOR THE N.W.T.
ON THE PRESENTATION? THAT'S IT FOR ME FOR NOW, THANKS.
SEEING NONE, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE PRESENTATION.
MICHAEL, I WILL TURN THE FLOOR OVER TO YOU.
AGAIN, WE'RE TRYING TO KEEP PRESENTATIONS TO 10 MINUTES AND AS ALWAYS, ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO HAVE RESPECTFUL COMMENTS AND FOLLOWING THAT WILL OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS FOR MICHAEL.
I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SIT AT THIS TABLE WITH YOU GUYS AND SPEAK ABOUT THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE.
AS FOR ME, EXCUSE ME, EXCUSE MY INFORMALITY, I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH THIS, THIS MEETING STYLE OF TALK, BUT I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT I'M NOT HERE TO BASH WHAT WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING OR WHAT THE ISSUES ARE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
I'M HERE TO APPEAL TO YOUR HEARTS AND I'M HERE TO SPEAK FOR THE PEOPLE THAT CAN'T SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.
[01:00:02]
I LIVED THAT LIFESTYLE AND I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT IT IS THAT YOU'RE FACING.I WOULD LIKE TO TO MENTION THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HUMAN BEINGS AND AND LIVES, AND IT'S LIKE, I KNOW THAT YOU KNOW THAT YOU KNOW, AND I KNOW NOBODY AT THIS TABLE IS STUPID.
AND IN A SENSE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALL SPIRITUAL, MATURE PEOPLE.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO APPEAL TO THAT.
MY FRIENDS, MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY ON THE STREETS ARE FACING, WE ARE FACING A DILEMMA.
AND AT THIS PARTICULAR TIME, IT'S IN THE HANDS OF THE PEOPLE.
IT FALLS, LIKE THEY'RE HOLDING ALL THE STRINGS.
WHETHER THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE A SAFE PLACE, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A SAFE PLACE TO GET OFF THE STREETS AND [INAUDIBLE].
WHERE? HOW? LIKE SARAH SAID OR SOMEBODY SAID, HOW DID WE GET TO THIS PLACE AGAIN? WE HAD A WHOLE YEAR OF PLANNING.
WE COULD HAVE PLANNED AROUND THIS.
YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST NOT FORMATTED TO, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT THERE'S NO PLACE FOR THIS ISSUE ON A DAILY BASIS, I GUESS.
BUT FOR ME, I THINK IT'S I THINK IT'S WE'RE MISSING OUT ON THE BIG PICTURE OF WHAT WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT.
ARE A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT ARE CHALLENGED.
AND IT'S NOT IT, YOU, AND IT'S NOT ME, AS YOU KNOW.
AND IT HAS A LOT TO DO WITH JUST WHAT WE'VE BEEN THROUGH, WHAT THOSE EACH AND EVERY INDIVIDUAL HAS FACED IN THEIR LIVES AND THE TRAUMA AND YOU NAME IT.
THERE ARE A LOT OF NEEDS IN PLACE FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO GET THEMSELVES OUT OF THAT PLACE.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, IT DEPENDS ON THE SERVICES THAT WE AS A CITY PROVIDE.
AND THE CITY IS, AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, YOU'RE A BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE.
EVERYBODY'S GOT GREAT HEARTS AND ARE NICE, BUT WE'RE FAR, FAR AWAY FROM COMING CLOSE TO A SOLUTION FOR WHAT'S GOING ON HERE.
WE'RE MISSING THE BIG PICTURE.
THERE THERE WERE LACKING HOUSING AND THERE'S NO TREATMENT FACILITIES, THE BATHROOM FACILITIES, FOR HEAVEN'S SAKES, THAT'S A NECESSITY.
I MEAN, LIKE EVERYTHING IS, IT'S NECESSARY FOR THESE FOR THESE GUYS.
WE NEED TO PLACE STEPPING STONES AND GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITIES.
AND YOU KNOW, THE PLACE WHERE THEY CAN ACTUALLY GO HOME FOR A BIT AND, YOU KNOW, FEEL COMFORTABLE BECAUSE I NEED TO TELL YOU THAT EACH AND EVERY INDIVIDUAL ON THAT, THAT THAT STREET RIGHT NOW, THEY'RE NOT LIVING THEIR LIVES, THEY'RE ENDURING IT.
AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, I GOT TO TELL YOU, IT'S A PAINFUL DAY.
THEY JUST WANT TO FORGET THEY EVEN EXIST.
YOU KNOW, AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT THAT'S YOUR PROBLEM.
YOU KNOW, I'M SAYING I'M SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, LIKE I THINK IT'S THE CITY'S PROBLEM.
LIKE, I'M NOT JUST SAYING THE CITY HALL, I'M SAYING THE CITY ITSELF, I'M SAYING ALL OF US TOGETHER.
WE NEED TO COME TOGETHER TO FIND A SOLUTION.
AND THAT'S, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I'M FINDING THAT IT'S AN IMPOSSIBLE PLACE TO ATTAIN.
FOR A GUY WHO HAD WHO CAME AND WRITE ON A PIECE OF PAPER, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THEM ARE THINKING IN THEIR OWN LANGUAGE AND YOU HAVE TO THEY CAN'T EVEN BREAK DOWN THE ENGLISH.
YOU'RE TRYING TO TELL THEM THEY DON'T HAVE ANY IDEAS.
YES, THEY'VE GOT THEMSELVES IN.
THAT'S CREATING THEIR OWN DEMISE.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS A WAR TACTIC FROM WAY BACK WHEN, AND LET'S GO BACK INTO THE PERIODS WHEN THEY TOOK CHILDREN FROM SEPARATED THE CHILDREN, FROM THE FAMILIES.
[01:05:05]
IT'S LIKE WE DON'T SEE THAT PART OF THAT ISSUE, THIS ISSUE.WE DON'T SEE THE PART WHERE ALL OF THESE THINGS STEM BACK FROM FROM FROM THOSE DAYS.
AND PEOPLE ARE SEPARATED FROM WHO THEY ARE AND WHAT THEY ARE, AND THEY'VE BEEN DOWNPLAYED AND OSTRACIZED AND YOU NAME IT, THEY'VE BEEN PUT IN A SUBHUMAN CATEGORY.
AND TO THE POINT WHERE THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY JUST LIVE WITHOUT NOTHING AND THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT ANYTHING, THEY DON'T WANT TO EVEN HAVE ANYTHING ANYMORE BECAUSE THEY GIVE UP TRYING TO HAVE ANYTHING, SIMPLY BECAUSE THE WORLD AROUND THEM HAS CLOSED THE DOOR AND.
MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR THEM TO EVEN HAVE A DESIRE OR INCENTIVE TO WANT TO TRY TO GET BETTER, BUT I'M GOING TO TELL YOU RIGHT NOW FROM EXPERIENCE BEING LIVED IN EXPERIENCE HOMELESS INDIVIDUAL.
I'VE BEEN HOMELESS IN MANY DIFFERENT PROVINCES AND CITIES.
OK, SO I HAVE THIS EXPERIENCE, AND IT WAS A RESULT OF ME COMING OUT OF MY SIXTIES SCOOP WAS TAKEN AWAY FROM MY FAMILY, SEPARATED, YOU NAME IT, I HAD SUFFERED TRAUMA, LOSS, YOU NAME IT.
I CAN'T EVEN, WE DON'T EVEN HAVE THE TIME TO EXPLAIN WHAT I'VE GONE THROUGH.
AND THAT'S JUST ONE PERSON, BUT WHAT IT TOOK FOR ME TO GET OFF THE STREETS.
EVERY DAY, MY DESIRE TO GET OFF THE STREETS.
I WANTED OUT OF THAT SITUATION.
THERE ARE LOTS OF LITTLE THINGS HAPPEN BECAUSE I COULDN'T JUST, YOU COULDN'T JUST GIVE ME A HOUSE.
YOU SEE, THERE'S A LITTLE PATHWAY THAT WE'RE CUTTING OFF FROM FROM FROM THE ULTIMATE ANSWER.
AND THAT'S LIKE I HAD TO RECOVER.
I HAD TO REINTEGRATE, I HAD TO LEARN HOW TO LIVE IN SOCIETY.
I EVEN HAD TO LEARN HOW TO APOLOGIZE TO PEOPLE.
SO IT'S LIKE THERE'S SO MUCH THAT HAS TO GO ON FOR A PERSON TO RECOVER TO GET HIMSELF OFF THE STREETS.
BUT WHAT'S MISSING HERE IN YELLOWKNIFE IS THAT STEPPING STONE.
AND THE AVAILABILITY JUST TO GET OUT OF THAT PLACE AND IT'S US.
IN THE END, IT'S WE'RE CLOSING THE DOOR, WE'RE NODDING THEM OFF, WE'RE PUSHING THEM OUT.
WE'RE TREATING THEM LIKE SUBHUMAN IN A SENSE.
AND IT'S ALL, YOU KNOW, RED TAPE AND BUREAUCRACY OR WHATEVER LIKE THAT, IT'S ALL.
IN, YOU KNOW, WITHIN A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF RULES AND THESE RULES WERE SET THERE TO PROTECT.
THE SECURE PEOPLE, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE THAT ARE WELL OFF AND DOING WELL FOR THEMSELVES AND HAVE THE ABILITY TO CLOSE THE DOOR AND VERY SECURE, VERY SECURE IN THEIR WAY.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE WITHOUT ANY SECURITY AND AND.
PUSHING THEM OUT THERE IS LIKE KEEPING THEM IN A RUT AND WATCHING THEIR TIRES SPIN.
WE NEED TO OPEN UP THESE DOORS TO ALLOW THEM SOME COMFORT.
WE NEED THEM TO DEVELOP SOME INCENTIVE AND SOME ENCOURAGEMENT WITH THAT DOOR CLOSING THEM CAPTIVE TO THE STREETS.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, WOULDN'T YOU BE DRUNK? YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU WANT TO JUST, YOU KNOW, MEDICATE.
AND STOP LOOKING AT THE REALITY AND THE HARSHNESS OF YOUR LIFE.
YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, I'M TRYING TO APPEAL TO YOUR HEART.
I WANT PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE SEEING, YOU KNOW, AND WHAT IT IS TO THEM.
PERSONALLY, I'VE GONE THROUGH MY PLACE, AND I'VE COME OUT FORTUNATELY.
[01:10:06]
FORTUNATELY, MY HEART IN TACT, MY HEART AND SPIRIT.BUT I WASN'T FAR FROM SPIRITUAL DEATH.
FORTUNATELY, I COULD FIGURE OUT A WAY, AND I HEARD ENOUGH.
I HAD TO DO SOMETHING AND I HAD TO LEAVE YELLOW.
THE PROBLEM, WHY AM I BACK HERE RIGHT NOW? WHAT? WHY AM I HERE? YOU KNOW, I COULD HAVE STAYED DOWN THERE, YOU KNOW? NO, I'M HERE.
I DIDN'T WANT TO COME BACK HERE, I HAD IT MADE, I'M DOING MY ART LIKE THINGS WERE GOING JUST FANTASTIC AFTER I SOBERED UP.
YOU KNOW, BUT WHY AM I HERE? I'M HERE BECAUSE I WANT TO HELP.
YOU KNOW, I WANT TO DO SOMETHING I WANT TO HELP MAKE CHANGES.
LIKE PHYSICALLY OR WHATEVER LIKE THAT, BUT IN A MORE IN A MANNERISM WHERE I CAN APPEAL TO THE PEOPLE'S HEARTS OF THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE AND AND I THINK.
IN THE LONG RUN, IF THE COMMUNITY REACHES OUT AND STARTS DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN IN THE WAY OF HELPING THESE PEOPLE BY ALLOWING THE DOORS TO OPEN THAT WORK, WE'RE ASKING FOR GIVING THEM THAT SPACE WHERE THEY CAN ACTUALLY DEVELOP THAT INCENTIVE, THAT ENCOURAGEMENT TO WANT TO DO ACTUALLY DO BETTER, MAYBE POSSIBLY DOWN THE ROAD.
CREATE A REWARD SYSTEM WHERE THERE'S SOMETHING TO REACH FOR A GOAL.
AND IT'S LIKE RIGHT NOW THE WAY IT IS, THE DOORS ARE SHUT.
THERE'S NO REWARD AT THE END OF THE ROAD.
WHY DON'T WE OPEN THESE DOORS LIKE THIS COMMUNITY JUST ALLOW THINGS TO HAPPEN FOR THESE GUYS AND COME TOGETHER ON THIS TO THE POINT WHERE WE CAN ACTUALLY CREATE SUCCESS STORIES DOWN THE ROAD? AND THAT WOULD IMPLICATE THE HELP THAT WE GIVE IN THE PEOPLE AND THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE.
CREATED THESE STEPPING STONES AND LOOK DOWN THE ROAD, THERE'S LESS HOMELESSNESS, THERE'S LESS DEATHS.
YOU KNOW, IF THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE ARE OPENED THE DOOR, ALLOWED FOR THESE FACILITIES TO BE ESTABLISHED, HOPEFULLY DOWN THE ROAD, WE CAN CREATE PROGRAMING AND SYSTEMS WHERE THESE GUYS CAN ACTUALLY WALK DOWN THE CORRIDOR FROM DOOR TO DOOR, DO WHAT THEY NEED TO DO, TAKE CARE OF THEIR ESSENTIAL NEEDS, PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS, MENTAL NEEDS, PHYSICAL NEEDS, YOU NAME IT.
LET'S DEAL WITH THOSE CHALLENGES AND LET'S GIVE THEM THESE FACILITIES THEY NEED SO THEY CAN WALK TO THE REWARD IN THE END AND THEN DOWN THE ROAD, UNFORTUNATELY, WE STILL HAVE TO REINTEGRATE THEM BACK INTO, YOU KNOW, LEARNING HOW TO WASH THE CLOTHES, WASH THE DISHES, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IT SEEMS, YOU KNOW, IT'S A SIMPLE THING FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE, BUT FOR THEM, IT'S A RESPONSIBILITY THAT THEY DON'T HAVE ANYMORE AND THEY'VE LEARNED TO LIVE WITHOUT THOSE RESPONSIBILITIES, THAT THEY'RE COMFORTABLE HAVING NOTHING BECAUSE HAVING SOMETHING MEANS THAT SOMEBODY IS GOING TO COME AND TAKE IT AWAY.
JUST YEAH, RECOGNIZING WE'VE GOT A FEW MORE SPEAKERS, TOO, AND SO I'LL OPEN IT UP TO QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL.
ANY QUESTIONS? COUNCILLOR KONGE? THANKS.
THANKS, MICHAEL, FOR PRESENTING TODAY.
I THINK, LIKE THAT STRUGGLE THAT THAT THE HOMELESS PEOPLE ARE GOING THROUGH.
THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, THE SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY IN YELLOWKNIFE IS VERY MUCH FEELING THAT SAME STRUGGLE IN TERMS OF SURVIVAL EVERY DAY RIGHT NOW DURING COVID.
WE'RE GETTING SHUT DOWN BY BY FORCES WAY BEYOND THEM.
KIND OF LIKE THE SIXTIES SCOOP, RIGHT? GOVERNMENT SIDE, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE THESE ABORIGINAL CHILDREN AND WE'RE GOING TO
[01:15:01]
TAKE THEM AWAY.THESE SMALL BUSINESSES ARE BEING SHUT DOWN BY GOVERNMENT AND FOR WEEKS AND WEEKS ON END WITH VERY, VERY LITTLE SUPPORT, ALMOST NO SUPPORT.
AND THEY'RE FIGHTING FOR THE SAME THING THAT THE STREET PEOPLE ARE FIGHTING FOR RIGHT NOW.
AND I THINK LIKE FOR ME PERSONALLY, I'VE RECEIVED MORE BACKLASH ABOUT THIS LOCATION THIS TIME AROUND THAN IN ANY OF THE OTHER PREVIOUS LOCATIONS AS A COUNCILLOR AND I'VE BEEN AROUND FOR ALL OF THEM.
AND AND WE HAVE TO FIND A BALANCE.
SO MY QUESTION TO YOU IS BECAUSE I'VE HAD OTHER BUSINESS MEMBERS OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY TELL ME THAT, YOU KNOW, THE GNWT HAS LOOKED AT AT OTHER OPTIONS, BUT THEY REFUSE THOSE OTHER OPTIONS BASED ON MONEY, THEY WON'T DO IT BECAUSE IT'S TOO EXPENSIVE.
THEY'RE GOING WITH THE LEAST EXPENSIVE OPTION.
IS THIS REALLY THE BEST LOCATION, IS THERE NOT BETTER LOCATIONS FOR THIS TO BE LIKE? THAT'S MY ONE QUESTION TO YOU, IS THIS REALLY A GOOD LOCATION FOR FOR THE COMMUNITY OF YELLOWKNIFE, THE HOMELESS PEOPLE? I MEAN, I DON'T THINK I WOULD WANT TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, ADDICTION ISSUES AND BE ON THE INTERSECTION OF THE HIGHWAY AND OUR MAIN LINE, LIKE OUR MAIN THOROUGHFARE OF YELLOWKNIFE.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU GOING TO GO OUT TO SMOKE OR DRINK OR DO THE THINGS THAT YOU NEED TO DO IN ORDER TO SURVIVE, YOU'RE OUT ON THE MAIN STREET.
YOU CAN'T, LIKE HERE'S NOWHERE TO GO EXCEPT FOR OUT THE FRONT DOOR.
SO DO YOU REALLY THINK THAT THIS IS THE BEST LOCATION BECAUSE THE GNWT HAS HAS TOOLS THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN INVOKE AN EMERGENCY, A LOCAL EMERGENCY SITUATION? AND THEY CAN DO THEY HAVE A LOT OF POWER IF THEY DO THAT, THEY CAN TAKE BUILDINGS.
SO I'M SURE THEY DON'T WANT TO GET THERE.
I DON'T THINK THE CITY, WE WANT THEM TO GET THERE, BUT I'VE HEARD OTHER OPTIONS THAT I THINK ARE BETTER.
SO IS THIS IS THIS A GOOD OPTION? IS THIS REALLY WHERE YOU THINK THIS SHOULD BE? I JUST THINK THAT JUST RECOGNIZING SIXTIES SCOOP AND COMPARISON TO BUSINESS REALLY AREN'T COMPARABLE.
IT CAN APPRECIATE THAT SOME MAY FEEL THAT, BUT REALLY THEY'RE VERY DIFFERENT.
YOUR THOUGHTS ON WHETHER THIS IS AN APPROPRIATE SPACE.
WELL, I THINK TEMPORARILY AND BECAUSE OF OUR SITUATION THAT WE REALLY DON'T, NOBODY'S ACTUALLY PUTTING UP THE BUILDING UP IMMEDIATELY.
WINTERS LIKE, JUST ABOUT IT SHOULD BE FALLING OUT OF THE SKY ANY MINUTE.
I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS, BUT I'M THINKING THAT WE HAVE.
AN IMMEDIATE ISSUE AND DOWN THE ROAD.
I THINK, IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE TO HAVE A LITTLE OUT OF THE WAY, BUT I DON'T THINK IT MATTERS WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO PUT A FACILITY, THE HOMELESS ARE ALWAYS GOING TO GRAVITATE TOWARDS THE MONEY AND THE BOOZE.
AND AS LONG AS THEY'RE STUCK IN THAT SITUATION WITHOUT A WAY OUT.
SO IF YOU WANT THE HOMELESS TO GO ELSEWHERE, I GUARANTEE YOU THE ONLY WAY YOU'RE GOING TO DO IT IS LIKE PUT THE LIQUOR STORES ELSEWHERE.
AND THE MONEY, BUT THIS SITUATION, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE BEEN TO OTHER CITIES LIKE AND YOU NOTICE LIKE THE HOMELESS, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ALWAYS DOWNTOWN.
THEY'RE ALWAYS WHERE THE MONEY IS AND WHERE THE BOOZE IS.
AND THEY HANG AROUND IN BIG CLUMPS, AND IT'S LIKE THAT BUILDING ITSELF MAY NOT BE THE PERFECT PLACE I CAN HONESTLY SAY.
OH, BECAUSE IT'S THE ONLY FACILITY AVAILABLE.
YOU WANT TO START BUILDING STUFF, THEN IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN BUILT YESTERDAY.
YOU WANT, YOU WANT IT, YOU WANT TO START LOOKING FOR OTHER PLACES AND THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN FORMATTED, YOU KNOW, ON THE FIRST DAY OF SUMMER OR SPRING.
YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD HAVE WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS AND DISCUSSING THIS AND THROWING THE MONEY TOWARDS IT, WHATEVER.
BUT AT THIS PARTICULAR MOMENT, IT'S THE MOST APPROPRIATE PLACE.
WHEN YOU SAY YOU, THAT'S WHERE THE MONEY IS, WHAT DO YOU MEAN, WHERE THE MONEY IS LIKE, WHERE THEY CAN PANHANDLE LIKE, WHERE PEOPLE CAN PANHANDLE OR WHAT DO YOU MEAN WHEN YOU SAY THAT? I DON'T QUITE UNDERSTAND THAT.
THEY'RE THEY'VE GOT THEY'VE GOT ISSUES THAT THEY TEND TO WANT TO MEDICATE, OF COURSE, AND THEY'RE NOT GOING TO GO, AND YOU CAN'T MAKE THEM MEDICATE WAY DOWN THE ROAD.
THEY'RE JUST GOING TO DO IT ANYWAYS UNLESS WE PROVIDE TREATMENT FOR THEM.
YOU KNOW, LIKE THERE'S A WHOLE SERVICE SECTOR THAT WE ARE MISSING OUT ON THAT WE
[01:20:03]
DON'T HAVE HERE THAT IS NEEDED TO DEAL WITH HOMELESSNESS IN GENERAL.AND IT'S LIKE, THE THING IS AT THE END OF THE DAY AND IT'S BEEN I HATE TO SAY THIS, BUT THIS HAS BEEN HERE LONG BEFORE WE'VE EVEN BEEN ON.
JUST WHEN WE JUST STARTED THE CITY, THIS HAS BEEN HERE EVER SINCE.
THERE WAS A DAY WHEN THE NATIVES ESPECIALLY WEREN'T EVEN ALLOWED TO GO INTO BUILDINGS AND SUCH LIKE THAT BECAUSE THEY WERE NATIVE AND THEY WERE THEY WERE DISCRIMINATED AND THERE IS PREJUDICE AND YOU NAME IT.
THOSE THINGS WERE ALL IN PLACE 100 PERCENT.
I KNOW ALL ABOUT THAT RIGHT NOW, AND THEY'VE BEEN OUT THERE ON THAT STREET FROM THOSE DAYS AND THEY'VE BEEN DRINKING AND MEDICATING AND SUCH LIKE THAT.
YOU KNOW, THE STRUGGLE IS THE PAIN AND THE FACT THAT THEY CAN'T GET ANYWHERE IN SOCIETY.
I CAN'T BLAME THAT ON ANYBODY, AND I WILL NEVER BLAME THAT ON ANYBODY.
IT'S JUST THE WAY THINGS HAPPEN.
BUT IT'S THE TRUTH, AND IT'S A MATTER THAT'S NOT GOING AWAY.
YOU KNOW, AND THEY ARE GRAVITATING TOWARDS DOWNTOWN AND THEY PANHANDLE MONEY AND THEY THAT'S THE ONLY WAY THAT THEY COME TOGETHER IN A GROUP.
AND I'LL TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL KNOW PEANUT, BUT JUST TO BRING A LIKE AN ISSUE, PEANUT IS BLIND.
YOU COULD TAKE PEANUT ACROSS THE TOWN.
HE'LL WIND UP RIGHT BACK WHERE YOU GUYS DROPPED HIM OFF JUST LIKE, LIKE HE WAS A SLINGSHOT.
YOU KNOW, AND I'LL TELL YOU WHAT.
IT'S BECAUSE PEANUT CAN'T SEE.
AND I'LL TELL YOU THIS NOBODY REALLY PAYS ATTENTION TO PEANUT.
CANNOT SEE HE'S LEGALLY BLIND.
SO WHEN THE LIGHTS GO DOWN AT NIGHTTIME, WHERE HE'S COMFORTABLE WALKING AROUND, WHAT HE KNOWS IS DOWNTOWN CENTRAL CORE, AND HE WILL GRAVITATE TOWARDS THAT SIMPLY BECAUSE HE KNOWS IT.
AND IT'S HOME AND IT'S COMFORT, AND THAT'S THE ONLY COMFORT THAT HE'S HAD.
SO WE CAN MOVE EVERYTHING ALL OVER THE PLACE, BUT THE HOMELESS WILL ALWAYS GRAVITATE TOWARDS THAT SPOT.
RECKON I GET WELL FINISHED OFF WITH QUESTIONS FOR MICHAEL AND THEN WE'LL TAKE A TEN MINUTE BREAK AND THEN WE WILL GO TO OUR NEXT PRESENTER.
SO ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS FOR MICHAEL? SEEING NONE.
THANK YOU AGAIN, MICHAEL, FOR COMING AND PRESENTING AND SHARING YOUR EXPERIENCE AND APPRECIATE ALL THE FEEDBACK YOU PROVIDE TODAY, AS WELL AS YOUR CONTRIBUTION ON OUR COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD ON HOMELESSNESS.
AND LIKE YOU MENTIONED, THERE'S.
THIS DAY, SHELTER ISN'T GOING TO BE A TREATMENT CENTER.
TREATMENT CENTERS, MISSING HOUSING IS ACTUALLY MISSING.
THIS IS ONE PIECE IN A WHOLE SPECTRUM AND THE WHOLE PUZZLE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.
AND IF WE'RE HANGING OUR HATS ON SOLVING ALL ISSUES WITH THIS ONE BUILDING, WE PUT TOO MUCH ON ON THE ONE BUILDING.
SO LET'S TAKE A 10 MINUTE BREAK, AND WE'LL COME BACK AT 1:39 AND JUST TURN YOUR CAMERAS ON WHEN YOU'RE BACK.
NEXT, NEESHA, I WILL TURN THE FLOOR OVER TO YOU.
SO TRYING TO KEEP THE COMMENTS TO ABOUT 10 MINUTES AND THEN WE'LL OPEN IT UP TO QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL AND OVER TO YOU.
MY NAME IS NEESHA RAO, AND I AM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE YELLOWKNIFE WOMEN'S SOCIETY.
WE ARE AN ORGANIZATION THAT DOES A LOT OF WORK WITH MEMBERS OF THE STREET INVOLVED POPULATION HERE IN YELLOWKNIFE.
WE OPERATE THE WOMEN CENTER THAT'S ON FRANKLIN, A HOUSING FIRST PROGRAMS. MICHAEL [INAUDIBLE] WORKS WITH US FOR HIS COMMON GROUND PROGRAM.
AND WE ALSO OPERATE THESE [INAUDIBLE] SUPPORTED LIVING ENVIRONMENT OR PEOPLE WHO ARE AT HIGH RISK OF DEATH AND SERIOUS ILLNESS FROM COVID 19.
I'M HERE TODAY TO URGE CITY COUNCIL TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF THIS APPLICATION BY THE GOVERNMENT OF THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES TO SET UP AN EMERGENCY OR A SHELTER AT THE AURORA SITE.
I WANTED TO START BY JUST PUTTING THIS APPLICATION IN CONTEXT.
I KNOW WE WERE HERE A YEAR AGO CONSIDERING A VERY SIMILAR APPLICATION, AND NOW THIS SITUATION, THE PANDEMIC SITUATION FOR MEMBERS OF THE STUDENT POPULATION IS THE
[01:25:03]
WORST THAT IT'S EVER BEEN IN THE PANDEMIC.WE KNOW THAT OUR ICU IS AT OR NEAR CAPACITY AND THAT MANY MEMBERS OF THE [INAUDIBLE] POPULATION ARE CURRENTLY SICK WITH COVID 19.
AND SO THE NEED FOR A SHELTER FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE SUFFERING IT HAS NEVER BEEN MORE DIRE THAN IT IS TODAY AND THAT NEED FOR SERVICES.
I THINK ALSO PREDATES THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC.
THERE HAS BEEN AN EPIDEMIC OF HOMELESSNESS AND TRAUMA CAUSED BY COLONIALISM AND THE RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL SYSTEM IN THE SIXTIES SCOOP AND THE CHILD PROTECTION SYSTEM AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM THAT HAS BEEN IN PLACE IN YELLOWKNIFE FOR DECADES.
AND I JUST URGE OUR POLITICAL LEADERS TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS EMERGENCY DOES COME FROM COVID, BUT IT'S A PREEXISTING EMERGENCY.
AND YOU KNOW, I KNOW YOU WERE HERE A YEAR AGO, AND I WANT TO SAY THAT I THINK A LOT HAS CHANGED FOR THE BETTER IN TERMS OF THE LEVEL OF DISCOURSE HERE AT CITY COUNCIL.
I THINK I'M HEARING FROM CITY COUNCILORS THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS A NEED TO PROVIDE SERVICES FOR THE [INAUDIBLE] POPULATION.
I'M HEARING AND UNDERSTANDING THAT THESE SERVICES DO HAVE TO BE DOWNTOWN BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THE SALVATION ARMY IS WITH THE SOBERING CENTER IS WHERE PRIMARY CARE IS.
SO I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT THERE HAS BEEN A SHIFT IN THAT DISCOURSE.
AND I THINK THINGS LIKE HAVING MICHAEL HERE AND HAVING EMILY HERE LAST YEAR HAVE HAVE MADE A REALLY BIG DIFFERENCE.
SO I WANTED TO JUST SAY THAT IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT CITY COUNCIL VOTE IN FAVOR OF THIS APPLICATION BECAUSE THE NEED FOR A SERVICE FOR MEMBERS OF THE STREET INVOLVED POPULATION IS EXTREME.
IT'S WORSE THAN IT WAS A YEAR AGO, AND WE NEED THIS SERVICE TO BE PROVIDED 12 MONTHS A YEAR.
I'M, YOU KNOW, IT IS NOT JUST THE CASE THAT PEOPLE NEED A SPACE TO GO INTO WHEN IT'S MINUS 40.
THERE IS NOWHERE DOWNTOWN THAT PEOPLE WHO DO NOT HAVE A HOME CAN GO UNLESS THEY ARE WILLING TO SPEND MONEY AT A BUSINESS.
AND SO THE NEED FOR A PUBLIC SPACE IS URGENT.
I WANTED TO JUST ADDRESS SOME OF THE POINTS THAT HAVE BEEN COMING UP WITH RESPECT TO.
A FALSE NARRATIVE THAT THIS NEEDS TO BE ABOUT A BATTLE BETWEEN SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS AND MEMBERS OF THE STREET INVOLVED POPULATION BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S A REALLY UNFORTUNATE NARRATIVE AND ONE THAT WE REALLY NEED TO TO LOOK BEYOND.
THE FIRST THING I WANT TO SAY IS THAT.
BELONG TO SMALL BUSINESSES, AND THE OWNERS HAVE SAID THAT THEY SUPPORT THE NEED FOR A SHELTER, SO THAT WOULD BE FAIR AND GROUND COFFEE.
BIRCHWOOD SON DOG, I SAW SOME ACCOUNTANTS, SO WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THAT THERE IS A LETTER THAT WAS SUBMITTED TO CITY COUNCIL THAT WAS SIGNED BY OVER 80 RESIDENTS OF YELLOWKNIFE, AND I THINK THAT NUMBER WILL GROW.
MANY OF THOSE PEOPLE ARE SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS THEMSELVES, AND THEY'RE ALSO WORKERS IN YELLOWKNIFE AND PROPERTY OWNERS AND NOT PROPERTY OWNERS AND RENTERS AND FAMILIES AND PARENTS.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO ALSO MAKE SURE THAT WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THEIR VOICES ARE HEARD IN THIS DEBATE TODAY BECAUSE I DO THINK THAT THERE IS FUNDAMENTALLY SOMETHING VERY WRONG WITH THIS PROCESS, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT I RAISED LAST YEAR.
THIS BYLAW PROCESS PRIVILEGES THE PROPERTY INTERESTS OF A SELECT FEW YELLOWKNIFERS OVER THE LIVES AND SAFETY BEING THE HUMAN RIGHTS OF OTHER CITIZENS.
AND IT DOES SO ON THE BASIS OF STEREOTYPES AND ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE, AND THAT IS DISCRIMINATION.
AND MICHAEL RAISED THE ISSUE OF DISCRIMINATION.
AND I HAVE TO SAY, BUT I THINK THIS PROCESS, WHICH ALLOWS ONE OR TWO PEOPLE TO APPEAL A DECISION THE CITY COUNCIL AND ON THE BASIS OF ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE AND STEREOTYPES, IS A DISCRIMINATORY PROCESS BECAUSE IT ENDS UP HAVING NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON THE SOCIAL CONDITION AND THE LIVES OF CITIZENS IN THE CITY.
AND SO I, YOU KNOW, IF THERE IS AN APPEAL, I CALL ON THE GNWT TO USE ITS EMERGENCY POWERS OR I CALL ON THE GNWT IN THE CITY TO WORK TOGETHER TO BRING A LEGAL CHALLENGE, SAYING THAT THIS CURRENT PROCESS IS DISCRIMINATORY BECAUSE I REALLY THINK THAT IT IS AND AND I'M WORKING ON LOOKING FURTHER INTO THIS.
THE OTHER THING THAT I THINK IS WRONG WITH THIS PROCESS IS THAT IT ELIMINATES THE
[01:30:05]
VOICES OF THOSE YELLOWKNIFERS, THE ONES I WAS TALKING ABOUT WHO AT THE TIME SUPPORT THE SHELTER.AND THIS PROCESS THEREFORE BECOMES ARBITRARY.
AND I KNOW THAT THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE IS CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF REVIEWING ITS BYLAW PROCESS BECAUSE OF THESE KINDS OF PROBLEMS. AND THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO SAY IS THAT, YOU KNOW, SHELTER USERS BY DEFINITION, ARE NOT PROPERTY HOLDERS AND BY VERY DEFINITION THEY ARE EXCLUDED FROM THIS PROCESS.
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS ARE NOT THE REASON THAT OUR ECONOMY IN YELLOWKNIFE IS DEPRESSED.
YES, WE NEED TO DO MORE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES, AND I CALL ON THE GNWT TO WORK WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO DO MORE FOR OUR WORKERS AND TO DO MORE FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE TO STAY HOME TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR CHILDREN, WHICH HAS HAPPENED TO A LOT OF OUR STAFF TO DO MORE TO REMEDY THE FACT THAT RIGHT NOW, IT'S RESTAURANTS AND SMALL BUSINESSES AND TOURISM PROVIDERS WHO HAVE REALLY BEEN HIT THE HARDEST BY THIS PANDEMIC.
AND SO, YEAH, WE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER TO TRY TO SOLVE THESE PROBLEMS. BUT I WANT TO POINT OUT THAT PHYSICAL SAFETY, HUMAN RIGHTS LIVES, THOSE ARE WORTH MORE THAN MONEY.
AND I WANT TO ALSO JUST DRAW ATTENTION TO THE MANY MEMBERS OF THE CITY WHO SUPPORT A SHELTER AND BRING, AS MICHAEL SAID, THE VOICE OF THE VOICELESS TO THIS COMMITTEE MEETING.
BECAUSE DUE TO THE VERY STRUCTURE OF THIS PROCESS, PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT PROPERTY OWNERS WITHIN A DEFINED DISTANCE ARE EXCLUDED FROM THIS CONVERSATION, AND I THINK THAT IS ARBITRARY.
AND SO I CALL ON CITY COUNCIL TO APPROVE THIS APPLICATION.
SEPTEMBER 30TH IS NOW THE NEW NATIONAL DAY OF TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION.
A LOT OF US SHOWED UP AT THAT MARCH IN CITY HALL TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE SUFFERING THAT WAS CAUSED BY RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS.
SO OUR SHELTER USERS ARE THOSE CHILDREN TODAY, AND THEY'RE THE CHILDREN OF THE PEOPLE WHO ATTENDED RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS.
AND WE REALLY NEED TO STICK OUR NECK OUT FOR THE HUMAN RIGHTS OF OUR FELLOW CITIZENS.
AND YEAH, JUST ON YOUR YOUR POINT, THE LETTER WITH THE SIGNATURES HAS WAS RECEIVED AND IS NOW POSTED ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE AS AN ADDENDUM TO OUR PACKAGE BECAUSE WE DIDN'T GET IT IN TIME FOR THE POSTING.
SO JUST SO FOLKS WHO ARE WATCHING, THEY CAN THEY CAN GO AND SEE THAT.
AND JUST ON THE POINT ON, WE ARE LOOKING TO HEAR FROM FROM EVERYBODY, BUT IT'S PROPERTY OWNERS WITHIN 30 METERS THAT RECEIVE A LETTER.
SO DO APPRECIATE THAT WE HAVE HEARD FROM FROM RESIDENTS OUTSIDE OF THAT BOUNDARY.
EVERYBODY'S VOICE IS WELCOME TO AND WE HAVE RECEIVED EMAILS.
SO AND APPRECIATE YOUR POINT ABOUT THE UPCOMING ZONING BYLAW AND THE DRAFT THAT'S CURRENTLY OUT FOR PUBLIC REVIEW HAS MOVED WHAT DAY SHELTER IS CALLED A SPECIAL CARE FACILITY FROM WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS DISCRETIONARY USE, WHICH CURRENTLY IS CONDITIONALLY PERMITTED TO THE PERMITTED.
SO ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO WHO ARE IN SUPPORT OF THAT TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR UPCOMING ZONING BYLAW REVIEW AND ATTEND THE STATUTORY PUBLIC HEARING THAT WILL BE HAPPENING AT THE END OF NOVEMBER.
JUST WANT TO MAKE THE PLUG BECAUSE I KNOW FOLKS ARE WATCHING SO THAT THEY CAN PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROCESS.
WITH THAT, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE PRESENTER? SEEING, NONE, THANK YOU AGAIN, NISHA, FOR COMING AND SPEAKING TODAY.
I WILL TURN THE FLOOR OVER TO YOU, JERRI, AND I WILL RESET MY TIMER HERE AND SO ENCOURAGING FOLKS TO TRY TO STAY IN THAT 10 MINUTE AND THEN WE'LL OPEN IT UP TO QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL.
SO OVER TO YOU JERRI? THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I FIRST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT I AM ON CHIEF DRYGEESE TERRITORY OF THE [INAUDIBLE] DENE [INAUDIBLE] WHERE I WAS BORN.
I NEED TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY.
ABOUT WHO I AM, MY NAME IS GERRI SHARPE.
I AM THE OLDEST DAUGHTER OF [INAUDIBLE] WHO WAS A VERY WELL-KNOWN INTERPRETER.
SHE'S PRETTY MUCH THE CREATOR OF THE MAJORITY OF THE INUKITUT LANGUAGE THAT WE HAVE NOW AND WAS THE INTERPRETER FOR THE MAJORITY OF LAND CLAIMS AGREEMENTS.
SHE'S THE ELDEST DAUGHTER OF GIDEON[INAUDIBLE] IS PICTURED ON THE BACK OF THIS $2 BILL.
HE WAS ALSO A RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL STUDENT, SO I'M THIRD GENERATION.
AND YES, I WAS ALSO PART OF THE SIXTIES SCOOP AND I DON'T APPRECIATE IT BEING COMPARED TO BUSINESSES HERE IN TOWN, BUT I WON'T GO THERE RIGHT NOW.
MY GRANDFATHER HELPED SETTLE WHAT IS NOW KNOWN AS JOE HAVEN.
HE TRAVELED BY DOG TEAM ACROSS ALL OF THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES AND NUNAVUT MULTIPLE TIMES AS A MINISTER FOR THE ANGLICAN CHURCH.
HE FELT THAT EDUCATION WAS THE ONLY WAY THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE ABLE TO GO
[01:35:02]
AHEAD.SO WHILE HE HATED HAVING TO SEND HIS CHILDREN AWAY AND HIS GRANDCHILDREN, BY THE WAY, JUST A FEW YEARS AFTER THIS PICTURE WAS TAKEN WAS WHEN MY MOTHER AT THE AGE OF FOUR WAS REMOVED TO GO TO INUVIK FOR THE FIRST TIME SHE WAS FOUR.
SHE DIDN'T FINISH SCHOOL UNTIL SHE WAS 19 HERE IN YELLOWKNIFE WHEN SHE MARRIED MY FATHER.
HE CAME UP HERE TO WORK AT CON MINE.
THE REASON WHY I'M TELLING YOU THIS IS BECAUSE YOU ALSO NEED TO KNOW MY HISTORY AND THE KNOWLEDGE WHERE I'VE GAINED MY KNOWLEDGE.
I AM THE THE PAST PRESIDENT THE STATUS OF WOMEN COUNCIL FOR THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, A PAST HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION MEMBER.
I HAD BEEN ON THE INUIT DEA AS WELL AS THE BEAUFORT DELTA EDUCATION COUNCIL.
I AM THE CURRENT VICE PRESIDENT FOR [INAUDIBLE] INUIT WOMEN IN CANADA.
SO I'VE TAKEN OFFENSE TO A FEW COMMENTS AND ACTIONS THAT HAVE HAPPENED HERE TODAY, AND I'M NOT HAPPY.
THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME SERIOUS EDUCATION.
THE EDUCATION NEEDS GO THE OTHER WAY.
THESE LANDS THAT WE HONOR, INDIGENOUS LANDS, WE ARE 56 PERCENT OF THIS TERRITORY.
IN OTHER WORDS, CITY HALL SERVES YELLOWKNIFE , NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND.
THESE PEOPLE THAT ARE ON THE STREETS RIGHT NOW HAVE SUFFERED TRAUMAS THAT OUR GOVERNMENTS MADE US GO THROUGH.
AND I SAY US BECAUSE I WAS PART OF THAT, MY MOTHER WAS PART OF THAT, MY GRANDFATHER WAS PART OF THAT.
I'VE LOST UNCLES AND AUNTS TO THE STREET BECAUSE OF ALCOHOL, BECAUSE OF THE TRAUMAS THAT THEY SERVE.
SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT THIS THE WRONG WAY.
THE WAY THAT IT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT IS HOW DO WE GET AHEAD OF THAT? WE GET AHEAD OF THAT BY WORKING TOGETHER, NOT PUTTING BUSINESSES AGAINST OUR COMMUNITY.
OUR COMMUNITY IS ONLY AS STRONG, ONLY AS STRONG AS OUR WEAKEST PERSON.
AND UNTIL WE HELP OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY, WE ARE DOING NOTHING.
I'M DOING MY PART BECAUSE I HAVE THE VOICE OF THE FEDERAL MINISTERS RIGHT NOW WHEN IT COMES TO SHELTERS IN THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES.
THERE ARE FIVE SHELTERS, WOMEN'S SHELTERS.
WHEN SOMEBODY HAS TO CALL TO GO TO A SHELTER FROM POLYTECH, THEY ACTUALLY HAVE TO GO BUY MEDICAL TRAVEL.
HOW WOULD YOU LIKE THAT? IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU'D LIKE TO ENTERTAIN.
IF YOU HAD TO GIVE BIRTH TO A CHILD, YOU EITHER HAVE TO GO TO INUVIK OR YELLOWKNIFE.
SOMETIMES YOU GET STUCK THERE.
SOMETIMES THEY EVEN HAVE TO GO DOWN TO EDMONTON.
SOMETIMES THEY GET STUCK DOWN THERE, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENS THEN? OUR WOMEN GO MISSING AND GET MURDERED.
THAT'S WHY THERE'S SUCH A HIGH LEVEL, HIGH NUMBER OF MISSING AND MURDERED INDIGENOUS WOMEN AND GIRLS.
AND YES, I WAS A KEEPER, FOR THE WALKING WITH OUR SISTERS.
ALL OF THOSE UPPERS THAT WERE AT THE MUSEUM.
I CAN TELL YOU THE STORY BEHIND ALL OF THEM.
SO I'M ANGRY THAT OUR COUNSELORS ARE ABLE TO SIT THERE, LAUGH AND MAKE JOKES AT VERY SERIOUS PROBLEMS. YOU ARE HERE TO SERVE YELLOWKNIFE, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND.
I'M ANGRY, I'M ANGRY BECAUSE THE COLONIAL SYSTEM IS CONTINUED.
THE ONLY WAY THAT WE'RE GOING TO OVERCOME THIS ISSUE IS BY WORKING TOGETHER TO OVERCOME HOUSING, TO OVERCOME THE HEALTH ISSUES, TO OVERCOME POVERTY.
AND BY PITTING THE BUSINESSES AGAINST IT IS NOT GOING TO DO IT.
HOMELESSNESS, POVERTY, ALL OF THAT WAS A PANDEMIC EVEN BEFORE COVID HIT.
BUT IT DIDN'T AFFECT EVERYBODY.
SO IT WASN'T LOOKED AT AS A PANDEMIC.
NUNAVUT, FOR INSTANCE, SENDS ALL OF THEIR MEDICAL TRAVEL HERE.
DO YOU KNOW THAT YELLOWKNIFE HAS THE SECOND HIGHEST NUMBER OF INUIT OUTSIDE OF OTTAWA? OTTAWA HAS 5000 IN YELLOWKNIFE HAS OVER 2000.
SO THAT MEANS THAT OUTSIDE OF INUIT NUNAVUT, WHICH IS IN WETLANDS.
WE HAVE THE SECOND HIGHEST NUMBER OF INUIT IN CANADA.
MANY OF THOSE PEOPLE ARE ON THE STREET, HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE ON THE STREET THAT AREN'T INDIGENOUS? HAVE YOU EVER FOLLOWED THEIR HISTORY? I KNOW MOST OF THEM.
YOU THINK PEOPLE ARE BORN WANTING TO BE ON THE STREET? I'M ANGRY, AND YES, THURSDAY IS GOING TO BE THE FIRST TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION.
TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION DAY ACROSS CANADA.
WE ARE LUCKY ENOUGH THAT THE DNWT HAS ALLOWED THAT TO BE A HOLIDAY.
DOES ANYBODY REMEMBER MARGARET THRASHER?
[01:40:04]
SHE RAN FOR MAYOR.SHE WAS FROM THE STREET AND SHE DID NOT COME IN LAST.
IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, SHE MIGHT HAVE PLACED THIRD.
BECAUSE SHE KNEW HOW THINGS WORKED.
BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, THE WAY THINGS ARE BEING SET UP IS TO FAIL.
WE NEED TO LOOK AHEAD AND PREEMPTIVELY ACT AND GET RID OF THE ISSUES THAT ARE PUTTING PEOPLE ON THE STREET, AND THAT MEANS WORKING TOGETHER TO OVERCOME THE HOUSING ISSUES, TO OVERCOME EDUCATION, TO OVERCOME JUSTICE.
RIGHT NOW, WHEN EVERYBODY HAS TO GO TO JAIL, THEY EITHER GO TO HERE OR FORT SMITH.
A LOT OF PEOPLE LEAVE THEIR COMMUNITIES IN HOPES OF FINDING BETTER HOUSING AND BETTER EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES HERE.
I KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT I'VE SEEN THE NUMBERS.
I DON'T THINK I SHOULD SAY ANYTHING ELSE RIGHT NOW BECAUSE I'LL BITE MYSELF IN THE BUTT.
APPRECIATE YOU COMING TODAY AND PRESENTING AND LETTING US KNOW MORE ABOUT YOUR HISTORY AS WELL AS FRAMING THIS DISCUSSION APPROPRIATELY, AND LIKE YOU SAID, WHAT WE ALSO ON THE AGENDA TODAY, WE HAD A POINT IN TIME COUNT, WHICH IS JUST ONE DAY.
COUNT TO SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE IN YELLOWKNIFE ARE LIVING IN HOMELESSNESS, AND AS AS YOU MENTIONED, SIXTY SIX ARE PEOPLE ARE COMING FROM ACROSS THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES AND NUNAVUT AND MAKING YELLOWKNIFE THEIR HOME AND IT'S FOR THOSE EXACT REASONS THAT SOMEONE TO BE CLOSER TO FAMILY AND SERVICES.
BUT THEY'RE THEY'RE CHOOSING TO MOVE HERE LIKE EVERY CANADIAN HAS THE RIGHT TO DO.
AND THOSE SAME BUSINESSES ARE BENEFITING FROM THAT, BY THE WAY.
UH, OPENING IT UP, ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE PRESENTER? SEEING NONE.
I SENT YOU A TEXT MESSAGE, I YEAH, I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK.
THANK YOU, GERRI, FOR HAVING SPOKEN UP.
I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR CANDOR.
I DO AGREE THAT EDUCATION IS IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY IN WHAT WE DO IN EVERY DAY.
AND I APPRECIATE YOU HAVING COME OUT AND SPOKEN.
I DO BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A WAY IN WHICH TO WORK TOGETHER.
TRYING TO BRIDGE THAT GAP IS VERY DIFFICULT, BEING THE ONLY INDIGENOUS PERSON ON COUNCIL, IT'S BEEN HARD.
SO I DO APPRECIATE YOU HAVING COME OUT AND SAID SAYING WHAT YOU'VE HAD TO SAY.
BUT AGAIN, I DO, I DO REALIZE THAT THERE ALSO A WAY IN WHICH WE CAN WORK TOGETHER WHERE IT'S NOT SO HARSH, I GUESS, IN THE TONE IN WHICH WE'RE SPEAKING, BECAUSE I FIND THAT THAT'S WHERE THERE'S USUALLY A LOT OF AS YOU SAID, YOU'RE ANGRY, YES, I'M ANGRY, TOO, I'M A THIRD GENERATION.
BUT I DECIDED TO USE WHAT I HAVE FOR THE BETTER AND WORK WITHIN TO TRY AND FIX.
AND IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN QUICKLY.
IT'S A GRADUAL FIX AND IT'S WHAT I NEEDED TO DO FOR MY PEOPLE AND I APPRECIATE THAT YOU'RE COMING OUT AND SPEAKING UP FOR YOUR PEOPLE AS WELL.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR THE PRESENTER? SEEING NONE, THANK YOU AGAIN.
COUNCILLOR SMITH'S PHONE MIGHT HAVE DIED ON THE COMPUTER THERE.
THANK YOU, GERRI, SORRY FOR COMING TODAY.
AND NEXT WE HAVE THE YELLOWKNIFE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, SO I WILL PASS IT OVER TO I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S DENEEN OR TIM WHO WILL BE TIM AND AGAIN TRYING TO KEEP OUR COMMENTS IN 10 MINUTES AND THEN OPENING IT UP TO Q&A.
THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR, AND THANK YOU COUNCILLOR FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO
[01:45:01]
ADDRESS YOU TODAY.MY NAME IS TIM SéRUM, THE PRESIDENT OF THE YELLOWKNIFE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
WE'VE COVERED A LOT OF GROUND TODAY ON THE MERITS OF THE LOCATION OF THE PROPOSED SHELTER, SO I'M NOT GOING TO DWELL ON THAT.
I'D LIKE TO FOCUS A LITTLE MORE ON THE G.
PROCESS THAT WE'VE THAT WE'VE SEEN UNFOLD AND WHICH HAS PUT US IN THIS POSITION TODAY.
A FLAWED PROCESS WHERE THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES HAS USED LANGUAGE TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT HER ATTEMPTS TO SILENCE BUSINESS OWNERS LEGITIMATE CONCERNS THROUGH FEAR OF PUBLIC SHAMING AND INTIMIDATION FROM WELL-MEANING CONSUMERS IN YELLOWKNIFE RESIDENTS IS CONCERNING AND UNACCEPTABLE.
NO ELECTED POLITICIAN SHOULD EVER ASK A BUSINESS TO WAIVE THEIR RIGHT TO A FAIR APPEAL PROCESS.
THAT APPEALS PROCESS EXISTS FOR A REASON, AND WE SHOULD HONOR IT.
ONGOING LACK OF PLANNING HAS CREATED THIS DIVISIVE SITUATION IN OUR COMMUNITY AND THE ONE THAT WE'RE FACING NOW.
THE SUPPORT AND SERVICES REQUIRED BY YELLOWKNIFE HOMELESS AND STREET INVOLVED POPULATION ARE NOT NEW.
AND YET AGAIN AGAIN, THE G.N.W.T.
HAS FAILED TO ENGAGE LOCAL BUSINESSES AND ORGANIZATIONS IN THE DOWNTOWN CORE TO FIND A SOLUTION THAT MEETS THE NEEDS OF VULNERABLE POPULATIONS WHILE MITIGATING IMPACTS ON BUSINESSES.
FINGERS CROSSED FOR 2024 IS NOT AN ACCEPTABLE SOLUTION.
THE THREE YEARS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE, I THINK, IS PROBABLY ASPIRATIONAL.
THE REQUESTS FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST ALSO LISTS TWO SIX MONTHS FOR RENEWAL PERIODS, FOR THE LEASE, FOR THE SPACE.
SO WE PROBABLY LOOKING AT FOUR YEARS.
IF IF THIS REALLY WERE A PRIORITY FOR THE G.
N.W.T., AS THEY SAY IT IS, THEN WE WOULDN'T BE LOOKING AT 2024.
WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT SOLUTIONS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TODAY.
THE YELLOWKNIFE BUSINESS COMMUNITY IS PASSIONATE, INNOVATIVE AND EAGER TO BE A PART OF THE SOLUTION.
THERE ARE OTHER OPTIONS FOR A TEMPORARY DAY SHELTER, BUT THEY REQUIRE THE INVESTMENT THAT G.N.W.T.
WE'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS A NUMBER OF POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS WITH OUR MEMBERSHIP, INCLUDING PETER HOLLAND FROM KAVANAGH BROTHERS, WHO'S PULLED TOGETHER A SOLUTION THAT HE'S PRESENTED TO MINISTER GREEN AND HER TEAM.
THE [INAUDIBLE] SEASON ROAD CAMP IS WRAPPING UP AND SEVERAL MODULAR UNITS WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR RENT, INCLUDING A RECREATION COMPLEX, KITCHEN COMPLEX AND A 48 PERSON SLEEPING COMPLEX WITH INDIVIDUAL ROOMS, BATHROOMS AND LAUNDRY FACILITIES.
THEY'RE LOCATED CLOSE BY AND THEY'LL BE AVAILABLE IN MID-OCTOBER.
THESE MODULAR UNITS DON'T REQUIRE ANY CITY PIPE SERVICES AS BUILDINGS ARE SET UP TO BE PUMPED IN AND PUMP OUT WATER AND SEWAGE SERVICES, AND THE MODULAR UNITS ALLOW FOR FLEXIBILITY WITH PLACEMENT ANYWHERE IN THE CITY OF THE G.
OWNS A LOT OF LAND IN THIS TOWN.
NEXT TO THE SAN HOSPITAL THE OLD VISITOR CENTER HAS BEEN SUGGESTED, BOTH ARE CENTRAL, ACCESSIBLE FROM ACCESSIBLE AND OFFER ADEQUATE DISTANCE FROM MOST LOCAL BUSINESSES.
THIS IS JUST ONE EXAMPLE THAT GNWT HAS BEEN PRESENTED WITH.
AND WE'RE ASKING COUNCIL TO DECLINE THE CONDITIONALLY PERMITTED USE FOR A TEMPORARY SHELTER IN THE LOBBY G.
ALONGSIDE THE YELLOWKNIFE CHAMBER TO CONSULT WORK WITH BUSINESSES AND CREATE A MEANINGFUL SOLUTION.
OPENING IT UP TO QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, TIM, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION OR YOUR YOUR TALK HERE.
WHEN IT COMES TO PRICE, DO YOU KNOW WHAT WHAT WE'D BE LOOKING AT FOR PRICE DIFFERENCE AND WHAT THIS ALL MEANS TO GNWT IF WE WENT WITH LIKE THE RECOMMENDATION THAT OR THE OPTION THAT MR. HOWLING BROUGHT FORWARD.
DO WE KNOW ROUGHLY, I KNOW THEY PROBABLY ARE NOT, PROBABLY NOT TELLING US WHAT THEY'RE WHAT THEY'RE PAYING FOR RENT AT THIS AURORA PLACE, BUT IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW CLOSE THE DOLLAR AMOUNT WOULD BE.
SURE, THANKS FOR YOUR QUESTION, COUNCILLOR.
I THINK WE'VE SCOPED OUT SIMILAR SIMILAR FACILITIES IN AND AROUND THE RANGE OF $300000 FOR THE ASSET ACQUISITION AND ONE HUNDRED TO ONE HUNDRED AND TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR MOBILIZATION AND SETUP.
OK, THANK YOU, AND WE DON'T HAVE ANY I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY STILL, YEAH, IF ANYBODY AT GNWT THAT, IS THAT AN OPTION THAT WOULD BE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE? UH, LET'S PUT A PAUSE ON ASKING THE GNWT TO.
.. WE'LL, JUST FOCUSED ON QUESTIONS FOR TIM RIGHT NOW, AND THEN I'LL SEE IF PERRY IS
[01:50:01]
AVAILABLE TO RESPOND TO A QUESTION.THAT'S FAIR ENOUGH, THANK YOU.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR THE PRESENTER? PERRY NOT TO GET INTO.
SORRY, I'M SLOW ON THE DRAW HERE WITH MY PHONE.
THANKS FOR COMING TO PRESENT AND FOR ALL THE WORK THAT CHAMBER AND YOUR MEMBER BUSINESSES HAVE DONE TO TRY TO PARTICIPATE IN FINDING SOLUTIONS.
CAN I JUST ASK YOU TO CLARIFY IS YOUR IS THE POSITION OF THE CHAMBER THAT NO LOCATION DOWNTOWN OR WITHIN A CERTAIN DISTANCE OF ANY BUSINESS IS ACCEPTABLE TO THE CHAMBER FOR THIS TYPE OF FACILITY OR CAN...
CAN YOU JUST CLARIFY? BESIDES PUTTING THE LOCATION SOMEWHERE TOTALLY DIFFERENT FAR FROM BUSINESSES.
ARE THERE OTHER WAYS THAT YOU'VE ASKED THE GNWT TO MITIGATE IMPACTS? AND WHAT HAVE BEEN THE RESPONSES THERE? TIM.
THANKS FOR YOUR QUESTION, COUNCILLOR MORGAN.
SO NO THAT OUR POSITION IS NOT THAT WE OPPOSE ANY SHELTER ANYWHERE DOWNTOWN.
WHAT MY COMMENTS TODAY FOCUS MORE ON THE PROCESS, WHICH CAN ACTUALLY ANSWER YOUR QUESTION AND THAT WE HAVEN'T ACTUALLY BEEN CONSULTED.
I UNDERSTAND THAT PROCESS IS IS IS GOING ON NOW, BUT IT'S IT SEEMS PRETTY CLEAR TO ME FROM THE PRESENTATION TODAY THAT GNWT HAS REALLY SHARPENED ITS PENCILS ON THIS PARTICULAR LOCATION.
AND YET THE FIRST WE'RE HEARING ABOUT IT IS IS A WEEK AND A HALF AGO AND THEN THE CONSULTATIONS FROM THAT FOLLOW AFTER THE DECISION HAS ALREADY BEEN MADE.
WE'D LIKE TO BE A PART OF THAT, THAT PROCESS GOING FORWARD IN HELPING DECIDE ON THE LOCATION AND THE SUITABILITY OF BUILDINGS OR OTHER FACILITIES THAT WE CAN HELP THE G.
THE CONSULTATION PROCESS, TO ME, SEEMS TRUNCATED AND WE ARE ESSENTIALLY SITTING HERE AGAIN FACING WHAT APPEARS TO BE A FAIT ACCOMPLI FROM N.W.T., SAYING THERE ARE NO OTHER OPTIONS.
AND BY THE WAY, IT'S SEPTEMBER AND WINTER'S AROUND THE CORNER.
WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN HAVING THIS CONVERSATION IN APRIL, AND MAYBE WE COULD HAVE ARRIVED AT A BETTER DECISION WITH BETTER BUY IN FROM THE STAKEHOLDERS.
AND YET HERE WE ARE ARGUING ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT WE BELIEVE THAT THERE SHOULD BE A SOLUTION.
EVERYBODY BELIEVES THERE SHOULD WE NEED A SOLUTION FOR THIS.
SO NO, WE DON'T POSE NECESSARILY THE CURRENT LOCATION OR ANY LOCATION DOWNTOWN.
WE WERE FRUSTRATED BY THE PROCESS AND THE DIVISIVE LANGUAGE THAT THE MINISTER HAS USED.
AND I KNOW THAT THE GNWT PUT OUT A REQUEST FOR I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE TERM WAS, HER REQUEST FOR INFORMATION, REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS OR SOMETHING SOMETIME THIS SUMMER.
LOOKING FOR OPTIONS, DID THE CHAMBER PARTICIPATE IN THAT? WAS THE CHAMBER AWARE OF THAT? TIM.
SO WE BECAME AWARE OF THAT WHEN EVERYONE ELSE BECAME AWARE OF THAT.
AND AS AN ADVOCACY ORGANIZATION, WE'RE NOT REALLY IN A POSITION TO MAKE SUBMISSIONS.
IT WAS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ON ON BUILDINGS THAT MAY BE AVAILABLE AND.
WE WOULD HAVE BEEN HAPPY TO BE A PART OF THE CONSULTATION PROCESS AS IT UNFOLDED.
AS IT TURNS OUT, THEY ONLY GOT THREE EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST, AND THAT'S BECAUSE THE SCOPE OF WHAT WAS OF THE REQUEST FOR INTEREST WAS SO NARROW.
IT'S I DON'T KNOW IF THERE WERE QUEST FOR INFORMATION WAS DRAFTED WITH THAT PARTICULAR BUILDING IN MIND, BUT THERE WERE ONLY A FEW BUILDINGS THAT WOULD THAT WOULD FIT THE BILL.
SO THE DIE HAD REALLY ALREADY BEEN CAST.
OK, AND CAN YOU JUST CLARIFY A BIT? WHAT ASPECTS OF THIS SCOPE WERE SO NARROW THAT MIGHT RULE OUT OTHER GOOD OPTIONS THAT YOU THINK MIGHT HAVE BEEN AVAILABLE? TIM.
WELL, I'D PROBABLY HAVE TO REREAD IT TO GIVE YOU THE PARTICULAR DETAILS, BUT, YOU KNOW, THE GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION, THE SIZE OF THE BUILDING, THE TERM OF THE LEASE, THERE'S THERE'S ALL SORTS OF CRITERIA IN THERE THAT THAT REALLY ONLY POINT TO A HANDFUL OF
[01:55:01]
BUILDINGS IN TOWN.AND IF YOU'D LIKE FURTHER INFORMATION ON, I'D BE HAPPY TO GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT.
I'M SORRY, I WASN'T REALLY EXPECTING THAT QUESTION.
NO, CERTAINLY I'M INTERESTED IN IN GETTING IN TOUCH TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PROCESS AND.
TO THE PROCESS CAN ALWAYS BE IMPROVED IN.
NOT THAT THE CITY HAS DIRECT CONTROL, BUT WE'RE ALL TRYING TO BE PARTNERS IN THIS AND FIND THE BEST PERSON POSSIBLE.
WELL, I THINK THAT'S RIGHT AND THE CITY NEEDS TO BE INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS IN THE SAME WAY THAT THE YELLOWKNIFE BUSINESS COMMUNITY DOES, WHICH IS WHICH IS FROM THE OUTSET OF THE PLANNING PROCESS, NOT AT THE STAGE WHERE IT IS NOW.
A DECISION HAS TO BE MADE AND THIS IS THE ONLY DECISION THAT YOU CAN MAKE.
IT PUTS COUNCILORS IN A TERRIBLE POSITION.
AND AND I DON'T ENVY YOU HAVING TO MAKE THAT DECISION.
AS WITH COUNCILOR PAYNE SAID EARLIER ON.
YOU'RE GOING TO UPSET ONE HALF OF THE TOWN WITH ONE DECISION AND YOU'RE GOING TO UPSET THE OTHER HALF OF THE TOWN AND ANOTHER DECISION THAT'S A PLANNING FAILURE, NOT A FAILURE FOR THE CITY'S.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR THE PRESENTER? UH, VERY I DON'T WANT TO OPEN IT UP TO TOO MUCH BACK AND FORTH, BUT JUST A QUESTION FROM COUNCIL ON WHETHER YOU WOULD CONSIDER THE MODULAR OPTIONS.
I'LL SEE I GUESS MY FIRST RESPONSE IS IT WOULD BE OUR UNDERSTANDING THAT THAT DEVELOPMENT WOULD BE SUBJECT TO A PERMIT APPLICATION.
THE PERMIT WOULD STILL BE REQUIRED AND THUS SUBJECT TO THE SAME TIMELINES, THE SAME PROBABILITY OF WHOMEVER, WHEREVER WOULD BE OF THE APPEAL.
IT WOULD REQUIRE A DEVELOPMENT PERMIT BEING PUT OUT ALL DAY SHELTERS ARE CONDITIONALLY PERMITTED USE, SO THEN IT REQUIRES GOING OUT FOR TWO WEEKS TO NOTIFY 30 METERS AROUND, COME TO COUNCIL AND UM, THROUGH THE APPROVAL PROCESS, JUST LIKE THIS.
YEAH TO BE HONEST, WE ARE OPEN TO ANY OPTION.
WE WERE MADE AWARE RECENTLY OF THIS OPTION AND WE'VE BEEN EVALUATING IT INTERNALLY.
IT'S CERTAINLY A COMPLEX TO DETERMINE EXACTLY WHAT WE WOULD NEED IN TERMS OF SERVICING AND STUFF.
BUT WOULD WE BE OPEN TO IT? WE'RE WE'VE SAID REPEATEDLY WE'RE OPEN TO ANY OPTION.
I WILL COMMENT TO MR. SAYER THAT I WOULD APPRECIATE A LINE BY LINE REVIEW OF THAT RFI BECAUSE I WAS INVOLVED IN THE DRAFTING OF IT AND IT WAS SPECIFICALLY DRAFTED TO BE AS ENCOMPASSING AS POSSIBLE.
AND THERE WAS EVEN LANGUAGE IN THERE SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT, IF YOU HAVE AN OPTION, PLEASE RUN IT BY US BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW IT MIGHT WORK.
SO I WOULD APPRECIATE A LINE BY LINE REVIEW OF THAT BECAUSE I DON'T BELIEVE HIS CHARACTERIZATION.
CHARACTERIZATION OF THAT IS THE SAME AS MY UNDERSTANDING.
ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS FOR TIM, AGAIN, I DON'T WANT TO OPEN THE FLOOR TO BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN PREVIOUS.
SEEING NONE, THANK YOU AGAIN, TIM, FOR COMING TODAY.
WITH THAT, WE'VE COME TO THE END OF PRESENTERS, SO WE WILL OPEN IT UP TO GENERAL DISCUSSION, SO AS A REMINDER THE RECOMMENDATION IS THE COUNCIL APPROVED THE CONDITIONAL AND PERMITTED USE SPECIAL CARE FACILITY AT LOT TWENTY FOUR BLOCK TWENTY EIGHT PLAN SIXTY FIVE, WHICH IS CIVIC ADDRESS 4709 50TH AVE.
FOR DAY SHELTER TO BE OPERATED UNTIL OCTOBER 31ST, 2024.
I MEAN, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF HEATED DISCUSSION HERE TODAY, AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE MAKE IT CLEAR.
I DON'T THINK I CAN'T SPEAK FOR EVERYBODY, I CAN JUST SPEAK FOR MYSELF.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PEOPLE THAT NEED HELP GET HELP.
ALL OF THEM, I KNOW WINTER'S COMING.
I THINK THAT YOU'D HAVE TO BE A DIFFERENT TYPE OF PERSON NOT TO WANT A PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO GO WITH THIS WINTER OR WITH ANY WINTER COMING UP.
I'M NOT A BIG FAN OF THIS, THIS LOCATION, AND I'M A I'M NOT A BIG FAN EITHER OF THE TIMELINE AND THE TIME THAT THEY WANT TO HAVE THIS SPACE FOR A THREE YEAR PERIOD.
IF THIS WAS A SIX MONTH PERIOD, I'D BE OK WITH IT.
BUT THE ONLY, I'M IN AGREEMENT OF DOING THIS.
IF IT WASN'T LIKE A SEMI-PERMANENT SOLUTION LIKE THIS.
[02:00:02]
A THREE YEAR PERIOD WITH THE OPTION OF ANOTHER YEAR.THOSE BUSINESSES WON'T SURVIVE.
I'M HERE FOR EVERYBODY IN YELLOWKNIFE.
I HAVE TO PUT THE BUSINESS NEEDS AS WELL AS THE PEOPLE THAT ARE LIVING ON THE STREETS, NEEDS IN MY VIEW AND IN MY VIEW RIGHT NOW.
I THINK THAT THE OPTION OF HAVING THOSE MODULAR UNITS, POSSIBLY OVER WHERE THE VISITOR CENTER WAS, IT'S A GREAT LOCATION.
THERE'S NOBODY 30 METERS AROUND THAT'S GOING TO OPPOSE IT.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY WOULD BE HAPPY.
SO BECAUSE OF THE THREE YEARS, I WON'T BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THIS.
THANK YOU, I HAVE COUNCILLOR KONGE NEXT.
FIRST, I'D LIKE TO APOLOGIZE FOR MY COMPARING THE SIXTIES SCOOP TO THE SURVIVAL OF THE BUSINESS IN YELLOWKNIFE.
IT WAS CERTAINLY NOT MY INTENTION TO OFFEND ANYBODY AND MY SINCERE APOLOGIES ON THAT HORRIBLE COMPARISON.
YOU KNOW WHAT, I AGREE WITH COUNCILLOR PAYNE, WE ARE PUT IN IN A SITUATION RIGHT NOW WHERE WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WITH THE OPEN LETTER THAT THAT WENT OUT FROM MINISTER GREEN WERE PITTING, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE AGAINST EACH OTHER.
AND WHAT WE REALLY NEED TO DO IS WE NEED TO FIND A GOOD SOLUTION.
YOU KNOW, COUNCIL, I THINK IT WAS 2015.
WE WERE PROMISED A PURPOSE BUILT FACILITY IN THE DOWNTOWN BY THEN MINISTER ABERNATHY.
HERE WE ARE, I THINK SIX YEARS LATER WITH WE'RE NO FURTHER TO ANY SORT OF PURPOSE BUILT FACILITY FOR THESE PEOPLE IN YELLOWKNIFE, AND I THINK IT'S A FAILURE, AND IT'S YOU KNOW YEAH, CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE YOU KNOW, OUR THE WAY OUR PROCESS WORKS IS CERTAINLY NOT CONDUCIVE TO A SHELTER IN THE DOWNTOWN.
AND WE ARE TRYING TO CHANGE THAT.
BUT WE AS A CITY CAN'T MAKE THE APPLICATION THAT IS THE G.N.W.T.
THAT NEEDS TO DO THAT, AS WELL AS THE CONSULTATION AND EVERYTHING.
AND THAT'S WHERE I HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A HARD TIME WITH WITH WHAT IS PRESENTED TO US TODAY.
THERE'S A LOT OF MESSAGING AND WORDING ABOUT WHAT WE ARE COMMITMENTS, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO, BUT WE ACTUALLY DON'T, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T REALLY SEE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
AND THAT'S WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE.
SO I WOULD ACTUALLY LIKE TO PROPOSE AN ALTERNATIVE TO THIS RECOMMENDATION THAT SAYS THAT WE DEFER THIS DECISION ON THE CONDITION OF PERMITTED USE UNTIL THE G.
HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES SUBMITS THE CONFIRMATION DOCUMENTS DOCUMENTS TO CITY ADMINISTRATION.
ONCE WE HAVE ALL THAT STUFF, BRING IT BACK TO COUNCIL SO THAT WE HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION THAT WE NEED AND AND WE CAN MAKE A DECISION.
AND HOPEFULLY IN THE MEANTIME, I THINK THE COUNCIL WE WERE, WE WERE KEYED ON A MESSAGE FROM PETE HOWLING SAYING, YOU KNOW WHAT? THERE'S THESE CAMPS, WORK CAMPS AND PAST MEETINGS.
SOME COUNCILORS FELT THE WORK CAMPS WERE INAPPROPRIATE.
I WOULD ARGUE THAT THEY'RE VERY APPROPRIATE IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN A GOOD WORK STAFF.
YOU NEED APPROPRIATE ACCOMMODATIONS AND FACILITIES FOR THEM.
SO I WOULD MAINTAIN THAT THIS IS AN APPROPRIATE SOLUTION WHERE WE CAN PLACE IT EITHER AT THE HOSPITAL OR AT THE AT THE VISITOR CENTER SITE, WHICH IS MIGHT NOT BE IN OUR ZONING DOWNTOWN, BUT IT CERTAINLY IS VERY ADJACENT TO THE DOWNTOWN CLOSE TO BOTH THOSE LOCATIONS ARE FAIRLY CLOSE TO LIQUOR STORES, AS MICHAEL SAID THAT THEY NEED TO BE AND YOU KNOW, NOT AS EITHER OF THOSE TO ME WOULD BE WOULD BE MUCH BETTER THAN HAVING BEEN USING THIS BUILDING, WHICH HAS NO SPACE ON THE OUTSIDE FOR PEOPLE TO GO OUT AND SMOKE.
AND WE KNOW THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.
WE KNOW THERE IS OUTDOOR ASSEMBLY GOING ON AT THESE FACILITIES AND WE NEED TO ACCOMMODATE THAT FOR THAT, SO.
UM YEAH, SO IF I CAN GET A SECOND FOR THAT, WE CAN SEE IF WE CAN POSTPONE THIS A LITTLE BIT UNTIL WE GET ALL THE INFORMATION THAT WE NEED.
IT'S YEAH, BUT NOT FULLY INTO THE SECONDED THING, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT AT COUNCILLOR, BUT IF YOU CAN, WE'LL JUST PUT THAT IN THE CHART.
SO IF ANYBODY ELSE HAS COMMENTS TO EITHER THE RECOMMENDATION OR THE ALTERNATIVE RECOMMENDATION, THAT'S BEEN BROUGHT FORWARD.
[02:05:03]
AND COUNCILLOR SMITH, I KNOW YOU'RE ON THE PHONE SO YOU CAN CHIME IN ON THE CHAT TO LET ME KNOW IF YOU WANT TO SPEAK, BUT JUST, LET ME KNOW.I WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL THE PRESENTERS FOR HAVING COME OUT TODAY.
THIS IS A HEAVY LOAD DEFINITELY FOR US TO TO UNDERTAKE.
WE'VE BEEN DANCING AROUND THIS TOPIC FOR AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER.
AND YOU KNOW, THE HOMELESS POPULATION HAS ONLY INCREASED SINCE SINCE I WAS A KID.
I'VE NEVER SEEN IT SO LARGE AND IT'S JARRING TO THINK THAT.
YOU KNOW, WE KEEP DANCING AROUND THIS.
AND JUST LIKE COUNCILLOR PAYNE HAD SAID, YOU KNOW, WE'RE STUCK BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE WHERE YOU KNOW WE'LL HAVE HALF THE CITY ANGRY AT US IF WE DO AND HALF THE CITY ANGRY AT US, IF WE DON'T.
BUT THE POINT ON THIS IS NOT THAT WE DON'T WANT TO ASSIST.
IT NEVER WAS, IT'S ABOUT FINDING THE CORRECT AVENUE TO TO HOUSE THESE INDIVIDUALS.
I HAVE FAMILY TOO THAT'S ON THE STREET AND IT'S HARD TO WATCH, IT'S HARD TO TAKE.
AND IT'S TRAUMATIC EITHER WAY.
I'M NOT TOO KEEN ON THE LOCATION BEING THERE FOR THREE YEARS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I AM ALSO A BUSINESS OWNER, THAT THIS WILL ALSO AFFECT MY BUSINESS DOWNTOWN AND MANY OTHERS THAT ARE SMALL INDIGENOUS BUSINESSES AND WE WANT TO HELP.
IT'S NOT THE MATTER THAT WE DON'T.
IT'S TRYING TO FIND THE PROPER SOLUTION.
AND IF THE ONLY THING THAT WE'RE GIVEN IS THAT THIS IS OUR LAST CHANCE, THIS IS THE ONLY PLACE.
THESE ARE THE WORDS THAT WERE GIVEN.
SO THERE'S NO OTHER CHOICE IS WHAT WE'RE BEING GIVEN.
SO IT'S VERY DISHEARTENING AT THIS POINT TO SEE THAT WE'RE JUST WE'RE CIRCLING THE DRAIN CONSTANTLY.
I'M NOT GOING TO GIVE OUT WHAT MY I'M STILL ON THE FENCE AS TO WHAT I WANT TO DO BECAUSE IT'S.
DAMNED IF YOU DO, DAMNED IF YOU DON'T TYPE SITUATION.
EITHER WAY, I'M DISHEARTENED ON BOTH ENDS OF THE SCALE.
YEAH, THERE WAS A QUESTION FOR CLARITY, SO JUST TO IN THE CHAT, SO COUNCILORS HAVE IT IN WRITING, BUT THE ALTERNATIVE MOTION THAT COUNCILLOR COSGROVE IS PROPOSING IS THE COUNCIL DEFER DECISION ON THE CONDITIONALLY PERMITTED USE UNTIL THE GNWT HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES SUBMITS THE CONFIRMATION DOCUMENT, WHICH THE MEMO TALKS ABOUT THE CONFIRMATION DOCUMENT REQUIRES THAT THE APPLICANT INCLUDE A WRITTEN COMPLAINT AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION PROCESS FOR THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT, TWO THAT IT OUTLINES IN WRITING THE INTEGRATED SERVICES TO BE PROVIDED.
THE FACILITIES, THREE DESCRIPTION OF COMMUNICATION TOOLS TO BE USED BY FACILITY ADMINISTRATION, FOUR OTHER ITEMS, TOOLS AND AGREEMENTS TO FACILITATE COLLABORATION WITH THE SERVICE AGENCIES AND IMPACTED COMMUNITY.
FIVE, A COMMITMENT TO INCREASE SURVEILLANCE OUTSIDE THE IMMEDIATE FACILITY AND WITHIN THE ADJACENT COMMUNITY AREA.
I CAN'T EVEN REMEMBER WHAT NUMBER I MEANT.
NEXT ONE IS COMMITMENT SLASH CONTRACT, MAINTAIN THE PUBLIC AREAS AROUND THE SITE, INCLUDING GARBAGE AND WASTE COLLECTION, SNOW CLEARING, DAMAGE TO PROPERTY AND THE FINAL ONE COMMIT TO SAFE STAFFING LEVELS TO ENSURE THE ABOVE AGREEMENT TERMS ARE ADHERED TO.
SO THAT WOULD BE WHAT WOULD BE WHAT'S RECOMMENDED TO BE IN A CONFIRMATION DOCUMENT.
SO ONCE THAT DOCUMENT HAS BEEN SUBMITTED, THE DECISION WILL RETURN TO COUNCIL FOR DELIBERATION.
SO I GUESS THE PURPOSE WOULD BE LIKE OTHER DEVELOPMENT PERMITS IF COUNCIL WANTED TO SEE A SUN SHADOW STUDY OR TRAFFIC IMPACT STUDY BEFORE APPROVING THE CONDITIONALLY PERMITTED USE.
THIS IS RECOMMENDING THAT WE GET THAT DOCUMENT BEFORE MAKING THE FINAL DECISION ON THE CONDITIONAL AND PERMITTED USE.
UH, IN THE PAST, WE'VE ALSO WELL, YOU KNOW, IF I THINK OF WHEN WE HAVE APPROVED OTHER CONDITIONALLY PERMITTED USES, SOMETIMES WE WHICH I THINK IS THE ALTERNATIVE RECOMMENDATION IN THE MEMO, BUT APPROVE A CONDITIONALLY PERMITTED USE AND YOU CAN PUT A CONDITION OR COUNCILLOR CAN.
WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED IS A WEIGHT THAT DOCUMENT BEFORE GIVING IT CONDITIONALLY PERMITTED USE.
THANKS, WE'RE JUST COMMENTING ON COUNCILLOR KONGE PROPOSAL RIGHT NOW.
YES? AH YEAH, IF YOU WANTED TO JUST SUPPORT THE RECOMMENDATION THAT'S PRESENTED IN THE MEMO,
[02:10:01]
YOU'RE ALSO JUST FREE TO DO THAT.OK, AH YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO NOTE, I'M NOT SUPPORTIVE OF DEFERRING.
IS NOW THE TIME FOR MY GENERAL COMMENTS ON THE APPLICATION? YEAH, OK, GIVE ME A SEC HERE.
I'M GOING TO TRY AND KEEP MY COMMENTS QUITE MINIMAL ACTUALLY, I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO HAVE A WHOLE LOT TO SAY, BUT I DO WANT TO BE AS BRIEF AS I CAN.
YOU KNOW, CONTRARY TO A FEW THINGS THAT WERE BROUGHT UP, I WILL SAY THAT THIS IS ACTUALLY NOT A DIFFICULT DECISION FOR ME AT ALL.
I REALIZE THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE IMPACTED BUSINESSES, AND THAT'S GOING TO BE THE CASE WITH VIRTUALLY ANY PROPOSAL WHICH COMES FORWARD.
SO FOR ME, I'M JUST LOOKING AT IT AS WHETHER THIS IS AN ESSENTIAL SERVICE.
I THINK THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NO QUESTION WHATSOEVER THAT THIS IS AN ESSENTIAL SERVICE THAT NEEDS TO BE DELIVERED IN THE DOWNTOWN OF YELLOWKNIFE THAT NEEDS TO BE DELIVERED IN YELLOWKNIFE.
SO A BIG PART OF THIS DISCUSSION FOR ME IS KIND OF ONE THAT I THINK HAS ALREADY BEEN HAD.
WE'VE ALREADY DETERMINED THAT THESE SERVICES ARE ESSENTIAL AND THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GO SOMEWHERE.
TAPED CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHICH DOWNTOWN LOCATION WORKS, IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT MORE APPROPRIATE TO HAVE A LONGER TERM DISCUSSION ABOUT A PERMANENT FACILITY, BUT A SEMI-PERMANENT FACILITY THAT'S BEING INSTALLED IN AN EMERGENCY BASIS, I THINK IS A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENT SITUATION.
I HAVE TO ADMIT THAT I DIDN'T EXPECT TO SEE THE THREE YEAR REQUEST.
THIS WAS A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN I WAS EXPECTING.
I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST GOING TO BE AN AN EMERGENCY BASIS AND THE SOBERING CENTER WAS ADEQUATE.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING NEW THAT I'VE LEARNED ABOUT THIS SINCE I'VE BEEN KIND OF DEVELOPING COMMENTS ON IT.
UH, BUT I DO THINK THAT IT'S REALISTIC OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES TO MAKE THIS PROPOSAL BECAUSE I THINK THAT THEIR STAFF HAVE SEEN, YOU KNOW, WE'RE JUST GOING TO IF WE PUT IN A TEMPORARY MEASURE FOR A YEAR, WE'RE JUST GOING TO END UP IN THIS PLACE AGAIN NEXT YEAR.
AND I DON'T THINK WE WANT TO BE THERE.
SO ULTIMATELY, YEAH, FOR ME, I THINK THAT I DON'T WANT TO BE ON IN A SITUATION WHERE I'M STANDING IN THE WAY OF SOMETHING BEING PUT IN.
IT MAY NOT BE A PERFECT SOLUTION FOR LOTS OF REASONS, BUT I THINK IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO FIND A PERFECT SOLUTION.
AND FOR THAT REASON, I THINK WE JUST NEED TO IMPROVE THE SOLUTION THAT WE'VE GOT.
I THINK THAT THE DIFFICULTY HERE, TOO, IS THAT WE'VE GOT AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY WORTH NOTING IS WE'VE GOT A HIGHER ORDER OF GOVERNMENT COMING TO A LOWER ORDER OF GOVERNMENT, WHICH HAS HAD THEIR POWERS DELEGATED TO THEM BY THAT HIGHER POWER, ASKING FOR PERMISSION TO TAKE AN EMERGENCY MEASURE.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT HAS.
THAT ONE HAS LEFT ME FEELING DISCOMFORT IS MAYBE NOT THE RIGHT THING, I THINK IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS, IT'S ABSOLUTELY APPROPRIATE AND NECESSARY FOR GNWT TO TAKE THOSE KIND OF MEASURES.
OBVIOUSLY, AS A CITY COUNCILOR, I DON'T GENERALLY APPRECIATE IT WHEN THE GNWT STEPS ON OUR TOES.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IT IS WORTH NOTING THAT THEY ARE A HIGHER GOVERNMENT AND THEY DO HAVE POWERS IN PLACE TO BE ABLE TO TAKE A BUILDING ON LIKE THIS WITHOUT COMING FOR DEVELOPMENT TO PERMIT APPLICATIONS.
I THINK THAT WE'VE SEEN OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS THAT IN SITUATIONS LIKE THIS, THE CURRENT WAY THE DEVELOPMENT PERMIT APPLICATIONS CAN BE APPEALED, AND IT'S WORTH NOTING THAT THIS IS IN THE GNWT LEGISLATION, NOT THE CITIES.
IT REALLY DOESN'T WORK FOR SITUATIONS LIKE THIS.
AND SO A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I HOPE END UP LENDING IN THE YEARS OF POLITICAL LEADERS OF THE GNWT TO THESE COMMENTS ARE NOT NECESSARILY FOR STAFF.
THEY REALLY ARE FOR FOR JULIE, FOR SHANE THOMPSON AND FOR MLAS WHO WOULD BE INVOLVED BECAUSE I THINK THAT YOU GUYS NEED TO TAKE THE STEP OF DOING, I DON'T KNOW THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF HOW YOUR PROCESS WORKS, BUT PERHAPS AN AMENDMENT TO THE LEGISLATION.
TO THE COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPING ACT, I THINK THAT'S THE ACT.
YEAH, WHICH WHICH IS YOUR LEGISLATION, WHICH REQUIRES THESE LENGTHY APPEAL PROCESSES.
YOU CAN PUT A PROVISION IN THAT LEGISLATION AT YOUR NEXT SESSION TO ALLOW YOU IN THESE SORTS OF SITUATIONS AND SPECIFIC SITUATIONS RELATED TO PUBLIC HEALTH.
REMOVE THOSE APPEAL MECHANISMS. I THINK THAT MAY BE A GOOD IDEA TO DO THAT OR AT LEAST LOOK INTO THE MERITS OF DOING IT SO THAT YOU DON'T END UP IN A SITUATION WHERE YOU'RE HAVING TO COME TO A LOWER ORDER OF GOVERNMENT FOR PERMISSION TO DO SOMETHING WHICH IS EFFECTIVELY AN ESSENTIAL SERVICE ON BEHALF OF THE PEOPLE IN THE TERRITORY.
SO THAT THAT'S KIND OF THE GOVERNMENT COMMENTS THERE THAT I REALLY DO THINK AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE GNWT JUST TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS AND TAKE IT ON AND REALIZE THAT THEIR OWN LEGISLATION IS CAUSING A PROBLEM HERE.
AND TO ADDRESS THAT, I REALLY THINK THAT IS AN IMPORTANT THING THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN.
[02:15:01]
AND BECAUSE ULTIMATELY, I DO BELIEVE THAT THE SITUATION THAT WE HAVE HERE, EVEN IF COUNCIL AS A WHOLE DECIDES TO APPROVE THIS APPLICATION IS THAT IT CAN GO THROUGH APPEAL MECHANISMS, AND IT SEEMS QUITE LIKELY THAT SOMEONE WILL APPEAL IT.AND SO THAT WILL TAKE THIS PROCESS QUITE RIGHT THROUGH DECEMBER AND JANUARY.
SAME POSITION WE WERE IN LAST YEAR.
SO THIS [INAUDIBLE] CASE, GNWT IF THEY WANT TO USE THIS LOCATION AND THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE TO USE THIS LOCATION, IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S SOME OTHER OPTIONS ON THE TABLE.
MAYBE THEY WANT TO EXPLORE THAT.
I KNOW THAT CITY STAFF WILL WORK WITH THEM ON WHATEVER OPTION THEY THEY WANT TO PUT FORWARD.
BUT I THINK THEY MAY END UP HAVING TO USE EMERGENCY POWERS, AND QUITE FRANKLY, I WOULD ENCOURAGE THEM TO DO SO IF WE ARE TRULY IN AN EMERGENCY, IF THIS IS AN EMERGENCY SITUATION.
DO WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO GET THAT DONE.
LET'S END THE CONVERSATION THAT'S GOING BACK AND FORTH AND JUST SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
UM, SOME MORE GENERAL COMMENTS ON THIS.
I THINK IT'S REALLY WORTH NOTING THAT IT'S ACTUALLY QUITE EXCITING TO BE IN A POSITION WHERE GNWT IS IN THE PROCESS OF BUILDING A PERMANENT WELLNESS AND RECOVERY CENTER HERE IN YELLOWKNIFE.
AND IN THE MEANTIME, BUILDING UP THEIR CAPACITY TO SERVE THE POPULATION EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS THROUGH THIS TEMPORARY FACILITY TO COMPLEMENT THE EXISTING SOBERING CENTER.
IT WAS REALLY ONLY A FEW YEARS AGO AND LIKE WE'RE TALKING JUST A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, LIKE DURING THE TIME THAT I'VE BEEN A COUNCILLOR, WHICH HASN'T BEEN A PARTICULARLY LONG TIME, WE WERE IN THE POSITION OF NOT HAVING SERVICES LIKE THIS IN PLACE.
WE HAD A VERY, VERY RUDIMENTARY DAY SHELTER, AND THAT WAS IT.
AND THE PUBLIC CONVERSATION WAS GEARED TOWARDS US AS POLITICIANS AND THE PUBLIC GENERALLY BEGGING GNWT TO STEP IN AND TAKE ACTION.
AND I WANT TO GIVE CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE, GNWT BUT HAS STEPPED UP AND TAKEN RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS AND IS PUTTING RESOURCES TOWARDS IT.
LOTS TO BE SAID ABOUT WHETHER THOSE RESOURCES ARE ENOUGH.
LOTS TO BE SAID ABOUT HOW IT'S BEING IMPLEMENTED.
BUT I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE'RE HAVING A MUCH BETTER CONVERSATION NOW THAN WE WERE FIVE YEARS AGO WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WHETHER GNWT WAS GOING TO.
SO I WANT TO GIVE SOME CREDIT THERE RESOURCING THIS ISSUE, TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR IT AS A CITY COUNCILLOR, I'M QUITE EXCITED TO SEE THEM DOING THAT.
I THINK IT'S A REALLY POSITIVE THING THAT THEY'RE COMING TO US WITH A PROPOSAL TO EXPAND THE SERVICES THAT THEY'VE ALREADY BEEN IN OFFERING.
AND I THINK WHEN WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND THE COMMUNITY IN GENERAL OF YELLOWKNIFE, WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS ISSUE, IT WAS ONLY A FEW YEARS AGO THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS AS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS SOLUTIONS.
WELL, THEY'RE TRYING, THEY'RE TRYING TO PUT SOLUTIONS IN PLACE.
I THINK IT'S ON US AS A COMMUNITY TO WORK WITH THEM, UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME GROWING PAINS.
THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME INTERIM SOLUTIONS THAT MAYBE AREN'T PARTICULARLY COMFORTABLE FOR EVERYONE.
MAYBE THE INTERIM SOLUTIONS AREN'T PERFECT, BUT FOR GOODNESS SAKES, AT LEAST THEY'RE INTERIM SOLUTIONS.
AT LEAST WE HAVE SOMETHING IN PLACE.
I THINK THAT THAT'S WE REALLY WE DON'T WANT TO LOSE SIGHT OF THAT.
I THINK THAT PUTTING THIS IN PLACE FOR THREE YEARS, IT MAY NOT BE THE MOST PERFECT SOLUTION WE COULD FIND.
BUT I THINK THAT IF COUNCIL WAS TO REJECT THIS TODAY, WE'RE GOING TO END UP WITH AN IMPERFECT SOLUTION, NO MATTER WHAT.
IT'S VERY, VERY DIFFICULT TO PROVIDE THESE SERVICES IN THE DOWNTOWN IN SUCH A WAY THAT NOBODY IS GOING TO BE UPSET ABOUT WHERE THE LOCATION IS AND EVERYBODY'S GOING TO AGREE THAT IT'S A GREAT PERFECT SOLUTION.
I THINK IF THAT WAS GOING TO COME, WE MIGHT HAVE SEEN IT BY NOW.
I THINK THAT THERE'S A PLACE WHERE I COULD BE PROBABLY MORE CRITICAL OF SOME OF THE WORK TO BE DONE, BUT I JUST.
WE'RE GOING TO TRY AND LOOK AT THE POSITIVES HERE AND JUST UNDERSTAND THAT DELIVERING THESE SERVICES NOT EASY AND HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES IS DEALING WITH A LOT MORE THAN JUST THIS.
THEY ARE DEALING WITH AN OUTBREAK WITH IMPACTS TO STAFF.
THIS IS A DIFFICULT TIME FOR OUR COMMUNITY, BUT I THINK IT'S LAST BUT NOT LEAST ALSO REALLY IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THOSE IMPACTS AND THAT RISK IS MUCH, MUCH GREATER FOR THE POPULATION EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS THAN IT IS FOR THE REST OF US.
A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF THEM CONTRACTING COVID 19 THROUGH ACCESS TO THE SHELTER THROUGH THE VARIOUS CONDITIONS THAT THEY ARE FACING ON A DAY TO DAY BASIS, WHICH PUTS THEM AT MUCH, MUCH HIGHER RISK THAN A PERSON LIKE MYSELF.
I'VE VACCINATED, I'M VERY LUCKY TO BE ABLE TO ISOLATE IN MY HOME.
THESE ARE ALL THINGS WHICH NEED TO BE CONSIDERED AS WELL.
AND SO I THINK THAT WE DO NEED TO GO OVER AND ABOVE TO HELP PROTECT A POPULATION THAT IS AT FAR HIGHER RISK THAN MOST OF US.
AND I THINK AS A COMMUNITY, WE ARE OBLIGATED TO DO THAT.
I THINK THAT PRETTY MUCH CAPTURES EVERYTHING THAT I HAD TO SAY.
JUST TO SUM IT UP, YES, IT MAY NOT BE A PERFECT SOLUTION.
[02:20:05]
I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE VERY DIFFICULT TO FIND ONE.HOWEVER, I THINK THE COUNCIL IS ONLY ONE STEP IN THIS, AND I THINK THAT BECAUSE OF THE APPEAL, MECHANISMS GNWT MAY HAVE TO CONSIDER AS A HIGHER ORDER OF GOVERNMENT OTHER MEASURES IN ORDER TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
AND AS A MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY, I WOULD ENCOURAGE THEM TO DO THAT BECAUSE I DO THINK THIS IS ESSENTIAL.
I THINK WE JUST NEED TO GET IT DONE.
AND I, THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS, THANKS.
THANK YOU, NEXT, I HAVE COUNCIL MORGAN.
FIRST OF ALL, JUST A COMMENT ON COUNCILLOR KONGE PROPOSAL.
SO AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THE THINGS THAT ARE LISTED THAT COUNCILLOR KONGE WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION ON AND TO HAVE CONFIRMATION ON BEFORE UH COUNCIL DISCUSSES THIS, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THEY WOULD BE CONDITIONS OF A DEVELOPMENT PERMIT IN ANY CASE, IS THAT CORRECT? MS. BASSI-KELLETT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR.
THESE ARE CONDITIONS THAT ADMINISTRATION HAS RECOMMENDED.
MAYBE WHAT I'LL DO IS I'LL OFFER UP TO MS. WHITE IF SHE WANTS TO ADD ANYTHING ON THIS.
YEAH, I WAS JUST GOING TO ADD IF MS. WHITE CAN SPEAK TO LIKE IF COUNCIL APPROVES THE RECOMMENDATION, NO CONDITIONS, THEN THIS STUFF WOULDN'T BE REQUIRED.
SO BUT I'LL HAND IT BACK OVER TO [INAUDIBLE] SORRY.
SO IF I UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION CORRECTLY, IF COUNSEL ASKS THAT THAT LAST BULLET POINT CONDITION SO THAT THE GNWT SUBMIT TO THE CITY A CONFIRMATION DOCUMENT, WHETHER OR NOT THAT WOULD STILL BE A CONDITION.
AND SO MY ANSWER WOULD BE NO, BECAUSE WE WOULD HAVE THAT UP FRONT.
SO THAT LAST BULLET WOULD NO LONGER BE REQUIRED AS A CONDITION.
RIGHT NOW, IT IS THE THE CONDITION OF THE DECISION, SO IT'S ONE OF MANY THAT YOU HAVE LISTED THERE.
DID I ANSWER THE QUESTION CORRECTLY.
SO TRYING TO PUT THIS INTO LAYMAN'S TERMS, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT ONE PROPOSAL IS THAT WE SORT OF GET ALL THE INFORMATION AND GET IT CONFIRMED BEFORE COUNCIL CONSIDERS AND DISCUSSES AND POTENTIALLY APPROVES THE CONDITIONAL OR THE PERMIT.
COUNCIL COULD YOU KNOW, GIVE ITS BLESSING, BUT ADMINISTRATION COULD GO FORWARD WITH PUTTING A CONDITION ON THE PERMIT, AND THAT COULD HAPPEN SORT OF BETWEEN ADMINISTRATION AND STAFF AND HSS REGARDLESS, BUT IT JUST WOULDN'T HAVE TO COME BACK TO COUNCIL.
BUT THE FIRST WAY WOULD CREATE FURTHER DELAYS IN THE PERMITTING PROCESS GOING FORWARD, MS. BASSI-KELLETT.
CORRECT, SO I BELIEVE IN ANSWERING THIS AS IT'S PRESENTED NOW, THE RECOMMENDATION OF STAFF TO COUNSEL IS THAT IT BE APPROVED SUBJECT TO THE CONDITIONS WITH THAT DATE, THE OCTOBER DATE AS THE END TIME FOR THAT TEMPORARY USE.
IF AN EXTENSION WERE TO BE ASKED FOR, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE 90 DAYS PRIOR TO THAT EXTENSION.
AND SO I BELIEVE THE PROPOSAL IS IDENTIFYING THAT INSTEAD OF THE LAST CONDITION THAT IS CURRENTLY PART OF THE RECOMMENDATION, THAT LAST CONDITION BE MADE AS AN ASK FROM COUNSEL, WHICH WOULD REQUIRE A MOTION FROM COUNCIL TO HAVE THAT UP FRONT FROM THE N.W.T., I BELIEVE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION.
EITHER WAY, THAT CONFIRMING CONFIRMATION DOCUMENT WOULD BE PROVIDED.
JUST ONE WOULD BE BEFORE YOUR DECISION AND ONE WOULD BE AFTER THE DECISION.
SO I'M IN AGREEMENT WITH WITH COUNCILLOR MORSE AT THIS POINT IN THAT I DON'T THINK WE CAN AFFORD FURTHER DELAYS AND YOU KNOW, WE'VE HEARD HSS COME TO COUNCILLOR, COME TO G.P.C.
AND DESCRIBE THE VARIOUS MITIGATION MEASURES AND TOOLS THAT THEY PLAN TO USE.
I HAVEN'T HEARD COUNCILORS ASK FOR, YOU KNOW, OTHER SPECIFIC DETAILS RELATED TO
[02:25:04]
THAT THAT WE'RE FEELING REALLY TROUBLED BY AT THIS POINT.SO, MY FEELING IS THAT THAT CAN HAPPEN.
I CERTAINLY SUPPORT THOSE AS CONDITIONS OF THE DEVELOPMENT PERMIT, BUT AT THIS POINT THAT CAN GO FORWARD IN AND THOSE DISCUSSIONS CAN CONTINUE AND AND BE FINALIZED BETWEEN ADMINISTRATION AND HSS THAT I DON'T SEE WHY THAT SHOULD BE A REASON FOR HOLDING THE WHOLE THING UP OR DELAYING IT AT THIS POINT AND THEN GOING BACK TO THE MAIN RECOMMENDATION.
I AM IN SUPPORT OF THE APPROVING THE PERMIT FOR THE DAY CENTER AT THIS LOCATION.
OBVIOUSLY, EVERYONE HAS MENTIONED IT MIGHT NOT BE THE ABSOLUTE IDEAL PLACE, BUT AS COUNCILLOR MORSE MENTIONED, WE PROBABLY NEVER WILL FIND THE IDEAL PLACE.
I THINK IT'S A REASONABLE PROPOSAL, IT'S A REASONABLE LOCATION THAT WE CAN CERTAINLY LIVE WITH FOR FOR THREE YEARS.
YOU KNOW, IT'S MENTIONED A COUPLE OF TIMES THAT THIS PUTS COUNCILLORS IS IN A VERY DIFFICULT POSITION BECAUSE PART OF THE TOWN WILL BE UNHAPPY WITH THIS AND IT WILL BE REALLY HARD TO MAKE EVERYONE HAPPY.
IN MY VIEW, THAT'S NOT OUR JOB AS COUNSELORS TO MAKE EVERYONE HAPPY.
IF IT WAS, WE MIGHT NEVER MAKE ANY DECISION.
BUT CERTAINLY IN A CASE LIKE THIS.
WHICH IS PERHAPS A LITTLE MORE CONTROVERSIAL.
I THINK WE HAVE TO REFOCUS ON UM THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF THE DECISION AND NOT GET DISTRACTED BY THIS IDEA THAT WE HAVE TO TRY TO MAKE EVERYBODY HAPPY.
I THINK THE BROADER CONTEXT IS, AS COUNCILLOR MORSE MENTIONED, THIS IS ABSOLUTELY AN ESSENTIAL SERVICE THAT NEEDS TO BE PROVIDED.
UH, THE INTENTION BEHIND PROVIDING THIS SERVICE IS IT'S NOT ONLY TO FULFILL BASIC NEEDS AND BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS OF THE POPULATION THAT IT'S SERVING, BUT PART OF THE THE REASON THAT THE DAY SHELTER WAS SET UP IN THE FIRST PLACE IN YELLOWKNIFE WAS STRONG LOBBYING AND REQUESTS BY THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY THAT SOMETHING NEEDED TO BE DONE TO MAKE OUR DOWNTOWN ATMOSPHERE BETTER THIS WHOLE IDEA IS INTENDED TO.
MAKE THE DOWNTOWN A BETTER PLACE FOR FOUR RESIDENTS, FOR BUSINESSES.
BY GIVING PEOPLE A PLACE TO GO THAT'S SAFE WHERE SERVICES ARE BEING PROVIDED.
INDOOR SPACE PLACES WARM AND IT SOUNDS LIKE HSS IS STEADILY LEARNING AND MAKING SOME IMPROVEMENTS ABOUT.
HOW TO MAKE THAT SPACE A LITTLE BETTER, HOW TO IMPROVE MONITORING SURVEILLANCE PATROLS.
THAT PART OF THE CONDITIONS THAT WE WOULD HAVE IN PLACE, THAT THERE WOULD BE ADEQUATE STAFFING LEVELS TO DO THOSE PATROLS, THAT THERE WOULD BE ADEQUATE TRAINING FOR THIS STAFF.
AND I KNOW THAT WE'VE HEARD FROM BUSINESSES THAT THEY'RE ALREADY SEEING PROBLEMS RIGHT IN THAT AREA AND ALLEYWAYS.
AND MY SENSE IS THAT THOSE PROBLEMS, THERE'S A GOOD CHANCE THOSE PROBLEMS COULD GET BETTER BY HAVING A SERVICE PROVIDER LIKE THIS, BECAUSE NOW THERE'S THERE'S STAFF THERE TO GO OUT INTO THE BACK ALLEYS AND ENGAGE WITH PEOPLE TO BRING PEOPLE INSIDE.
THERE'S A PLACE FOR THEM TO GO.
AND SO I THINK THAT THE BIGGER PICTURE, THE BIGGER CONTEXT HERE IS THAT THIS IS A NECESSARY SERVICE.
THIS IS A REASONABLE LOCATION.
AND NOT GET CAUGHT UP IN CONSTANTLY LOOKING TO WHAT IF THERE'S ANOTHER IDEA OR WHAT IF THERE'S ANOTHER IDEA, WHAT IF THERE'S ANOTHER OPTION? CERTAINLY THE PROPOSAL THAT HAS BEEN RAISED BY PETER HELEN FROM KAVANAUGH, IT SOUNDS LIKE THE GNWT BEAUTY'S ALREADY HEARD ABOUT IT THAT IF THIS IDEAL SOLUTION, AS HAS BEEN MENTIONED, THAT YOU KNOW, LET'S LOOK FURTHER INTO IT, MAYBE THAT CAN HAPPEN INSTEAD, LET'S NOT CLOSE DOORS, BUT AT THIS POINT OUT OF OPTIONS THAT I'VE SEEN IN DETAIL, THE ONE BEFORE US IS ONE THAT'S REASONABLE AND I THINK WE HAVE TO GRAB ON TO IT AND AND RUN WITH IT.
AND THEN, AS COUNCILMAN MORSE SAID, LOOK FORWARD TO THE MORE PERMANENT HEALING AND WELLNESS CENTER THAT IS TO OPEN IN 2024 AND MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT.
SO I'M IN SUPPORT AT THIS POINT, THANKS.
[02:30:06]
THANK YOU, I BELIEVE THAT'S NOW, FIRST ROUND, YES, OK, EVERYBODY, THAT'S ON HERE.SO MY QUESTIONS TO ADMIN SORRY, ARE AROUND THE CONFIRMATION DOCUMENT BECAUSE I DO THINK WHAT'S PROPOSED TO BE INCLUDED IN IT IS WAYS TO MITIGATE CONCERNS THAT HAVE BEEN RAISED AND I SO I GUESS FROM STAFF'S PERSPECTIVE.
THAT THIS DOCUMENT GET FINALIZED AND THEN A DEVELOPMENT PERMIT IS ISSUED OR THE DEVELOPMENT PERMIT GETS ISSUED, AND THE CONFIRMATION DOCUMENT HAS TO BE PROVIDED WITHIN X DAYS.
I'LL ASK MS. WHITE IF SHE'D LIKE TO SPEAK TO THE THINKING BEHIND THESE RECOMMENDATIONS AS PART OF THE CONDITIONS OF THE DEVELOPMENT PERMIT.
THE THINKING BEHIND IT IS THAT, AS PRESENTED, ALL OF THESE CONDITIONS WOULD BE REQUIRED AS PART OF THAT DEVELOPMENT PERMIT APPROVAL.
AT PRESENT, THERE IS NO DATE TO STATE THAT THE THE AGREEMENT, THE CONFIRMING AGREEMENT, WOULD NEED TO BE IN PLACE WITHIN A SPECIFIC AMOUNT OF TIME.
WE OBVIOUSLY WOULD WANT THAT TO BE A REASONABLY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, BUT UNDERSTANDING THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THAT BACK AND FORTH WITH THE STAFF THAT THAT PRESENTED TODAY, AS WELL AS OTHERS WHO MAY HAVE SOME INFORMATION.
IT WOULD BE, I THINK, FORMATTED BASED ON SOME PREVIOUS WHAT WE CALL GOOD NEIGHBOR AGREEMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN PUT IN PLACE, AS WELL AS A LITTLE MORE DETAIL TO THE SATISFACTION OF ADMINISTRATION.
AND THE OTHER CONDITIONS AS WELL SHOULD ALSO FORM PART OF THE DECISION, SO IT'S NOT JUST THE CONFIRMING AGREEMENT, BUT THOSE OTHER PIECES AS WELL.
YEAH, AND I'M JUST TRYING TO THINK OF PROCESS AND ENSURING THAT WE'RE WE'RE FOLLOWING THE BYLAW AND CONDITIONALLY PERMITTED USES COUNCIL HAS TO GIVE DUE CONSIDERATION TO ALL OF THE CONDITIONS IN THE BYLAW.
AND SO WHETHER PUTTING THIS PART TO STAFF TO FINALIZE WITH THEIR STAFF OR WHETHER WE SHOULD ACTUALLY BE REVIEWING THIS BEFORE WE, WE DO THE CONDITIONALLY PERMITTED USE, THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I'M JUGGLING BETWEEN.
SO I GUESS WHETHER ADMIN HAS THOUGHTS ON THE ZONING BYLINE, WHETHER COUNCIL SHOULD BE REVIEWING THE CONFIRMATION DOCUMENT BEFORE APPROVING THE CONDITIONALLY PERMITTED USE, OR WHETHER WE FEEL THAT DIRECTING STAFF TO HAVE THIS DOCUMENT FINALIZED IS SUFFICIENT MS. BASSI-KELLETT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR.
I'M TRYING TO THINK BACK TO SOME OF OUR PREVIOUS EXAMPLES WHERE WE HAVE DONE PROCEDURES LIKE THIS WOULD NEED TO VERIFY.
I DO BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE MADE EQUIVALENT OF A GOOD NEIGHBOR AGREEMENT AS A CONDITION, BUT WE COULD CERTAINLY VALIDATE THAT INFORMATION.
I'LL ASK MS. WHITE IF SHE'S GOT ANY THOUGHTS ON THE BEST PRACTICES AROUND.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE QUESTION.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS BEST PRACTICE IN THIS AREA IS TO DO IT AS A CONDITION.
BUT AGAIN, IT IS TO COUNSEL FOR THAT DECISION.
AND WE CAN GET INTO ALL SORTS OF, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE SHELTER ISN'T AN ADDICTIONS, AND WE NEED AN ADDICTION CENTER AND WE'RE LACKING HOUSING IN ISN'T GOING TO SOLVE IT, BUT REALLY THE DECISION BEFORE US TODAY IS ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT PERMITS AND I DO THINK THAT WHAT WAS OTHER OPTIONS OUT THERE LIKE THE MODULAR? IT SOUNDS LIKE IT CAN FIT UP TO ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY PEOPLE SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT OPTION, BUT THE DEVELOPMENT PERMIT BEFORE US WITH THE CONDITIONS ADDED.
I THINK CAN ADDRESS SOME CONCERNS, AND I DO THINK THE KEY IS THAT CONFLICT RESOLUTION PROCESS AND ENSURING THAT THAT'S CLEAR AND THAT COMMITMENT TO INCREASED SURVEILLANCE OUTSIDE AND AND I SAY THAT BASED ON THE 2019 EVALUATION OF THE DAY SHELTER SOBERING CENTER ON 50TH STREET, IT WAS IDENTIFIED THAT HAVING STAFF DO THE PATROLS OUTSIDE
[02:35:06]
TO HELP THOSE IN NEED WAS AN IMPORTANT THING THAT THE ORIGINAL DAY SHELTER SOBERING CENTER DIDN'T HAVE.AND THEY ADDED THAT AND IT WAS WELL RECEIVED FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD AS WELL AS CLIENTS USING THE DAY SHELTER.
THE CHALLENGE WITH THIS LOCATION IS THERE'S NO OUTDOOR SPACE, WHICH THE 2019 EVALUATION OF THE SHELTER SOBERING CENTER DID IDENTIFY AS AN IMPORTANT PART.
AND A MISSING COMPONENT THAT WOULD BE MISSING, BUT YEAH, IT'S IT'S HARD TO FIND THOSE PERFECT SOLUTIONS, BUT.
AS PRESENTED WITH THE CONFIRMATION DOCUMENTS.
I JUST THINK THAT THE CONFIRMATION DOCUMENT.
NO, NO, I GUESS THE ADMINISTRATION DID SAY THE CONFIRMATION DOCUMENTS TO BE.
JUST CLARITY, ONE MORE TIME MS. BASSI-KELLETT THE CONFIRMATION DOCUMENT.
HAS TO BE PROVIDED BEFORE WE ISSUE THE DEVELOPMENT PERMIT OR IT'S A CONDITION AND.
THEY WON'T GET BUILDING OCCUPANCY UNTIL IT'S COMPLETE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR.
I'LL ASK MS. WHITE TO SPECIFY ON THAT POINT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SO IT WOULD BE A CONDITION.
THERE ARE SOME OTHER TIMELINES IN HERE AS WELL.
I DON'T I WOULD HAVE TO CHECK WITH STAFF AND MAYBE ASK ROB LOCKE TO SPEAK TO THIS, THE MANAGER OF PLANNING AND LAND, BECAUSE I'M NOT SURE WITHOUT A DATE IF THAT REALLY MAKES THAT DIFFERENCE.
COULD I ASK ROB? SURE, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT.
I WOULD TEND TO AGREE WITH YOU, CHARLIE, THAT IT WOULD BE A CONDITION OF THE DEVELOPMENT PERMIT AND WE'D HASH OUT THOSE FINAL DETAILS WITH THE N.W.T.
HEALTH SERVICES AS WE GOT CLOSE TO THE DEVELOPMENT PERMIT ISSUANCE.
I HOPE THAT ANSWERS THE QUESTION.
THANKS AND MY REASON FOR STRUGGLING TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE CONFIRMATION DOCUMENT SHOULD BE DONE FOR DEVELOPMENT PERMIT IS ISSUED OR IF IT COULD BE AFTER IS I JUST THINK OF THE APPEAL PROCESS AND WHETHER RESIDENTS ARE GOING TO SAY COUNCILLOR DIDN'T GIVE DUE CONSIDERATION BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T SEE THE CONFIRMATION DOCUMENT, WHICH IS.
YOU KNOW, STUFF THAT WE'VE HEARD WHEN PEOPLE APPEALED US IN THE PAST, AND SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE FOLLOWING OUR OUR ZONING BYLAW AND AND THE COUNCIL IS GIVING.
YOU CONSIDERATION, AND SO JUST THAT SOUNDS FOR ME, SOMETIMES LIKE A CHICKEN AND EGG OF WHEN THE CONFIRMATION DOCUMENT HAS TO BE.
IN PLACE, BECAUSE IF IF THE CONFIRMATION DOCUMENT PROVIDES SOME COMFORT TO RESIDENTS, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK THEY'D APPEAL IT, BUT IF THE CONFIRMATION DOCUMENT ISN'T COMING UNTIL AFTER THE DEVELOPMENT PERMITS ISSUED, THEN I COULD SEE PEOPLE APPEALING IT.
SO THAT'S WHERE I'M STRUGGLING WITH TRYING TO DECIDE IF THE CONFIRMATION DOCUMENT SHOULD BE.
A COMPLETED BEFORE A DEVELOPMENT PERMIT IS ISSUED OR IF IT COULD HAVE THAT LONGER TIME FRAME OF IT HAS TO BE IN PLACE BY NOVEMBER 15TH OR SOMETHING.
SO JUST WONDERING IF IF ADMINS GOT ANY FURTHER COMMENT ON THAT, I WON'T DELAY IT ANY FURTHER.
IT'S ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ME TO THINK A LITTLE BIT FURTHER ON THIS, BUT MS. BASSI-KELLETT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR.
I'LL ASK OUR EXPERTS MS. WHITE AND MR. LOCKE TO COMMENT.
GREAT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE QUESTION.
IDEALLY, IT WOULD BE DONE WHILE WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
BOTH MYSELF AND ROB AND OUR STAFF HAVE THE EXPERTIZE TO BE ABLE TO REVIEW THIS DOCUMENT SO THAT IT IS IN PLACE AND ADEQUATE FOR THE ITEMS THAT ARE OUTLINED HERE.
I BELIEVE THIS IS SOMETHING WE CAN WORK WITH N.W.T.
STAFF WITH RIGHT AWAY WHILE THEY'RE WORKING ON THE OTHER ITEMS THAT ARE LISTED AS CONDITIONS.
SO I WOULD BE COMFORTABLE WITH THE RECOMMENDATION.
HOWEVER, I WOULD WANT TO PUT IN JUST A TWEAK TO THE WORDING THAT THE CONFIRMATION DOCUMENT HAS TO BE IN PLACE BEFORE THE DEVELOPMENT PERMIT IS ISSUED, WHICH I THINK MIRRORS OUR DECISION WITH AVON'S AND THAT WE SAID THE TRANSPORTATION THE LANEWAY HAD TO BE RESOLVED BEFORE THE DEVELOPMENT PERMIT COULD BE ISSUED.
THE CONFIRMATION DOCUMENT HAS TO BE IN PLACE BEFORE THE DEVELOPMENT PERMIT CAN BE ISSUED, JUST BECAUSE THE NEIGHBORS KNOW EXACTLY WHETHER THEY CAN SUPPORT IT.
AND AND AND FROM THAT APPEAL, BYLAW PERSPECTIVE.
[02:40:02]
COUNCIL AND CITY STAFF HAVE GIVEN DUE CONSIDERATION TO THE CONCERNS THAT HAVE BEEN RAISED AND ARE COMFORTABLE WITH THE MITIGATING MEASURES.IT'S ON PAPER AND WE'RE COMFORTABLE WITH THEM, SO I WOULD BE COMFORTABLE WITH THE RECOMMENDATION, BUT WITH THE CLAUSE THAT A CONFIRMATION DOCUMENT HAS TO BE IN PLACE BEFORE THE DEVELOPMENT PERMITS IS ISSUED.
FURTHER COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, DISCUSSION FROM COUNCIL ON THIS ONE.
SEEING NONE, WE WILL BRING US FORWARD TO A SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING NEXT MONDAY, WHICH IS OCTOBER 4TH AT SEVEN P.M.
THIS VOTE ON THIS FORMALLY THEN.
WITH THAT, WE CAN MOVE ON TO OUR OH, WE'VE GOT THREE MINUTES.
SO IF I CAN GET A MOTION TO EXTEND BEYOND THREE HOURS, MOVE BY COUNCILLOR TOMORROW AS SECONDED BY.
COUNCILLOR PAYNE, ANYBODY OPPOSED? SEEING NONE, WE CAN CONTINUE, WE'LL JUST TRY TO.
OH NO, WE WON'T GO INTO THE WHOLE AQUATIC CENTER CHRONOLOGY BEFORE.
LET'S TAKE A 10 MINUTE BREAK, COME BACK AT TWO, OH SEVEN AND WE WILL DO THE AQUATIC CENTER CHRONOLOGY.
WELL, WHAT ABOUT IF WE RECESS UNTIL SEVEN O'CLOCK AND WELL AFTER COUNSEL FINISHED UP THE AGENDA BECAUSE.
I KNOW FOR ITEM EIGHT, WE NEED TO.
THAT'S ON COUNCILLOR TONIGHT, ANYWAY, SO.
AND MS. BASSI-KELLETT, DID YOU WANT TO DO NUMBER FIVE TONIGHT OR PUSH IT TO NEXT G.P.S.? THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR.
I'D REALLY LIKE TO DO THAT TONIGHT RATHER THAN NEXT WEEK.
SO IF THAT'S AT ALL POSSIBLE, THAT WOULD BE TERRIFIC.
I GUESS WE DON'T EVEN HAVE A QUORUM TO VOTE ON A RECESS.
OR MS. YUKON, I WOULD LOVE TO DECIDE THAT WE CAN DO THAT.
STEVE, AND I THINK WE SHOULD JUST DECIDE THAT WE CAN DO THAT AND JULIE AND JULIE IN 02, SORRY, JULIAN.
DEBBIE, ANY ADVICE FROM A PROCEDURAL POINT OF VIEW? I CAN TRY TO GET COUNCILLOR WILLIAMS TO COME BACK JUST TO.
I MEAN, SURELY WE HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO RECESS, EVEN IF WE PASS A MOTION TO DO IT OR NOT, LIKE IF WE DON'T HAVE QUORUM, THE MEETING'S CANCELED, ISN'T IT? BUT CAN WE? MY QUESTION IS MORE LIKE WHETHER WE CAN RESUME TONIGHT AFTER COUNCIL? MS. GUILLARD.
YES, YOU'D BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
WELL, THANKS FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND TAKING THAT 10 MINUTE BREAK, SO WE COULD DO THIS.
SEE EVERYBODY AT SEVEN O'CLOCK AND WE'LL WRAP UP G.P.S.
WE WILL ADJOURN COUNCIL AND WE WILL RECONVENE OUR GOVERNANCE AND PRIORITIES COMMITTEE FOR MONDAY.
TWENTY SEVEN TWENTY TWENTY ONE.
[5. A presentation regarding the Aquatic Centre Chronology and Milestones.]
WE'RE ON NUMBER FIVE WITH THAT MS. BASSI-KELLETT, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO YOU A PRESENTATION REGARDING THE AQUATIC CENTER CHRONOLOGY AND MILESTONES.THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR.
SO COUNCILORS KNOW ONLY TOO WELL THE CITY HAS BEEN PLANNING TOWARDS A PROPOSED AQUATIC FACILITY SINCE 2016, WITH A NUMBER OF KEY MILESTONE DECISIONS BY COUNCIL DIRECTING OUR MOVEMENT ON THIS.
WE ARE CURRENTLY REVIEWING PROPOSALS AND EXPECT TO BRING FORWARD THE TOP PROPOSAL FOR GPC TO REVIEW MID-OCTOBER.
AS WE PREPARE FOR THAT DISCUSSION, THE ADMINISTRATION WANTED TO LAY THE BACKDROP OR G.P.S.
FOR THAT REVIEW BY SUMMARIZING WHERE THE CITY HAS COME FROM.
AND NEXT STEPS AND TIMELINES IN THE PROCESS.
WE'RE IN A HIGHLY DEFINED CONTEXT WITH FIRM MILESTONES.
IF THERE IS APPETITE FOR THIS PROJECT TO PROCEED, KEEP TIMELINES INCLUDE THE DATE FOR THE REFERENDUM, WHERE THE CITY WILL ASK YELLOWKNIFE NIFRS TO VOTE ON BORROWING A PORTION OF THE FUNDS REQUIRED.
AND OF COURSE, ANOTHER KEY MILESTONE DATE FOR US IS THE FINAL DATE IN THESE VERY
[02:45:05]
VOLATILE TIMES OF SUPPLY CHAIN VOLATILITY, WHERE PROPONENTS HAVE THAT HAVE SUBMITTED BIDS ARE HOLDING THEIR PRICE.THESE ARE TIGHT TIMELINES FOR US AND THAT THEY ARE DRIVING A LOT OF THE WORK THAT ADMINISTRATION IS WORKING TOWARDS AND THAT WE WILL BE BRINGING FORWARD THESE TIMELINES WITH MORE INFORMATION TO COUNCIL.
I'LL TURN THINGS OVER NOW TO GRANT WHITE, OUR DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY SERVICES, WHO WILL WALK YOU THROUGH A SHORT OVERVIEW OF THESE VERY IMPORTANT TIMELINES.
THANK YOU, MS. BASSI-KELLETT, AND GOOD EVENING, MADAM CHAIR AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
I ALMOST SAID GOOD AFTERNOON, ACCORDING TO MY NOTES, BUT THANK YOU.
SO THANKS AGAIN FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE ANOTHER PRESENTATION ON THE AQUATIC CENTER.
THE UPDATE TONIGHT WILL FOCUS AS MS. BASSI-KELLETT ON KEY INPUTS THAT'S BEEN PROVIDED BY THE CORE TO THE PROJECT BY COUNCIL OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS.
SO AS WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
AS YOU MAY RECALL, THE AQUATIC CENTER PROJECT HAS BEEN UNDERWAY SINCE IT WAS FIRST INTRODUCED TO COUNCIL IN NOVEMBER OF TWENTY SIXTEEN.
SINCE THAT TIME, THE PROJECT HAS BEEN TO COMMITTEE AND COUNCIL FOR MANY KEY DECISION POINTS, INCLUDING JANUARY 18TH, JANUARY JANUARY OF TWENTY EIGHTEEN, WHEN COUNCIL DIRECTED THE ADMINISTRATION TO DEVELOP THE TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR THE AQUATIC CENTER ADVISORY COMMITTEE, THE AKC, WHICH WAS SUBSEQUENTLY ADOPTED A MONTH LATER IN FEBRUARY, AND THEN THE AC.
THE AKC WAS ESTABLISHED BY COUNCIL SHORTLY THEREAFTER IN APRIL, CHAIRED BY COUNCILLOR KONG FROM APRIL TO OCTOBER.
THE EC WORKED DILIGENTLY, DILIGENTLY TO PRESENT AND PRESENTED THE PRE-DESIGNED PLAN FOR ADOPTION BY COUNCIL IN OCTOBER OF THAT YEAR.
COUNCIL ALSO APPROVED THE EXPENDITURE IN THE AMOUNT OF ONE POINT SEVENTY FIVE MILLION DOLLARS IN THE TWENTY CAPITAL PROJECT.
PROCEED WITH TO PROCEED WITH ARCHITECTURAL AND ENGINEERING SERVICES FOLLOWING KEY INFORMATION REQUESTED ON THE CONSTRUCTION METHODOLOGY.
KEY TIMELINE AND MILESTONES AND CONSIDERATION FOR THE AQUATIC CENTER DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE DC.
THIS LED TO KEY DECISIONS IN 2019, INCLUDING THE DESIGN BUILD CONSTRUCTION METHODOLOGY FOR THE PROJECT, SECURING OF A BRIDGE AND CONSULTANTS AND EVALUATIONS OF TWO PROJECT SITES, AS WELL AS THE CDC TERMS OF REFERENCE BEING APPROVED.
IN NOVEMBER OF 2019, COUNCILLOR RECONSIDERED THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CDC, PROVIDED DIRECTION TO ADMINISTRATION TO PURSUE PUBLIC CONSULTATION THROUGH FOCUS GROUPS, SURVEYS AND PUBLIC MEETINGS.
IN DECEMBER OF 2019, COUNCILLOR DIRECTED THE ADMINISTRATION TO BRING FORWARD INFORMATION OUTLINING THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH CHANGING THE SCOPE OF THE WORK TO CONSIDER OTHER OPTIONS THAT WERE DETAILED IN THE PRE-DESIGNED REPORT.
JANUARY 2020, COUNCIL DIRECTED THE ADMINISTRATION TO INCLUDE BOTH A FIFTY TWO METER ANY TWENTY FIVE METER LAP POOL OPTIONS, ALONG WITH THE OTHER VARIOUS COMPONENTS IN THE DESIGN PLAN THAT WOULD BE COMPLETED BY THE BRIDGING CONSULTANTS.
IN JANUARY OF 21, COUNCIL ADOPTED THE OR SORRY, THE DESIGN PLAN AND DIRECTED THE ADMINISTRATION TO PROCEED TO THE NEXT STEPS OF THE PROJECT, WHICH WAS A DESIGN BUILD REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL FOR AN AQUATIC CENTER THAT INCLUDED A NUMBER OF COMPONENTS.
SO YOU CAN SEE THIS, THIS IS QUITE A DETAILED LIST THAT INCLUDES ALL THE DESIRED COMPONENTS AS PROVIDED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND BASED ON INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE KEY STAKEHOLDERS AND THROUGH THE PUBLIC AS WE WENT THROUGH OUR DESIGN CONSULTATION.
PROJECT STATUS AND UPDATES, SO WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW IN THE NEXT SHORT TIME HERE, SEVERAL STEPS HAVE BEEN TAKEN TO MOVE THE PROJECT FORWARD BASED ON ALL THE PREVIOUS DIRECTION THAT'S BEEN RECEIVED TO DATE.
SO THE SYSTEM DESIGN BUILD RFP TAKE WAS CONTRACT OR CONTRACTED AS THE OWNERS ADVOCATE TO REVIEW THE SUBMISSIONS AND ENSURE THAT THEY MEET THE TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS OF THE RFP.
THROUGH A COMPETITIVE PROCESS, THREE DESIGN BUILD TEAMS WERE PREQUALIFIED.
AND THE DESIGN BUILD RFP WAS ISSUED IN JULY OF THIS YEAR AND CLOSE IN EARLY SEPTEMBER.
ALL THREE OF THE QUALIFIED TEAMS SUBMITTED A PROPOSAL.
THE REVIEW COMMITTEE CONSISTING OF THE CITY MANAGER, PUBLIC WORKS AND
[02:50:04]
COMMUNITY SERVICES STAFF ARE CURRENTLY REVIEWING AND READING EACH OF THE PROPOSALS WITH KEY TECHNICAL INFORMATION FROM THE OWNERS ADVOCATE, AS WELL AS A PROJECT MANAGEMENT TEAM AT COLLIERS.THE COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTANT WAS CONTRACTED TO ASSIST IN DEVELOPING A COMMUNICATIONS PLAN FOR THE PROJECT.
KEY ROLE DATES FOR INFORMATION HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED USING OUR MESSAGE BOARDS, SOCIAL MEDIA, THE CITY'S HOME PAGE AND RADIO ADVERTISEMENTS.
SO LOOKING AHEAD AT THE OCTOBER 12TH G.P.S., COMMUNITY MEMBERS WILL BE PRESENTED WITH THE RESULTS OF THE REVIEW, INCLUDING THE RECOMMENDATIONS, THE RECOMMENDED DESIGN BUILDER, THE PROJECT COST AND A RECOMMENDATION TO MOVE FORWARD WITH A BORING BYLAW.
WELL, OCTOBER 18TH, A SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING WILL BE CALLED TO GIVE THE BORING BYLAW A FIRST READING IF SUPPORTED AT THE GPC ON THE 12TH.
AGAIN, ASSUMING DIRECTION FROM COUNCILLOR IS TO CARRY ON TO THE NEXT STEP OF THE PROJECT, THE REFERENDUM IS SCHEDULED FOR TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23RD.
YOU KNOW, ASSUMING THE VOTER APPROVAL FROM THERE, THIS WILL BE FOLLOWED BY SECOND READING OF THE BORROWING BY LAW ON EITHER DECEMBER 6TH OR 13TH.
WHICH WOULD IMMEDIATELY BE FOLLOWED BY SEEKING MINISTERIAL APPROVAL BY THE END OF DECEMBER.
AND THEN THIS PIECE PAVES THE WAY FOR THE THIRD READING ON JANUARY 10TH OF 2022 AND CONTRACT AWARD SHORTLY THEREAFTER.
SO JANUARY 30TH, 2022 IS A KEY DATE IN THE PROJECT'S SCHEDULE.
THE DESIGN BUILD RFP INDICATED THAT PROPONENTS MUST HOLD THEIR PRICES UNTIL UNTIL THEN.
THE CURRENT TIMELINE ACHIEVES THIS TO ENSURE THAT THE PROPONENTS PRICES ARE GUARANTEED.
AND AS MENTIONED, THE REVIEW COMMITTEE IS CURRENTLY GOING THROUGH THE PROPOSALS, AND ONE OF THE KEY ITEMS THAT WE WILL BE LOOKING AT IS THE VALUE ENGINEERING.
SO THE PURPOSE OF VALUE ENGINEERING IS TO ENSURE THAT THE PROJECT BEING SUBMITTED FOR COUNCIL'S CONSIDERATION REPRESENTS ALL THE REQUIREMENTS THAT THE COUNCIL HAS IDENTIFIED SINCE THE OUTSET OF THE PROJECT AS BEING REQUIRED AND IMPORTANT.
ADDITIONALLY, THE VALUE ENGINEERING DISCUSSIONS WILL PROVIDE THE ASSURANCE THAT ADMINISTRATION IS TAKING THE STEPS TO ENSURE THE TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT ARE MET.
THE COMPONENTS ARE LAID OUT OR SORRY.
THE COMPONENTS AND LAYOUT ARE DONE IN A MANNER THAT'S CONGRUENT WITH THE EFFECTIVE POOL OPERATIONS AND ANY AREAS FOR COST REDUCTIONS WITHIN THE DESIGN ARE INVESTIGATED.
SO THANK YOU, AND WE'D BE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
LIKE MINISTERIAL APPROVAL JUST BEFORE CHRISTMAS EVE, A SWEET LITTLE GIFT WILL GET.
ARE ANY QUESTIONS FROM COUNSEL? COUNCILLOR KONGE.
YEAH, THIS HAS BEEN A LONG PROCESS, I THINK, ESPECIALLY FOR COMMUNITY GROUPS THAT REALLY WANT TO SEE A NEW POOL AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, BUT IT'S PRETTY EXCITING TO SEE SOME HARD DATES PUT ON THINGS LIKE OUR BORING REFERENDUM AND CONTRACT AWARD AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
THIS IS THIS IS STARTING TO GET VERY REAL.
AND, YOU KNOW, I SINCERELY HOPE THAT YELLOWKNIFE IS THEY SUPPORT THIS WHEN IT COMES TO THE BORROWING BYLAW.
I THINK IT'S INVESTMENT IN THE CITY'S FUTURE.
AND IF WE DON'T INVEST IN OUR FUTURE AND WE'RE MY OPINION IS AT THAT POINT WHERE WE'RE JUST SETTING OURSELVES UP FOR A SLOW DECLINE, AND THAT WOULD BE A SHAME BECAUSE.
WE GOT A LOT OF THINGS IN THE ELEMENTS THAT ARE PRETTY AWESOME AND.
AND WE JUST NEED TO KEEP BUILDING ON THAT.
YOU KNOW, SO THANKS TO ADMINISTRATION FOR THIS AND YEAH, LET'S KEEP IT ON TRACK.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS, OCTOBER 12TH BIG DISCUSSION.
UH, ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS FROM COUNSEL? AGAIN, IT WAS A BIT OF AN OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC A BIT OF A HEADS UP ON THESE UPCOMING DATES.
THERE'S LOTS OF STUFF HAPPENING BESIDES THE PANDEMIC.
SO THE POOL REFERENDUM, THE ZONING BYLAW BUDGET TWENTY TWENTY TWO.
SO I KNOW, I KNOW IT'S A LOT TO ABSORB, BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S ENGAGEMENT ON ON ALL THESE IMPORTANT FILES.
THANKS AGAIN TO THE STAFF FOR THE UPDATE AND FOR ALL THE WORK ON THIS.
[6. A memorandum regarding whether to adopt for information the 2021 Yellowknife Point‐in‐Time Count Technical Report as prepared by NWT Bureau of Statistics.]
NEXT ON THE AGENDA, WE HAVE A MEMORANDUM REGARDING WHETHER TO ADOPT FOR[02:55:03]
INFORMATION THE TWENTY TWENTY ONE POINT IN TIME COUNT TECHNICAL REPORTS, AS PREPARED BY THE NWT BUREAU OF STATISTICS.MS. BASSI-KELLETT DID YOU WANT TO PROVIDE ANY OPENING COMMENTS ON IT? THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR.
ABSOLUTELY, EXCEPT I'M DISTRACTED BY COUNCILLOR SMITH'S REALLY HANDSOME DOG.
SO THE TWENTY TWENTY ONE POINT IN TIME COUNT REPORT WAS COMPLETED ON.
IT WAS CONDUCTED, EXCUSE ME, ON A SUNDAY IN APRIL EARLIER THIS YEAR, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE SET OUT BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
AND THE INTENT OF THIS POINT IN TIME COUNTS IS TO GET A SNAPSHOT OF PERSONS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN YELLOWKNIFE.
AND THAT IN TURN CAN HELP INFORM PROGRAMING AND OTHER SUPPORTS THAT CAN HELP REDUCE HOMELESSNESS IN YELLOWKNIFE.
WE'VE LEARNED SOME LESSONS FROM THE PREVIOUS POINT IN TIME.
COUNCILLOR TOOK PLACE IN 2015 AND THEN AGAIN IN TWENTY EIGHTEEN.
SO THE METHODOLOGY HAS EVOLVED OVER TIME, AND THIS TIME IT WAS UNIQUE BECAUSE WE DID HAVE ADVICE FROM A GROUP OF INDIGENOUS AND INDIGENOUS ADVISORY GROUP THAT WAS ADVISING US ON ENSURING CULTURAL SAFETY DURING THE SURVEY, AND THEY HELPED TO IDENTIFY KEY LOCATIONS FOR THE SURVEY SHOULD TAKE PLACE.
SO THERE WAS A LITTLE INCONSISTENCY WHEN COMPARING SOME OF THOSE LOCATIONS TO PREVIOUS LOCATIONS.
BUT HONESTLY, THE RESULTS DO SHOW CONSISTENCY WHEN WE COMPARE THE NUMBERS OVER TIME LONGITUDINALLY.
GPC MEMBERS MAY RECALL THAT IN TWENTY EIGHTEEN, THERE WERE THREE HUNDRED AND THIRTY EIGHT PEOPLE THAT ENGAGED AT THE POINT IN TIME COUNT.
IN TWENTY FIFTEEN, IT WAS ONLY ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY NINE.
AND THIS YEAR, OF COURSE, IN TWENTY TWENTY ONE, IT'S THREE HUNDRED AND TWELVE.
BUT AGAIN, PERHAPS WITH SOME SOME DIFFERENT ISSUES AROUND THAT SINCE WE WEREN'T USING THE EXACT SAME LOCATIONS AS IN TWENTY EIGHTEEN.
THE POINT IN TIME COUNT DOES REINFORCE FOR US THAT INDIGENOUS PERSONS ARE OVERREPRESENTED IN OUR HOMELESS POPULATION AND THAT CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS REMAINS A HUGE ISSUE FOR.
THIS IS A VERY HELPFUL SNAPSHOT, AND AS WE MOVE FORWARD, WE WILL LOOK FORWARD TO CONFIRMING A REASONABLY STATIC METHODOLOGY TO ENSURE APPLES TO APPLES COMPARISONS OVER TIME.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR.
HE RECENTLY DID A MONTH LONG HOMELESSNESS REPORT TO IDENTIFY HOW MANY PEOPLE IN A NUNAVIK PORTSMOUTH AND HAY RIVER ARE CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
AND SO THERE MAY BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH N.W.T.
HOUSING CORP TO DO ONE IN YELLOWKNIFE, TOO, BECAUSE AS A MS. BASSI-KELLETT, SAID QUENTIN, TIME COUNTS JUST ARE FOR ONE DAY, SO IT'S IT'S TOUGH TO GET THAT FULL PICTURE.
THE OTHER THING THAT WAS DISCUSSED AT CAB IS A POSSIBLE CHANGE TO SOME DATA COLLECTION BY NGOS, AND SO THERE MAY BE AN OPPORTUNITY GOING FORWARD TO HAVE MORE REAL TIME DATA AS OPPOSED TO JUST THESE POINTS IN TIME COUNTS THAT HAPPEN EVERY COUPLE OF YEARS AND ARE ONLY ONE DAY AND SOMETIMES AREN'T THE THE FULL PICTURE OF THE COMMUNITY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
SO OPENING IT UP TO QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM COUNSEL.
I JUST WANTED TO ENCOURAGE COUNCILORS TO READ THROUGH THE SUMMARY REPORT.
I KNOW THAT WHEN WE REVIEWED IT, IT AT CAB AT THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD ON HOMELESSNESS.
CERTAINLY THERE WERE SOME COMMENTS ABOUT HOW THIS MAY NOT REPRESENT THE FULL PICTURE OF HOMELESSNESS IN YELLOWKNIFE.
WE MAY HAVE MISSED SOME PEOPLE.
I KNOW THERE WAS A LOT OF EFFORT PUT INTO DESIGNING THIS AND AND CONSIDERATIONS AROUND SAFETY AND MAKING PEOPLE FEEL COMFORTABLE AND AND, YOU KNOW, WE MAY HAVE MS. PEOPLE.
AND WE ALSO HAD SOME CONSTRAINTS AROUND MEETING THE THE REQUIREMENTS THAT.
THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SET OUT BECAUSE THEY'RE TRYING TO STANDARDIZE THIS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, BUT I THINK WHAT'S INTERESTING TO ME IS THE STORIES THAT DO EMERGE FROM THE COUNTY, EVEN IF IT DOESN'T TELL THE COMPLETE PICTURE, BUT A FEW THINGS I NOTICED.
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S MUCH MORE THAN JUST NUMBERS IN THERE.
THE SURVEY INCLUDED QUESTIONS ABOUT PEOPLE'S BACKGROUND, WHAT KIND OF TROUBLES THEY MAY HAVE HAD FINDING EMPLOYMENT OR HOUSING, YOU KNOW, EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUNDS.
I DID NOTE THAT THE PEOPLE REPRESENTED IN THE COUNT SEEM TO COME FROM ALL SORTS OF DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS AND WALKS OF LIFE.
PEOPLE, EVEN WITH HIGHER EDUCATION, ARE FINDING THEMSELVES HOMELESS.
SO IT JUST REINFORCED FOR ME THAT THIS REALLY CAN HAPPEN TO ANYONE.
[03:00:05]
THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT FACTORS THAT LEAD PEOPLE TO THE KIND OF INSECURITY THAT SOMEONE COULD, YOU KNOW, BECOME HOMELESS.SO IT WAS JUST A GOOD REMINDER THAT.
THESE PEOPLE, THESE ARE NEIGHBORS OR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, YOU KNOW THIS.
THIS COULD BE ANY OF US IF YOU KNOW A NUMBER OF THINGS IN OUR LIVES GO WRONG AND WE LOSE CERTAIN SUPPORTS AND SAFETY NETS.
THIS COULD REALLY HAPPEN TO ANY OF US.
THERE ARE SOME PATTERNS AND JUST HOW OFTEN IT SEEMS THAT YOUTH, FOR EXAMPLE, IN FOSTER CARE OR HAVE EXPERIENCED TROUBLES AT AN EARLY AGE, WILL BECOME HOMELESS QUITE EARLY ON, YOU KNOW, IN THEIR MID TO LATE TEENS OR EARLY 20S.
AND SO THE IMPORTANCE OF REALLY TRYING TO SUPPORT YOUTH.
EARLY, EARLY ON AND CATCH THIS EARLY SO THAT PEOPLE DON'T GET TRAPPED INTO PATTERNS AND CYCLES THROUGHOUT THEIR LIFETIME.
ANYWAY, I DO REALLY URGE PEOPLE TO TO READ THE REPORT, IT HELPS US UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BETTER AND HOPEFULLY.
HELP AS A COMMUNITY TO PROVIDE BETTER SUPPORTS TO THE MOST VULNERABLE PEOPLE WE HAVE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
NOT TO GET CAUGHT UP ON JUST ONE NUMBER, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF BUZZ COUNCILLOR MORGAN NOTES A LOT OF DIFFERENT DATA POINTS AND ELEMENTS THAT COME UP THAT CAN HELP WITH OUR DECISION MAKING.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? SEEING NONE, THE NEXT WE HAVE IS A MEMORANDUM REGARDING THE MINUTES OF THE
[7.A memorandum regarding the minutes of the Mayor’s Task Force on Economic Development meeting of September 23, 2021.]
MAYOR'S TASK FORCE ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, OUR MEETING OF SEPTEMBER TWENTY THIRD TWENTY TWENTY ONE.ANY QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL? SEEING NONE, THE NEXT TWO MEMOS, WE DID DEAL WITH THE COUNCIL, SO WE'RE GOOD.
JUST A REMINDER THAT WE DO HAVE OUR CAAP MEETING, WHICH IS ON WEDNESDAY, WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE AND ALL THE DIFFERENT ACTIONS THAT THE CITY IS DOING, RANGING FROM THE MORE TRADITIONAL THINGS WITH OUR ENERGY PLAN AND OUR SUSTAINABLE SOLID WASTE FACILITY, BUT ALSO SOME ELEMENTS THAT PEOPLE KNOW MIGHT NOT BE THINKING ABOUT HOW PLANNING IN LANDS INTERSECTS WITH CLIMATE CHANGE.
SO THAT IS WEDNESDAY AT LUNCH.
AND SO LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING EVERYBODY ON GO TO THEN MOTION TO ADJOURN.
MOVE BY COUNCILLOR SMITH, SECONDED BY EVERYBODY.
HAVE A GREAT NIGHT, EVERYBODY.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.