Town council halted operations in May to slow a perceived spike in crime residents said stemmed from the space. Three months later, council voted it be closed for good, citing continued safety concerns
At the end of a side street in Slave Lake, Alta., Lynn Bowes looks at a grey job-site trailer with boarded-up windows and doors that once operated as her town’s only homeless shelter.
However, figures show Slave Lake’s crime rate didn’t change after the shelter closed, said Slave Lake RCMP Sgt. Casey Bruyns. The only notable change is a slight uptick in suspicious person calls, he said.But others, including Mayor Francesca Ward, say the town isn’t capable of running the space, citing a lack of supports for homeless people struggling with mental health and addictions.
In November, Slave Lake got $900,000 from the province to operate the temporary trailer year-round. With the closure, any unspent money would be returned, she said. Ward said she’s not opposed to something like an emergency winter shelter, but it should be run by another group.She ran an out-of-the-cold program for five winters at the Slave Lake Native Friendship Centre, where she works as executive director. Funding issues and dwindling donations meant the program had to shut down.
Courtorielle said those who drop by the friendship centre are like family; many even call her Mom. Centre staff take time to connect with the homeless – something she felt was missing from the town’s shelter space.There was only one shower. Food was microwaved. People were bored, she said. It forced many to make their way to the friendship centre.She believes much of the town’s crime is blamed on the homeless. There are one or two bad apples, she said, but most are good people.
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