'Stretched thin': Edmonton raises concerns with Leduc's plan to send homeless to city (2024)

A Leduc council decision to rescind plans for an emergency shelter facility and instead look at sending homeless clients to Edmonton for services is drawing anger and concern from city leaders, who say resources are already under strain.

Leduc council voted 4-2 vote on July 8 to reverse its previous approval of the emergency shelter plan, vowing to find a different approach to aiding homeless people in the community 35 km south of Edmonton. Discussions have focused on sending people to the navigation centre in Downtown Edmonton, provoking reactions from several Edmonton city councillors and Mayor Amarjeet Sohi.

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In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Sohi called for a regional approach to tackle homelessness. He posted a link to his article about the challenges Edmonton is currently facing with the issue.

“I know the City of Leduc is having conversations about their approach to tackling houselessness, and how their response might fit within the Edmonton region. I have spoken with Leduc’s Mayor Bob Young, and continue to have productive conversations with provincial officials to find ways to support unhoused Edmontonians and people in our region,” Sohi stated.

The navigation centre was established by the provincial government in mid-January as Edmonton police and city officials took down hundreds of encampments.

The facility, which operates out of the Karis Centre at 107 Street and 103 Avenue, provides aid for homeless people by connecting them to various services, including income support, shelters, housing options, medical care and addiction resources.

‘Rescinding shouldn’t be taken lightly’

Leduc Coun. Ryan Pollard, who voted in favour of not rescinding the motion, which would have created overnight shelter spaces in extreme weather conditions, was not surprised by how the meeting went.

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“Rescinding shouldn’t be taken lightly. People should be able to trust that when we make a decision that’s the decision and they can rely on that,” Pollard said.

The Leduc Hub Association used to operate a permanent shelter in the community, but closed its doors at the end of April. The motion to create emergency shelter services was supposed to partially fill that gap, but even if council revisits its decision, the latest vote means there won’t be anything in place for another year, Pollard said.

“There will be nowhere in Leduc for a person seeking shelter to go and where they will go has not been stated explicitly but I think implied is that they will go to another community and then the most obvious suspect would be Edmonton. I don’t know how Edmonton is going to feel,” Pollard said.

Heather Curtis, a spokesperson for the City of Edmonton, said services for homelessness are under strain and may be insufficient to handle more clients. She said Edmonton has notified the province and will connect with Leduc to discuss different options.

“The homeless serving system of care is already stretched thin, and the city would be concerned about further exacerbating capacity issues. In addition, there may be unintended health consequences of diverting or displacing vulnerable individuals from their support systems and community in Leduc,” Curtis said.

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‘Failure of leadership’

Shannon Dalke, chair of the Leduc Hub Association, issued a news release questioning the integrity of Leduc’s city council after rescinding the motion, which she said “sends a chilling message” to residents in Leduc and partners to the city.

“This is not a proud moment for the City of Leduc. Homeless people are dying in unprecedented numbers in our city. Councillors have made a dreadful decision to take away their last hope for local, life-saving services,” Dalke said.

“By any measure, this is a failure of leadership. This broken promise also raises legitimate questions about whether the City of Leduc can be trusted to honour its public commitments.”

Seniors, Community and Social Services Minister Jason Nixon said in a statement to Postmedia that the province is proud of the navigation centre’s work in connecting Albertans to necessary services. He said if more vulnerable Albertans are looking for help through the navigation centre, the province will look at finding solutions.

“The navigation centre typically operates near capacity, seeing between 45 and 50 people daily. If the number of vulnerable Albertans seeking help through the navigation centre becomes greater than its current capacity, Alberta’s government will reassess to find a solution to ensure everyone can get the help they need,” Nixon said.

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“We also remain committed to working with shelter operators to address challenges and prioritize services for people with the most critical needs. Alberta’s government is spending $108 million this year to operate shelters across the province, including $2 million for temporary shelter spaces in smaller communities.”

ctran@postmedia.com

X: @kccindytran

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