Saskatoon overdose crisis has nurses calling for better knee pads

A sobering reminder of homelessness in Saskatoon has the city preparing for what’s expected to be a growing homeless population this summer.

Saskatoon’s homeless crisis is showing no signs of improving anytime soon.

During a committee meeting at City Hall Wednesday, city councillors heard about the added strain on resources and how the city is responding to these challenges.

“The estimated number of people living homelessness and the homelessness in the city of Saskatoon has quadrupled in two years, and the resources to get ahead of that problem have reduced,” Toby Esterby, chief operations officer with the Saskatoon Community Clinic, said.

A community safety program update detailed what’s in place for areas experiencing heightened homeless activity, but the conversation quickly turned to the strain on diminishing resources to manage or respond to homelessness.

“We can’t only respond with an emergency response. We need to work parallel to that, continue the work of getting ahead of this problem with appropriate resources,” Esterby said.

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When asked for additional items on his company’s “wish list,” Esterby said nursing staff wanted more substantial knee pads to respond to overdoses — work they’re not supposed to be tasked with, but often respond to.

“That I am ordering knee pads is an indicator again of something not working,” he said. “So where do we need to change who’s doing what?”

Last month, Prairie Harm Reduction suddenly closed after a major financial shortfall was discovered. Firefighters called for additional help after responding to 301 overdose-related calls from April 1 to April 19.

First responders in council chambers on Wednesday spoke of the gaps that exist and pressures created once Prairie Harm Reduction closed, leaving the city without one crucial tool to help respond to homelessness.

“I would say that the loss of Prairie Harm is one factor in what we’re seeing in the community,” Saskatoon Fire Department Director of Emergency Management Pamela Goulden-McLeod said. “The larger issue is the number of people who are experiencing homelessness — the sheer volume in Saskatoon.”

Last fall, the city counted 1,931 people experiencing homelessness in a one-day period during its point in time homelessness count. The figure is meant to be a snapshot of homelessness. Esterby doesn’t expect to see that number lower anytime soon, and the growing homeless population is affecting city resources.

“We’re on this steady trajectory of growth with our unhoused population that is creating pressures in our community,” Staff Sgt. Michael Horvath with the Saskatoon Police Service said. “So we’re seeing that from an operations perspective from police working with fire, working with the City of Saskatoon and trying to implement these types of support responses.”

The committee ultimately made some minor changes to look at an increased level of patrol and response at the drop-in centre on Avenue C, which temporarily shut down on May 1 and is no longer open 24 hours a day in the summer months.

The outdoor washroom facilities have been moved to an area outside Central Urban Métis Federation Inc. (CUMFI) effective May 1.

Councillors voted to look at ways to keep the drinking water cold throughout the summer.