In a narrow 5-4 decision Monday night, Prince Albert council nixed plans to move forward with a residential care home for at risk youth in the city.
The John Howard Society of Saskatchewan had applied for a rezoning permit to convert an apartment building on 1st Avenue West into a supervised facility for about five young people aged 18-21.
Two staff would serve in a supervisory capacity on a 24-hour basis.
The idea was to provide a place for these youth to live while they participated in various programming including work skills training, land-based learning and cultural connections.
John Howard would have been partnering with River Bank Development Corporation which currently manages the building.
In its initial report to council, city administration recommended approving the permit application.
However, citing residential fears for children safety, negative effects on nearby Kinsmen Park and lack of local support, Mayor Greg Dionne was one of the members of council who said “no way.”
“We’re here to listen to the residents just not John Howard, they don’t live next door,” he said. “Brian (River Bank Development Corporation general manager) doesn’t live next door. The pregnant lady with the two young kids, live (sic) next door. They have just as much weight in my opinion in this chamber as anyone else. You said it, the neighbourhood, do you see the neighbourhood up here cheering, ‘go ahead?’ No.”
John Howard made the initial rezoning application to council late last month which was followed up with an online Zoom meeting to consult with local residents living within 75 metres of the apartment building.
Council received one letter in support of the proposal and six against.
One person wrote two of these letters.
The letters noted a number of concerns with a residential youth care home including potential for an increase in crime and gang activity and negative effects on property values.
While Dionne and councillors Ted Zurakowski, Blake Edwards, Tony Head and Don Cody voted against the youth care home, Dennis Ogrodnick, Dawn Kilmer, Charlene Miller and Terra Lennox-Zepp voted in favour.
Ogrodnick noted with a number of correctional facilities in the local area, significant numbers of convicted offenders are coming into the city on a regular basis and they need community support to help them reintegrate.
“Now, as a resident, what would I rather have,” he asked. “Would I rather have them walking around, staying in an apartment here or there, staying in apartments on Branion Drive? Or, would I rather have them in a supervised facility that’s integrated them back into the community? That’s what this is about.”
John Howard Society of Saskatchewan CEO Shawn Fraser, who was on hand for the meeting, was definitely disappointed with council’s decision and said the idea behind these types of residential care homes is to reduce potential for crime rather than increase it.
However, he seemed to take the decision in stride and said John Howard will look for alternate locations for a home in the city and the services the organization provides locally will continue on either way.
“Well it’s a tough decision but we respect it,” he said. “Council has a hard job; they have a lot of interests to balance and this one didn’t come up the way we hoped it would but life goes on.”
A current resident of the 1st Avenue West building, Todd Morin, told council he was against the idea of putting a youth residential care home there because it would mean he would be evicted from his home.