The Chief of the Saskatoon Tribal Council is speaking out after remarks by a Saskatoon City Councilor at this week’s SUMA convention.
At the convention in Saskatoon on Thursday, Councilor Robert Pearce called on Premier Scott Moe to remove the STC as operator of the Emergency Wellness Centre. Pearce also made comments that the centre should have the number of beds in their facility reduced.
Chief Mark Arcand called a press conference on Thursday morning at the STC head office to respond to the comments.
Arcand says the comments concerned him as the need for homeless shelters is rising across the province.
“To ask for a reduction of number of beds in our facility is kind of targeting us when we have a crisis in our community, in our city, in our province, in our country,” said Arcand.
In the meantime, Arcand says Saskatoon mayor Cynthia Block has called him to apologize for Pearce’s comments.
“I believe Cynthia Block and the rest of council value the Saskatoon Tribal Council as a partner that has been doing this in the city since 2021,” he said. “And to have a city councilor make that request on behalf of city council to the premier in front of SUMA and all the other mayors and councilors in the city is disturbing to me.”
Arcand pointed to the over 5000 people that have been served by the EWC with 90 families among those served as proof they are fulfilling their responsibilities as service providers.
“Are we perfect? absolutely not,” he said. “I have never seen a perfect shelter or a perfect business… I don’t know why we are being targeted.”
Meanwhile, Arcand says the STC and the province are currently finalizing the agreement for operation of the facility for the next fiscal year.
He guaranteed they will be keeping their 106 bed capacity.