Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yellowknife’s natural surroundings and safe, small town atmosphere are things that make our capital city unique. Sadly, in recent years this sense of security is no longer the case. We’re experiencing an increase in break and enters as well as drug trafficking. The popular Frame Lake walking trail has become a scene of violent crimes.
Some proactive citizens have created the Yellowknife Community Wellness Coalition, a community policing organization made up of trained volunteers. Their Citizens on Patrol is a neighbourhood watch service that acts as eyes and ears only — observers who report suspicious and dangerous behaviour to the RCMP. These are things we can all do to be community minded. Thanks to contributions from municipal, territorial and federal governments the Community Wellness Coalition service patrol has leased a van to drive through Yellowknife picking people up and bringing them to safe places to stay, be it their homes or one of the shelters. This service is crucial in the winter for people’s personal safety and in the summer for collective safety downtown.
Mr. Speaker, what I’m seeing here is a vicious cycle. Needy people are taken to shelters that are already crowded and financially stretched. When these places reach capacity or can only provide a limited range of services, the same people who were brought there are forced onto the streets again. Many of them gather in places such as the bush along Frame Lake Trail, on the rocks behind Sir John Franklin High School and on Tin Can Hill. It is hard to go for a walk in Yellowknife’s green spaces without coming across someone’s campsite. These people often struggle with addictions, and their desperate condition makes them more susceptible to injury and disease and increased addiction that in turn leads to more crime.
Services like our shelters in the Yellowknife Community Wellness Coalition rely on the dedicated efforts of volunteers. To avoid burnout, they need to increase their number of personnel and provide more training, but they are unable to due to limited funding to the voluntary sector. The Department of Justice has shown a lot of support for the Wellness Coalition, but more help is needed to continue their services. They need a small amount of office space, a part time coordinator and fuel for their van.
We need to examine where we are putting our dollars. We need to break this vicious cycle. We need to fund programs that are already working and help the people that are already helping others. We need to feel secure enough to be able to give tips to the RCMP without fearing for our personal safety. Mr. Speaker, we all want a capital city that is clean and safe. We should be able to enjoy its unique character and step outdoors to see the northern lights or sunset after midnight without being afraid.
Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate time I will be asking the Justice Minister some questions about community wellness and policing.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
