City working on shelter shortage

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This article was published 18/10/2022 (1219 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Brandon City Council is still working to assist Samaritan House Ministries as the organization deals with capacity issues at its safe and warm shelter, councillors said at Monday’s meeting.

Last week, the non-profit reported that it may be forced to turn people away after all of its 41 shelter beds became occupied.

Delivering a report on behalf of the city’s poverty committee, Coun. Jan Chaboyer (Green Acres) said the issue of Samaritan House Ministries’ safe and warm shelter had been discussed at the committee’s meeting last week.

The committee voted then to provide the shelter with $3,500 to help with immediate expenses and is looking into how to partner with the provincial and federal governments to address the need for shelter, she said.

Following up, Coun. Kris Desjarlais (Rosser) said a group of stakeholders met Monday morning to investigate next steps after the Brandon Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation’s Blue Door was used for overflow shelter.

Additional interim overnight shelter spaces are being sought right now, especially with winter coming, Desjarlais said. He added that work is being done to find assistance for people with health needs requiring shelter.

“The number [of clients] between the shelter and Blue Door were 62 on Friday, 51 on Saturday and 52 on Sunday, which is certainly more than the safe and warm shelter can handle on any given night, and that’s just a fraction of the need out there,” Desjarlais said.

“It’s estimated that there are 400 precariously housed [people] who access services, so we expect the number to be doubled with those who are not accessing services.”

According to Coun. Jeff Fawcett (Assiniboine), discussions were also held Monday between city representatives and Brandon East MLA Len Isleifson to determine how the province can help create a longer-term plan.

On the topic of Brandon’s new graffiti cleanup program, Desjarlais called upon downtown businesses to report instances of vandalism so the downtown safety and wellness task force can learn more about demand for services.

After a vacancy came up for the city’s Board of Revision earlier this year, council voted to appoint Bob Wallis to the position, effective immediately and lasting until Dec. 31.

Councillors also approved a change to the bylaw governing the Brandon Downtown Development Corporation to increase the number of citizen-at-large positions on its board of directors from six to eight and to add the city manager as a non-voting member.

According to the agenda for Monday’s meeting, any change to the corporation’s bylaws must be approved by a two-thirds majority by its own board and then given final approval through a vote by Brandon City Council.

Desjarlais, a member of the corporation’s board, said it has been difficult to meet quorum with only six members.

The last vote of the meeting, and by extension the last vote of this version of Brandon City Council, was to approve the third reading of a bylaw rezoning properties at 453 and 459 Russell St. from residential low density to commercial general.

Since it was Mayor Rick Chrest’s last council meeting after eight years in the top job and several previous terms as a councillor, he thanked candidates who are running in the current municipal election for the level of participation and professionalism they’ve displayed, and he encouraged Brandon residents to get out to the polls next week.

Councillors were given the chance to say farewell either to this term or to their political careers.

They thanked both Chrest and Chaboyer — each of whom are retiring from politics this month — for their service during their remarks, expressing friendship and promising to keep in touch.

The mayor was described as a steady hand and mentor figure by his colleagues, while the Green Acres councillor was praised as one of Brandon’s strongest advocates for its vulnerable population.

Chaboyer thanked her constituents for their trust over her tenure on council and said she did her best to address their concerns. She also provided advice for the next council, asking them to take care of the environment and the city’s residents.

“Posthumously, I’d like to thank Errol Black,” she said, referring to the former city councillor who died in 2012. “He was my mentor, he encouraged me to run for council … I wish he was still with us, and I miss him dearly.”

Fighting back tears, Chrest thanked his colleagues, city staff, residents and his family for their support over his time in office.

“The city has been around for 150 years and will be around for hundreds more,” he said. “We’re just temporary custodians of it.”

He said next week, on Wednesday, he will spend his last day in office the same way he spent his first: visiting every city department to learn about what staff are up to and thank them for their work.

The next council meeting and the first of the new term, which will feature a new mayor and at least two new councillors, is scheduled for Nov. 17.

Election day is Oct. 26.

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