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Canada Winter 2003 A publication of the Wyoming Coalition for the Homeless 907 Logan Avenue Cheyenne, WY 82001 307-634-8499 wch@vcn.com copyright 2003 |
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| Breakfast Is Served Ron Murdock |
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From Monday to Friday during school mornings, volunteers make their way into the kitchen of the Salvation Army Community Centre in Saskatoon. The teams busy themselves scrambling eggs, frying bacon and making toast. Then it is carted over to Nutuna Collegiate where serving starts at 7:30.  I helped out one morning when the wind chill was -41. In the 90 minutes the breakfast program was on, only 17 people came to get a meal and most of them headed indoors right away. The feeding program was started early in 2002 and now averages about 40 people per day. There have been benefits that have come with the breakfast program. School attendance is up as students are getting to school earlier so they can have a decent breakfast before starting classes. Also student/teacher relations have improved as the two sides get to know each other on an informal basis as they share breakfast. Teachers have noticed that student's marks are on the rise.  Everyone, irregardless of social status, is greeted heartily. Those in need are provided with a stabilizing force - some come from a unstable home life traveling from one foster home to another. Volunteers are there, in part, to act as a listening ear for those who need it. Trust is built up, no one preaches at anyone and shared information is held in strict confidence. Myles is there most mornings to get a good breakfast inside him and get the day off to a good start. Myles appreciates what he receives as he is living on student loans and his money is stretched tight. Another regular customer is a 20 year old woman, who has 3 children and is completing high school at Nutuna Collegiate. Living on the streets of Saskatoon is a difficult endeavour. Unfortunately for some it's safer than living at home, as abuse can make life there unbearable. Numbers are hard to pinpoint but the homeless in Saskatoon live along the riverbank during the summer months. Since there is a lack of proper shelter for youth in Saskatoon, once winter hits, most head for warmer climates.  The Community Response Vehicle is stocked with essential winter gear - toques, gloves, scarves and sleeping bags - that are handed out to those in need. The Community Response Vehicle was bought for $116,000 and was custom made for the Salvation Army. Though most of the meals are cooked at the Community Centre, the van is a licensed restaurant on wheels and has a small grill and microwave installed in it. The truck and volunteers are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Anytime there is a two or more alarm blaze, truck and volunteers are called out to assist in the situation. The truck has been dispatched to the Prince Albert forest fires of last summer and to the Great Flood of Winnipeg in '97 or '98. Pictures provided by Ken Percy (Capt.) Ron Murdock Interview with Capt. Ken Percy DSPR The Salvation Army Saskatchewan Division
During the Christmas season, the Salvation Army kettles are a familar sight in malls and various stores in many cities and towns. 15 kettles were placed throughout Saskatoon from November 21 to December 23. The kettles were manned from 10:30 in the morning to 8:30 in the evening. 95 percent of the people at the kettles were volunteers, the remaining 5 per cent were paid for their time. Over 100 associations from Saskatoon, including the Rotary Club, Kiwanis, Firefighters and 57 individual volunteers helped make the season a success. One such group was Salvation Army Junior Soldiers who dressed up as angels at one of the kettles. In an interview with Captain Ken Percy of the Saskatoon Salvation Army, he stated the goal was to raise $95,000. After the final tally was taken, it was discovered that just over $103,000 was gathered. Donations were used to fill food hampers - which were handed out on December 23 and for winter relief for the under privileged in Saskatoon. There were 3500 hampers given out in 2001 with a slight increase in 2002. The hampers were given out to families with children and to members of the working poor. Though there were increases in demands for hampers in the last two years, Captain Percy hopes there won't be any increases in future Christmases. He went on the say: "The Salvation Army has been trying to work itself out of a job for the last 98 years in Saskatoon." In the course of the Christmas season, the Salvation Army acted as a clearing house for several agencies in putting the food hampers together. Food donations came from schools and fire halls plus collection bins in supermarkets. On top of it all the Brent and Penny Show - a popular morning radio broadcast show in Saskatoon - helped put hampers together as part of their drive to raise funds for local charities.  Though there weren't any unusual occurrences at the kettles this year to report, I did have one from 1982 that is worth mentioning. I was manning a kettle at the old Hudson's Bay store in downtown Saskatoon. I noticed a woman who had been loitering nearby for several minutes. As I was talking to a buddy of mine, she came over, put something in the kettle, said "thank you" and quickly left. She had placed five 100 dollar bills into the kettle. Pictures provided by Ken Percy (Capt.) Ron Murdock "If buildings could speak, what tales would they tell?" Single Room Occupancy - SRO's - are not what one would call high class living, but they are usually available. In most cities and towns hotels are home to a number of people, mostly men on low incomes. A damage deposit is rarely required and references aren't usually needed. Rooms are furnished - some well, others modest - but it beats living on the streets or dealing with a slum landlord. I've seen three groups of people living in hotels: 2) Those who like their alcohol and don't want to stagger very far home. 3) Single men who have reached a comfort zone and are set in their ways. In any case, it's a place to call home and to hang one's hat. So what does Saskatoon have to offer in the way of SRO's? The Continental Hotel did offer rooms at $250 per month. When I asked the bartender about availability of rooms she told me they were being renovated and had no idea when they would be finished. She told me to try the Pat but avoid the King George at all costs. "I used to work there and the place is covered with cockroaches," she said. My next stop was the King George Hotel to see what I could find based on the above quote. When I got there both entrances were locked which led me to believe they were renovating. Maybe they were trying to lower the ratio of cockroach to person. I remembered last summer when a buddy of mine checked out the King George. "They wanted close to $400 for the month. Plus TV and phone hook ups were extra. I was able to view a room and it was really dingy. I just said no thanks to this and left it at that." The Barry is a hotel that has turned things around in recent years. Once it was the worst that Saskatoon had to offer in hotels and it was a prime target of local businesses trying to close it down. When new owners took over in 1985, they got rid of the rowdier elements, drug dealers and pimps. The front lobby was changed from a dark cavern to a well lit area that had no shadows and is much less depressing. The third floor is filled with monthlies, the second floor by weeklies. Rooms are somewhat sparsely furnished but monthlies do get the benefit of a hot plate and fridge. One long term resident told me the heat was turned on for only two hours per day. When he complained, managment told him it would get too hot in the hotel. But it sounded like an excuse to cut costs. Another long term resident begged to differ. He said as long as one kept their noses to themselves and paid rent on time, the Barry was just fine to live in. The Sutherland Hotel has two monthly rates. $250 gets a person a room that is small but comfortable. A common shower room is halfway down the hall. $275 gets one a slightly larger room that has a shower. A security door that is locked 24/7 keeps the uninvited out. Two things pose a problem with the Sutherland. One is that the hotel is at the eastern part of Saskatoon and it's a long walk to anywhere else in town. The second one is that CP Rail has a large freight yard right across the street. Trains are parked there all the time with their engines idling. The Patricia - Pat for short - provides the most stable enviroment of all Saskatoon's hotels. It's not far from anywhere -- it is located right smack in the middle of Saskatoon. The back rooms go for just under $300 a month and share a common washroom and toilet. Other rooms are over $320 and equipped with a private washroom, cable TV and direct dial phones. Furnishings are sturdy and comfortable. Some residents at the Pat have stayed there for years. If you are interested in receiving news and
updates on Native/indigenous resistance in "Western Canada" and throughout
Turtle Island, please email: tintin@tao.ca
POETS ALERT! Poems wanted for a CANADIAN PEACE POEM ANTHOLOGY, collected
by the Victoria (B.C.) Peace Centre. Closet-poets this is your chance!!
Contact Marya Nyland at PH/FAX 250-592-6484 or philmar@islandnet.com
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