Edmonton social issue task force unveiled by UCP, but Sohi says city was shut out
Story by Matthew Black •
Municipal Affairs Minister Rebecca Schulz speaks as Homeward Trust CEO Susan McGee, Public Safety and Emergency Services Minister Mike Ellis, Mental Health and Addiction Minister Nicholas Milliken and Seniors, Community and Social Services Minister Jeremy Nixon listen on Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2022. They are part of a cabinet task force to tackle Edmonton social issues including addiction, homelessness and public safety in Edmonton.© Provided by Edmonton Journal
The Alberta government is promising action on homelessness, addiction and public safety in Edmonton through the creation of a new task force, though skeptics remain unconvinced it will deliver as promised.
Four provincial cabinet ministers were among those to announce the creation of the Edmonton Public Safety and Community Response Task Force on Monday.
The task force aims to build on the province’s recovery-oriented system of addiction and mental health care using resources from provincial and municipal governments as well as local partner agencies.
“This is not about studying the issue. This is about actually taking action,” said committee chairman and Public Safety and Emergency Services Minister Mike Ellis.
“This is a co-ordinated approach. We will be taking action.”
That action includes a series of initiatives including increasing addiction treatment capacity, providing addiction and mental health treatment programs in correctional centres, creating a hybrid health and police hub, expanding medical detox services, building harm reduction and recovery outreach teams and expanding access to emergency shelter space.
In introducing the task force, Municipal Affairs Minister Rebecca Schulz said it would address “the most urgent social issues” facing Edmontonians.
“We have heard loud and clear from municipalities across Alberta about the need for a collaborative approach and we are committing to that starting right here in Edmonton.”
Funding for Tuesday’s announcement comes in part from $187 million in funding towards fighting homelessness the province announced at the start of October.
The province is spending $63 million over the next two years towards increasing access to addiction services as well as $19 million towards combating homelessness.
“These initiatives are the start,” said Mental Health and Addiction Minister Nicholas Milliken.
“We are going to move quickly and we will not stop until these initiatives are operationalized.”
Seniors, Community and Social Services Minister Jeremy Nixon said he is “very optimistic” the task force would make progress on long-term solutions to issues around homelessness and addiction.
‘We need action’
The 12-person task force met for the first time Tuesday afternoon.
It is composed of ministers Nixon, Ellis, Milliken and Schulz as well as Chief Billy Morin of the Enoch Cree Nation and Chief Isaac Laboucan-Avirom of the Woodland Cree First Nation.
They are joined by two representatives from Alberta Health Services and the CEO of Homeward Trust, an organization that provides support for those experiencing homelessness in Edmonton.
Edmonton police Chief Dale McFee is also on board as are Edmonton city councillors Sarah Hamilton and Tim Cartmell.
City manager Andre Corbould and Fire Chief Joe Zatylny have also been invited, pending city council’s approval.
Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said while he welcomed the new efforts to battle long-standing issues, the city was not made a part of the process.
“I was not made aware of it. We were not in any way included in the creation of the task force. It is a decision that the province has made,” he said.
He said Hamilton and Cartmell were “hand-picked by the UCP government,” noting their participation was not approved by councillors, something he said would have to happen if Corbould was to be part of the task force.
Hamilton currently serves on the Edmonton Police Commission. She and Cartmell were involved in city council’s budget meetings Tuesday afternoon and were unavailable to immediately comment.
Sohi also called for more measures to ensure safe supply and harm reduction, elements not included in the task force’s initiatives.
He added the task force lacked people with “lived experience” including racialized Edmontonians and urban Indigenous leaders, a feeling echoed by Opposition addictions and mental health critic Lori Sigurdson.
“This is just another opportunity to review and we already know what needs to be done,” she said.
“We don’t need another task force. We need action.”
‘Something new we don’t have’
The new task force follows longstanding complaints about public safety Downtown, including on public transit.
The Downtown Recovery Coalition (DRC) — a group of business leaders advocating for a safer Downtown — welcomed the new task force.
“Provincial collaboration is key in solving the problems our community organizations, businesses and residents are facing throughout our Downtown core,” stated coalition chairman Alex Hryciw.
McFee said that collaborative approach would be key to the task force’s success.
“What I see here is bringing coordination to something new that we don’t have, and using all those resources … to say, ‘We’re going to tackle this differently.’”
Schulz said a similar approach could be rolled out in other centres across the province.
“There will be other communities that we’re going to do this work in,” she said.
“And we want to be nimble and willing partners at the table to address those challenges across ministries and different levels of government and community.”
mblack@postmedia.com
Twitter @ ByMatthewBlack
Municipal Affairs Minister Rebecca Schulz speaks as Homeward Trust CEO Susan McGee, Public Safety and Emergency Services Minister Mike Ellis, Mental Health and Addiction Minister Nicholas Milliken and Seniors, Community and Social Services Minister Jeremy Nixon listen on Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2022. They are part of a cabinet task force to tackle Edmonton social issues including addiction, homelessness and public safety in Edmonton.© Provided by Edmonton Journal
The Alberta government is promising action on homelessness, addiction and public safety in Edmonton through the creation of a new task force, though skeptics remain unconvinced it will deliver as promised.
Four provincial cabinet ministers were among those to announce the creation of the Edmonton Public Safety and Community Response Task Force on Monday.
The task force aims to build on the province’s recovery-oriented system of addiction and mental health care using resources from provincial and municipal governments as well as local partner agencies.
“This is not about studying the issue. This is about actually taking action,” said committee chairman and Public Safety and Emergency Services Minister Mike Ellis.
“This is a co-ordinated approach. We will be taking action.”
That action includes a series of initiatives including increasing addiction treatment capacity, providing addiction and mental health treatment programs in correctional centres, creating a hybrid health and police hub, expanding medical detox services, building harm reduction and recovery outreach teams and expanding access to emergency shelter space.
In introducing the task force, Municipal Affairs Minister Rebecca Schulz said it would address “the most urgent social issues” facing Edmontonians.
“We have heard loud and clear from municipalities across Alberta about the need for a collaborative approach and we are committing to that starting right here in Edmonton.”
Funding for Tuesday’s announcement comes in part from $187 million in funding towards fighting homelessness the province announced at the start of October.
The province is spending $63 million over the next two years towards increasing access to addiction services as well as $19 million towards combating homelessness.
“These initiatives are the start,” said Mental Health and Addiction Minister Nicholas Milliken.
“We are going to move quickly and we will not stop until these initiatives are operationalized.”
Seniors, Community and Social Services Minister Jeremy Nixon said he is “very optimistic” the task force would make progress on long-term solutions to issues around homelessness and addiction.
‘We need action’
The 12-person task force met for the first time Tuesday afternoon.
It is composed of ministers Nixon, Ellis, Milliken and Schulz as well as Chief Billy Morin of the Enoch Cree Nation and Chief Isaac Laboucan-Avirom of the Woodland Cree First Nation.
They are joined by two representatives from Alberta Health Services and the CEO of Homeward Trust, an organization that provides support for those experiencing homelessness in Edmonton.
Edmonton police Chief Dale McFee is also on board as are Edmonton city councillors Sarah Hamilton and Tim Cartmell.
City manager Andre Corbould and Fire Chief Joe Zatylny have also been invited, pending city council’s approval.
Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said while he welcomed the new efforts to battle long-standing issues, the city was not made a part of the process.
“I was not made aware of it. We were not in any way included in the creation of the task force. It is a decision that the province has made,” he said.
He said Hamilton and Cartmell were “hand-picked by the UCP government,” noting their participation was not approved by councillors, something he said would have to happen if Corbould was to be part of the task force.
Hamilton currently serves on the Edmonton Police Commission. She and Cartmell were involved in city council’s budget meetings Tuesday afternoon and were unavailable to immediately comment.
Sohi also called for more measures to ensure safe supply and harm reduction, elements not included in the task force’s initiatives.
He added the task force lacked people with “lived experience” including racialized Edmontonians and urban Indigenous leaders, a feeling echoed by Opposition addictions and mental health critic Lori Sigurdson.
“This is just another opportunity to review and we already know what needs to be done,” she said.
“We don’t need another task force. We need action.”
‘Something new we don’t have’
The new task force follows longstanding complaints about public safety Downtown, including on public transit.
The Downtown Recovery Coalition (DRC) — a group of business leaders advocating for a safer Downtown — welcomed the new task force.
“Provincial collaboration is key in solving the problems our community organizations, businesses and residents are facing throughout our Downtown core,” stated coalition chairman Alex Hryciw.
McFee said that collaborative approach would be key to the task force’s success.
“What I see here is bringing coordination to something new that we don’t have, and using all those resources … to say, ‘We’re going to tackle this differently.’”
Schulz said a similar approach could be rolled out in other centres across the province.
“There will be other communities that we’re going to do this work in,” she said.
“And we want to be nimble and willing partners at the table to address those challenges across ministries and different levels of government and community.”
mblack@postmedia.com
Twitter @ ByMatthewBlack
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