A from the Yellowknife WomenSA国际影视传媒檚 Society (YKWS) released Thursday blasted the territorial government for how it handled the evacuation of the citySA国际影视传媒檚 homeless population in August, noting the organization still doesnSA国际影视传媒檛 know the whereabouts of some people who were sent south.
The letter states texts and emails in the leadup to the evacuation and afterwards to the NWT Health and Social Services Authority (NTHSSA) went unanswered, while reporting some clients were left without food, shelter and medicine after they were sent south. The letter states two day shelter users died of suspected drug overdoses.
SA国际影视传媒淢any recognized from the beginning SA国际影视传媒� that this group should have been kept together in a safe place with staff supports throughout the evacuation, the system chose instead to scatter a large portion of the NWTSA国际影视传媒檚 underhoused population across several large unfamiliar southern cities, with no tracking, no supports,SA国际影视传媒� stated the letter.
SA国际影视传媒淭his situation was not and is not inevitable,SA国际影视传媒� the letter continued, before listing point by point and date by date from Aug. 14 through Sept. 19 the events as YKWS recorded them. It also pointed out that not all those who were sent south returned, and two are even now listed as subsequently deceased.
The letter did not place blame on any one individual, but the overall system currently in place to respond adequately to the needs of its most vulnerable.
SA国际影视传媒淸T]he fact that our fellow community members are now on the streets of big cities in Alberta was entirely predictable, and preventable. The authorities in the NWT took already vulnerable people and put them in exponentially more dangerous situations in an unfamiliar place,SA国际影视传媒� the letter stated. SA国际影视传媒淭hat happened, due to no choice or fault of those vulnerable people. While we understand that the intention of this forced relocation was to save all residents from grave immediate danger from the wildfires, what was missing was an equal intention to understand, analyze and then reduce harms/dangers we were sending people into.SA国际影视传媒�
According to the letter, a shelter worker identified only as Zoe received an email on Aug. 23 from an unnamed official from Housing NWT inquiring about the situation and the status of the people under the purview of the YKWS.
SA国际影视传媒淭o be honest, the fact that Housing NWT/the GNWT is checking in on this only now, a week after the evacuation order, is disappointing to say the least,SA国际影视传媒� Zoe was quoted in response.
The letter also alleges that housing those in Calgary was done in an SA国际影视传媒榦verwhelmingly disorganized mannerSA国际影视传媒� and that group accommodations with social worker supports from the GNWT were never set up.
In response to inquiries made by SA国际影视传媒, David Maguire, manager of communications with NTHSSA, stated that the authority couldnSA国际影视传媒檛 speak to everything in the letter right away due to its detail.
SA国际影视传媒淲e recognize the issues raised are important and will work with partners to understand how they can be best supported both now and in the future in providing services to residents,SA国际影视传媒� he stated.
He did talk about the authoritySA国际影视传媒檚 role in the evacuation response as it related YKWS, which included a primary focus on patients, clients, and long-term care residents (long term care) who were in the authoritySA国际影视传媒檚 care at the time of the evacuation.
He also stated that support was given to YKWS in relation to their Spruce Bough program, which the NTHSSA contracts YKWS to deliver.
SA国际影视传媒淭his included support for staffing SA国际影视传媒� including outreach nursing and shelter staff SA国际影视传媒� and coordination with Alberta Health Services to highlight the needs of this particular group of residents and to advocate for services being provided to them,SA国际影视传媒� he added. SA国际影视传媒淲e recognize that services delivered may not have fully met the needs of the YKWS, however NTHSSA made best efforts to collaborate and provide support in a very difficult situation that also included barriers that needed to be worked through, such as licensure of staff to practice in another jurisdiction.SA国际影视传媒�
Maguire stated the authority hopes that the YKWS and all NGOs will participate in any after-action reviews that take place so challenges could be better understood for future emergency events.
