Lydia Bardak was walking down Franklin Avenue Sunday afternoon when she spotted over half a dozen men sitting curbside outside YellowknifeSA国际影视传媒檚 Salvation Army.
TheySA国际影视传媒檇 normally be at 50 StreetSA国际影视传媒檚 day shelter SA国际影视传媒� receiving meals and accessing essential services SA国际影视传媒� but the joint Sobering Center and Day Shelter has been drastically repurposed in the wake of COVID-19.
As of April 3, the building became an SA国际影视传媒渋solated housing arrangement for 30 adults for 30 days,SA国际影视传媒� according to an email from the NWT Disabilities Council, which operates the shelter.
That means 30 people have agreed to live on the site for a month to SA国际影视传媒渆nsure they are not exposed to the virus.SA国际影视传媒�
This has left the joint Day Shelter and Sobering Centre at capacity. As a result, the Yellowknife Health Authority rented out a space at the Salvation Army to accommodate homeless people shut out by the centreSA国际影视传媒檚 30-day lockdown.
But, according to Bardak, a longtime community advocate, and multiple clients SA国际影视传媒 spoke to, the temporary government-run day shelter, which operates separately from the Salvation ArmySA国际影视传媒檚 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. shelter, shut its doors just days after opening after reports of a fight SA国际影视传媒� causing more distress to a population already displaced by the Day Shelter and Sobering CentreSA国际影视传媒檚 month-long quarantine.
SA国际影视传媒淚f the GNWT is making a space available, they need to make that space available and not shut down for a couple of days,SA国际影视传媒� Bardak told SA国际影视传媒, who said she was SA国际影视传媒渂affledSA国际影视传媒� and SA国际影视传媒渃onfusedSA国际影视传媒� by the temporary shut down.
Bardak said she hoped the temporary day shelter would reopen this week.
But when SA国际影视传媒 visited the Salvation Army on Monday afternoon, a long line of clients were still standing outside SA国际影视传媒� with nowhere to go.
SA国际影视传媒淭hey closed down Saturday after the incident,SA国际影视传媒� a man, who asked to remain anonymous, said.
SA国际影视传媒淭his is the government, not the Salvation Army. They were not prepared. YouSA国际影视传媒檙e supposed to expect the same circumstances that occur (at the Day Shelter and Sobering Centre),SA国际影视传媒� he said.
SA国际影视传媒淭hereSA国际影视传媒檚 still four more hours to go,SA国际影视传媒� the man said, shaking his head, as he waited for the usual 7 p.m. service to open at the Salvation Army.
SA国际影视传媒淚f it was -30 it would be really bad. We canSA国际影视传媒檛 go anywhere,SA国际影视传媒� he said.
Late Tuesday afternoon, the GNWT's press secretary confirmed to SA国际影视传媒 that the temporary day shelter "had to close" over "incident which put clients and staff at risk."
It is set to be reopen as soon as possible," stated the email.
"We have redeployed GNWT staff providing oversight and staffing and have hired casual employees to support this opening as soon as possible."
According to the email, there are currently two shelter staff, along with a supervisor, on site.
"Additional staffing is planned to provide oversight including security resources."
