Yellowknife city councillors are set to discuss possible day shelter locations at MondaySA国际影视传媒檚 Governance and Priorities Committee meeting. 

Shelter locations have been a contentious issue in recent weeks as the city seeks to make up for reduced capacity in the current sobering centre as a result of Covid restrictions. 

Last month, city council rejected the proposal to use the city-owned Mine Rescue building, formerly the Side Door youth drop-in centre, as a temporary shelter. 

At MondaySA国际影视传媒檚 meeting, the committee will review nearly a dozen other possible locations, according to an released last week. Some of the proposed shelters include the public library, the bowling alley, and various parking lots around the city with mobile trailers also known as ATCO buildings.

Health and Social Services department spokesperson Damien Healy said the locations are SA国际影视传媒渟imply ideas we are looking into.SA国际影视传媒�

A group calling itself Concerned Yellowknife Residents for a Day Shelter Downtown is urging council to secure a shelter before winter hits. The group formed in the wake of the citySA国际影视传媒檚 declining the Mine Rescue Building on 49 Avenue. They now have almost 300 hundred members in their Facebook group.

In an open letter to city council the group said they are SA国际影视传媒渦pset that the City rejected the GNWTSA国际影视传媒檚 application without considering the perspectives of street-involved individuals, front line workers, medical professionals and concerned residents.SA国际影视传媒�

Nick Souza and Neesha Rao, the groupSA国际影视传媒檚 co-organizers, presented at last weekSA国际影视传媒檚 City Council meeting with Emily Esau, a woman among the homeless population in Yellowknife.

Esau, originally from Inuvik, moved to Yellowknife in February. She said she SA国际影视传媒渉as been utilizing the facilities that are available to those of us that are homeless.SA国际影视传媒�

Councillor Niels Konge called it SA国际影视传媒渙ne of the most heartfelt, heart tugging presentations theySA国际影视传媒檝e had at council ever.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒淲e needed it and I appreciate it,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

In his portion of the presentation Souza emphasized the importance of hearing the perspectives of those beyond council and the business community. 

SA国际影视传媒淔rom our perspective there are other voices that should be heard in this consideration that didnSA国际影视传媒檛 seem to us that were heard during the Side Door deliberation,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淭his affects the whole community and certainly the people who depend on these services.SA国际影视传媒�

The committee meets Monday afternoon and the GNWT will present the list of potential temporary day shelter locations then.