On Wednesday, about 70 people gathered at the Tree of Peace Friendship Centre in Yellowknife for a roundtable discussion on homelessness, organized by the City of Yellowknife and facilitated by Wally Czech from the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness. Participants included city councillors, service providers, residents, and University of Toronto students, though few individuals with lived experience of homelessness attended.
The discussion revealed strong sentiments about the homelessness crisis, with terms like “desperate,” “emergency,” “unhealed trauma,” and “greed” used to describe the situation. Tina Wrigley, a student in the Rhodes Wellness College Indigenous counselling program, emphasized the need for an Indigenous-run treatment or healing center in the territory to address the mental illness and trauma many unhoused people face. She also advocated for hiring more Indigenous workers in relevant non-profits and government roles.
The meeting highlighted the overcrowding and violence issues plaguing Yellowknife shelters, exacerbated by rising demand. Mayor Rebecca Alty noted the need for permanent supportive, transitional, and affordable housing, as well as improved access to trauma healing, mental health, and addiction services. She suggested that the city might require a second men’s shelter and additional women’s shelter beds to cope with the winter demand.
Facilitator Wally Czech urged participants to outline detailed, actionable steps for creating change, as discussions often remained general. Adolf Hakuluk, who has been waiting for housing for two years, expressed concern about the unsafe environment for unhoused individuals in Yellowknife. The feedback from the roundtable will be compiled into a report, expected by the end of the summer, summarizing the discussions and recommendations. Mayor Alty emphasized that further progress depends on securing funding from territorial and federal governments.
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