Edmonton: Allow vulnerable people to stay in train stations during winter season!
by Deanna Yost on 08-September-19, 12:00 AM
In February 2019, the Edmonton City Council voted to open the Central Light Rail Transit (LRT) station 24 hrs during an extremely cold winter period. The measure came amid public outcry and a motion put forward by a local councilor; during all this time, Shelter system claimed they are well prepared to cater for the needs of the people looking for shelter.
However, the claim is misleading and extremely problematic for the following reasons:
1) The numbers of those living on the streets have long been protested as inaccurate so we can not know for sure that there are in fact enough beds.
2) Many of those living on the streets can or will not access the Shelters for various reasons. For instance, they have been mistreated in the past in the Shelters, they are not allowed to bring their belongings in with them, they are not co-ed and hetero partners are separated for the night, Queer, POC, and other vulnerable persons are at great risk discrimination. And the list could very well continue.
3) The shelters for Women are often full despite great need and folks are turned away on a constant basis returning to the street, where they are in peril
Additionally, as a person who phones 211 almost weekly, sometimes the wait is well over an hour. Where should one wait for these services in the meantime?
The city has asked for an official plan by June to address future cold spells and upcoming winters, yet nothing has been achieved by this time, just weeks away before the new winter season kicks in. This is highly irresponsible, to say the least.
Please support my campaign and urge Mayor Don Iveson and city council that we want our LRT stations open to the vulnerable during all future cold snaps in the city. In addition, we demand free transit during these periods to move folks to the open station(s).
We firmly believe that Edmonton is a highly inclusive city, with authorities that care about the needs of its residents; we sincerely hope this perspective will not change anytime soon and the authorities will listen to our sincere demands.
Thank you for caring for those who are unable to speak for themselves. It's really important we get the signatures and pursue the authorities to do the right thing.
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