Vacant building in northside mall would make an ideal shelter
By Lethbridge Herald on September 13, 2023.
Editor:
I have only lived in Lethbridge for the last five years, but every time I go to London Drugs on the north side, I wonder why some business men/women have not taken that large building off to the side and made a shelter out of it.
It looks to have been a supermarket at one time. I am thinking that it would make a shelter that required no alcohol or drug use in order to access a cubicle room in it.
I am thinking that several small rooms, with locks could be used for the homeless. There could be real security to enforce rules of conduct. I suggest several shower facilities and a common area to socialize. Perhaps a basic knowledge of trades/career/jobs could be taught each week by volunteers.
I know that the mall businesses would not want people congregating outside any shelter, so a wall could be placed to cover up those entering or leaving or even make entry around the back.
It’s just a thought but if some businesses or groups shared the cost of refitting this space to shelter those who will abstain from drugs and alcohol, etc…and strictly enforced that if you break the rules, you forfeit your room, this might work.
The user could be given small tasks within the community to pay for their room.
Surely someone who has the smarts to make this happen,could talk to others and make it work. It would strengthen self- worth for all those involved, I would think.
June Steed
Lethbridge
11-10
This is of course an excellent idea. HOWEVER, it is your idea and it is not included in the elites plan. Your plan reeks of common sense and will not be entertained by any organization in the business of “savin’ lives (borrowed). The store is the former Save On foods before they built the new one next door. Rumours about a roof problem and then silence. Great idea, however, and sadly, going no where. The Community Care Campus is a done deal on the other side of Stafford Drive. It’s called redevelopment creep. One large business already purchased a couple more to go, Lealta, The Kitchen Centre and Atco. The small building was retrofitted years aback for millions of dollars for City staff. Is it possible this will become the new centre for the Care Campus administration. On the 19th Sept, there is a public hearing on the redevelopment of a plot in the south west corner of Stafford Drive and 5th Ave., north for a 40 bed centre. As to the old Save On building, it is possible that Save On was asked and didn’t wish to sell the building.
I think a far more excellant idea would be to put it in the old Sobee’s building by the college and Tudor estates. It is hardly common sense to put more addicts soo close to northside shopping and you know residents. I think the residents of the Chinook hts and Tudor area could take some of their share.Yes, buckwheat they are just northside residents , probably not your residents, but they have taken on a great deal of addict traffic already. Even with the old save old building empty, often you can’t even get out of your car without being approached for cash for drugs. There is also the empty Sears building downtown. The city owns that land as well. The just put it on the northside idea is soo NDP,Shannon Phillips fan based. Don’t remember hearing anything from you in support of the transitional dry(no alcohol or drugs) shelter in Scenic hts. The old saveon foods area has few to no non dry shelter users. .
The save on suggestion left town long ago. The Community Care Campus is a done deal. So what is your point.
The point is buckwheat, is that the North is tired of being dumped on. This is Not the only thing planned for the north side. There is proposed Supportive housing looking to be built in the North besides the 19 acres (which will be nothing less than a ghetto to fulfill non-profit housing dreams to permanently house clients of the ‘psychiatric hospital’ right in the Center of our city). If you or DT think that this will not effect Everyone you better look at the crime maps. For it is Not an excellent place anywhere in the City. 29,000 residents live in the North. These older homes are and were built by Lethbridge’s forefathers who started Lethbridge and just because their homes are not as shiny and pretty like the S or W, doesn’t mean we don’t work hard to keep our homes maintained, mortgages paid, our children healthy and food on the table for them. Keep your nimbyism on your side of the tracks and quit throwing us under the bus! We’re here to try to save ALL of Lethbridge, not just the elite South and West. Shame on you.
You missed my point. The campus is a done deal now rant on and call people if it makes you feel better.
You agreed with the lady that the old Save on building was an excellant idea. I just don’t happen to agree.
we will need more than one location, and this is another site to be considered. however, now, in addition to can the usual cast of cronies make a big buck off the public purse, can we ever see any part of the city other than the north get a fair share of our issues?
it is a motion worthy of consideration…the tipping point in this city is typically the same: can usual cast of self privileged make a big buck off the pubic purse.
Wasn’t the old Save On Foods building abandoned by the company because of structural concerns?
Fair Share- I like that Biff you said:
“we will need more than one location, and this is another site to be considered. however, now, in addition to can the usual cast of cronies make a big buck off the public purse, can we ever see any part of the city other than the north get a fair share of our issues”
What I would like to know is why must anyone, whether north, south, east or west receive a “fair share” of drug addicts? It truly makes me wonder whether people pay taxes in Lethbridge or whether my fellow posters are from a Call Center in India?
Do you pay taxes to get a “fair share of robbery, filth, drug pedalling. knifeings, shootings? Gang fighting? Car theft, smash and grab or find someone in your living room in the middle of the night?
Is this what society is all about, that everyone should get their fair share of people who have no intent of contributing to society who spend every red cent they get on their addiction and when that runs out, spends your hard earned property…and everyone should get their fair share?
Or, did you mean everyone should share in supporting the homeless and organize something for the addicted so it does not result in pitting one neighborhood against another.
Personally, I believe no one, no section of, and no part of Lethbridge deserves their fair share. So, we don’t get our streets plowed, we get threatened with pending death if the sidewalks are not cleared. We get to sort garbage into 3 bins and pay for that privelidge and now we should consider it another priviledge to shair in the addicted.
Honestly, I gotta call this Call Center in India to get a real opinion?
Now that is excellent!
just saying that no one area should be taking on the brunt of our social issues. seems to me there is still some unbulldozed space left in and around paradise canyon.
if we really want to minimise and even stop crime related to highly addictive and destructive synthetic pharm drugs, as well as mitigate drug overdoses and poisoning due to unpredictable dosing, we can easily provide addicts real opium – far safer, less addictive, and cheaper. if addicts do not have to steal to feed their habits, our possessions are safer. it is also far cheaper and safer for society at large to dole out drugs, which are actually very cheap to produce, than is our present approach.
but, as i see all too well, for many, this far more about imposing preferences and judgement on others, rather than foremost what is more practical, gracious and safe.
Doesn’t one of the city councilors live by or in Paradise Canyon though?
Where do you live June? My money is on the South end or West side but no where near Centre Village! Thats what I thought.