Councillors get first-hand look at downtown issues
By Lethbridge Herald on August 4, 2023.
City of Lethbridge councillors John Middletion-Hope and Jenn Schmidt-Rempel walk through Galt Gardens Sgt. Ryan Darroch and Sgt. Gerald Grobmeier earlier this week.
Herald photo by Steffanie CostiganSteffanie Costigan – LETHBRIDGE HERALD – Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Two members of Lethbridge city council on Thursday saw first-hand the ongoing issues facing downtown.
Deputy Mayor John Middleton-Hope and councillor Jenn Schmidt-Rempel walked through Galt Gardens and down city streets with Lethbridge Police sergeants Ryan Darroch of the downtown policing unit and Gerald Grobmeier who is the LPS deputy chief of police.
Middleton-Hope worked for 29 years in law enforcement and spent more than 18 years as a police leader specializing in ethics, community policing, problem-solving, leadership, and police conduct management.
He shared his passion for Lethbridge and the importance of taking back downtown during the walk.
“I’m very passionate about the city. I’m really passionate about protecting our citizens, protecting our structures, protecting our parks, I think it’s really important for us to ensure that we take back the downtown core of this city and provide opportunities for businesses,” said Middleton-Hope.
Darroch described the importance of having a positive presence when recovering stolen property and moving individuals along before businesses open.
Police check on a lot of the vulnerable population to make everyone is OK.
“It’s a great chance to engage this population, to even at times recover a lot of stolen property because we have some crimes happen overnight. We get a lot of drug seizures, and just to kind of move people along before our downtown kind of lights up with our normal business each day,” said Darroch.
Schmidt-Rempel has worked in the Lethbridge public library as the manager in marketing and social media and she was the owner, publisher and editor of Lethbridge Living magazine.
She talked about the improvement to come downtown and the upcoming increase in housing supports along with more police officers.
“I think what we need to do is a better job of what we’re doing right now. So the city has done some things – we’ve done a rezoning in that shelter area. So we’re going to be able to expand and offer more services there… We know that there are plans coming forward from Lethbridge Housing to look at a new permanent supportive housing space. That’s going to come forward so that’s going to help out, as well. Our police are hiring more. So we’re going to see an increase in the services that they’re being able to offer,” added Schmidt-Rempel.
Middleton-Hope said when he first came to Lethbridge in 2002 from Calgary, he warned challenges here would escalate if they weren’t addressed.
“What has happened to Lethbridge is Lethbridge is no longer a big Raymond. Lethbridge is a mid-sized city with big city problems. That’s exactly what has happened. And I told them this was coming.”
Schmidt-Rempel noted the importance of creating a positive space in the downtown area for the community, including the unhoused.
“Keeping that space busy with positive activity while also giving positive activity to our unhoused on the other side, so it’s increasing both of those in balance,” said the councillor
Middleton-Hope has resided in Lethbridge for 20 years. He said he was an advocate for the motion to look into fencing around Galt Gardens and there was misunderstanding among the public about the purpose behind it.
“I was a strong advocate for putting up fencing around the park. And some of that was certainly misunderstood in terms of what the intent was.”
Middleton-Hope said the downtown walks will give council members a chance to talk with people about ongoing issues.
He said he was not sure why this had not been done previously but said there is a need for it.
“Why aren’t we doing that in advance, talking to the public, and saying ‘OK, so I talked to a lot of quite a number of people about the fencing. And they said, s***, yes, we need to get that park back.’”
He added there is an opportunity share with other councillors the ongoing issues happening and strategies to overcome the challenges facing downtown.
“Jenn and I will go back and we’ll talk to the City and say, ‘OK, how do we work with this? How do we make this work properly?’ …there are other members on council that are also passionate about it.”
Schmidt-Rempel said both addicts and the community as a whole have dealt with trauma, addicts with the issues that took them to drugs and residents for the impact of the safe consumption site that was opened here under a previous provincial government.
“I think when we look at Lethbridge as a whole, we’ve got two forms of trauma going on. We’ve certainly got the people that are faced with addictions that are obviously suffering some kind of trauma that have led them down this path.
“But we’ve also got a community that’s been traumatized by the supervised consumption site, which is why getting services in when we’re looking at rezoning is increasingly difficult because people are scared that we’re going to start seeing what happened with the supervised consumption site.”
Middleton-Hope expressed his passion not only for the safety of citizens but also for improving the quality of life for all community members, including those living on the streets.
“So as a city council member now, I ran on the platform of public safety as did the mayor, as did councillor Parker. Some others, you know, had conversations and so forth about it. But that was a really a primary focus of our campaign. And that’s what I work towards. And that’s one of the reasons why I came on the council is to improve the quality of life for all of our citizens. And that includes the people that are living on the street or living rough on the street.”
More members of council plan on walking downtown area to see the ongoing issues. Schmidt-Rempel talked about her efforts of checking up on the downtown area and talking with some of the business owners in downtown.
“I take different walks downtown, see how things are going and see how people are doing. I’ll talk to different business owners, pop in and just say, ‘Hi, how’s it going?’ Find out what they’re experiencing. I’ll walk different ways downtown… So it’s just a matter of walking around downtown and being aware of what’s going on.”
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“So as a city council member now, I ran on the platform of public safety as did the mayor, as did councillor Parker. Some others, you know, had conversations and so forth about it. But that was a really a primary focus of our campaign. And that’s what I work towards. And that’s one of the reasons why I came on the council is to improve the quality of life for all of our citizens. And that includes the people that are living on the street or living rough on the street.”
A flowery message for sure, yet Mr Middleton-Hope you proceed down the same path as all others before you and expect different results. Yet you insist you warned people what was to come? So if you know what was to come why are you repeating the same failure?
Why for instance have you not tabled my suggestion? Please don’t say its because we do not have any property outside of Lethbridge, thats what the UCP/NDP do when they don’t, they expropriate when needed. So why are we as a City and you as part of council not demanding to expropriate a chunk of property, then set up your catering service to addicts there? Do you believe addicts have an inherant right to live and destroy downtown? Are people that live beyond the airport, or out in Coalhurst or Coaldale under priviledged and need to be moved to Galt Gardens?
At what point does common sense take over Mr Middleton Hope? You know right now, the path you are following will destroy the downtown and residential communities! Well at least you say you do, and have warned people years ago. So if you know this why are you following the uninformed?
You suggest you know what is about to happen so let me explain to the public what I assume you know. You know that under Marshall Smiths wonderful plan beds will be made available. You also know from past experience even if beds are available 95% of the addicts will make an excuse not to use them. That is not to say that you will not get 15% taking a bed as the “novelty unwinds” but it will be a momentary bump and 10% will go back to their chosen life within 18 days. You also know that after the novelty wears off with addicts and they know that at anytime they can quit because beds are available they will use that as a R&R security blanket. When they do not rehab, the next demand for the failing system is to make drugs legal, then when that does not work the next demand is to provide a safe supply. All of which involve lots of people making lots of tax dollars to keep up the sham of “Savin Lives”!
To show you how we are money driven and obsessed with it, is we embark on housing these people knowing full well that up to 80% die behind closed doors. Yet you herald Lethbridge Housing for seeking this path? Whats wrong here? Is the Dollar driving the policy?
So Mr Middleton Hope, you know that Lethbridge will continually deal with 95% of the total number of addicts as permanent residents; You also should know that there are more addicts coming in, than rehab people going out, and always will be. So you know whatever you do, whenever you do it, the area you do it in, will be a disaster!!
So knowing all this according to your own statements, why are you even bothering participating in these Council secet discussions that fully intend on shafting this cities residents businesses and employees?
I quite realize the best approach from your point of view is to say this is being forced upon us. Then suggest there are no proofs out their that doing it another way will solve the problem. Yet, in the US where Mayors have gained some level of extra power, their problem sits outside the city limits because they would not tolerate the destruction of their city!
Now, if you establish whatever you want to call it “Community Care Center or Southern Alberta Rehab Center outside the city limits then you finally achieve what you suggest in your narrative, is your aim. Security and Safety. Doing what you are doing right now ensures those words are at best are patronizing.
This applies to every councillor, you specifically are being quoted in this article, so I direct it to you. All the others have drank the Koolaid and decided to take the easy way out and not demand Lethbridge be different. Thats not what we elected you or the other councillors for!
Once again, I offer, I will debate you or anyone else in this community, including Council as a whole, so far NO ONE has taken up the challenge, NO ONE!
Some very good points as, always Dennis!
I would like to state that I have high respect for John Middleton-Hope, and most of Council, the Chief and his team, but more importantly the boots on the ground.
BUT, with no disrespect to their achievements or person, I still believe that leadership should have lived in this city for most of their lives, which in my mind gives them more investment, experience and respect for the city and it’s people, which helps them make decisions of how they want to see the city.
Too many in leadership didn’t grow up here and because things happened in the city where they were, they thought was enivitable it will happen here and accept that. Examples: other cities have safe consumption sites so we need them here. other cities have encampments so we have to accept them here.
WE DON’T HAVE TO ACCEPT THEM HERE! THIS IS OUR CITY AND THE TAXPAYERS HAVE A SAY!
Again, I respect most of the Councilors, along with Deputy Mayor John Middleton-Hope and Councilor Jenn Schmidt-Rempel, and respected the Deputy Mayor when he was Chief of Police.
I do not mean to disrespect them by stating that leadership should be local residents. I know we need to bring in new blood with new ideas to grow, but I also believe what I stated.
I would not want to be in leadership and even protesting and pushing for change, I have been attacked many times and falsely accused many times, but without the protection politicians have at their disposal.
Dennis we don’t agree on everything, but I do respect you for all the hard work you have done to help in this crisis.
Great article and I thank the Herald for this new reporter and her area of concerns. I also thank the Council members for taking the time to see some of the issues. Over the past few years I have taken pictures and presented them to Council with a narrative of the experiences of those walks and showed them some of the issues in pictures, but then others would report to them, countering those pictorial experiences, taking away from the issues.
I truly believe the Inspectors of LPS, the Chief and Deputy Chief need to be out there as well, getting their hands dirty and making arrests during this crisis so they do not have ‘sanitized’ information on the issues.
I appreciate these Councilors doing this, but one or two walks will not give them the true picture either.
I live downtown, walk downtown often for exercise and in support of reducing emissions and work downtown and see everyday the issues on our streets first hand, including having our property urinated on, defecated sometimes, garbage thrown around, graffitied and even threatened while documenting it and cleaning it up by the criminals who did it or who are associated.
The issues go much further though! Along with this crisis comes increases in organized crime and gangs numbers/members, and with that more illegal weapons trade, increased human trafficking, increased stolen goods brokering ( including stolen vehicles ), increased illegal drug labs, increased violence which was witnessed by several downtown gang battles in my area involving 12-15 people, not to mention the increased property damage to residents and businesses and loss of revenues because people do not want to come downtown anymore.
The solution is to start enforcing the existing laws that stop the vagrancy, loitering which in many cases in the downtown core are the same criminals who are up all night committing crimes and prostituting. Go after the John’s who support the trade which has proven to include human trafficked women and those same people who are pimping out these women are the ones selling drugs, breaking and entering, stealing and damaging property all night. They are not the truly homeless! Let me be clear about that! These are the criminals, the same ones who were in the encampments!
The fence would not do anything and Al Beeber even wrote an article about walking around downtown noting the wrought iron fence that was burrowed under to gain entry. They would go under or over! I constantly see chain link fences cut, repaired and then cut again, and wooden fences the same.
The issue ultimately is the cause of the addiction, the addition and the results are what we experience. Treat the addiction and get these people back into the workforce, off the streets and stop enabling them by supplying all the paraphernalia, food and clothing delivered to them on the streets and allowing them to slowly kill themselves, and effecitve treatment will end this! AND TO THE NAY SAYERS THAT YOU CANNOT FORCE A PERSON INTO TREATMENT AND IT BE EFFECTIVE YOU ARE WRONG! SINCE 2013 A PROGRAM IN THE US HAS 83% SUCCESS RATES IN TREATING PEOPLE AFTER BEING FORCED BY DRUG COURTS AND ALBERTA HAS SEEN HIGH SUCCESS RATES IN HIGH 70’S! Tangible evidence!
Building fences and revitalizing has been a failure in BC and wasted valuable funds that could have been used to treat these people.
I see positive steps been taken by the province and this city leadership and do appreciate it, but you must end this idea that just because it is happening in other cities, it must happen hear.
We are an incorporated city and have the choice what happens on our streets! I get frustrated hearing this stated by police leaderhip and city leadership! It doesn’t have to happen!
The hundreds of citizens who spent long periods of their time demanding the SCS be shut down proved we do not have to be ‘other cities’!
If those people hadn’t stood up for our city (one sits on Council now but has been swayed by the idea, other cities experience it so we must, but there is evidence he has realized his mistake) protesting, we would now look just like Vancouver DTES.
We would all be in a different world if Winston Churchill didn’t stand up for England, for Europe, when Hitler threatened world domination and watched Europe fall and fought hard to prevent his country from being taken and fought for Europe! That difference was all from his thoughts and actions that he would not allow it!
We need this type of leadership, not the defeated thoughts that ‘it is happening in other cities so we must accept it’! Be leaders!
Enabling the addicts is not helping them! It is inhumane to watch someone destroy their minds and bodies which include open sores from some of the drugs, with life on the streets for many 6 months to 5 years before they die from violent crime, suicide in dispair or accidental overdose.
Watching a young person hobbling down the street bent over as a 90 year old from the drugs and not doing anything to get them treated is inhumane!
No one sees the prostitutes getting beat by their ‘pimps’ who say they are their husbands. They do not see when someone is passed out, their ‘buddies’ going through their pockets or backpacks looking for drugs, money or something to steal, including bikes. Life on the streets is tough and we just sit back and allow it.
There is much more going on than what many see or understand!
On a positive note I like seeing increased interests in walking the streets, but look deep as you walk and be careful not but everything you are told.
Thank you also Alvin Mills for not giving up and fighting for your camp to get people off the streets, the killing fields as I call downtown and getting a camp up and running again this year, after many challenges, and with changes that will improve it!
You are a true warrior!
I live downtown and walk through Galt Gardens with no issues. The issues are the unhoused population who have have few resources. A fence is NOT a solution. Housing and other resources to support people are what are needed. Addiction is an illness, based on trauma and yes, that needs help and support. Expecting those dealing with this disease to just stop taking drugs doesn’t work. They need all the resources to help them heal. That includes harm reduction, housing, medical and mental health resources so they can get better for their own lives and their families.
BC has tried harm reduction since 2003 and it is a failure. Every year since has since increased fatal overdoses, increase in addicts, increase in homeless and increase in crime. Putting untreated addicts into housing is a death sentence. In BC and Alberta over 70% of fatal overdoses are where they reside. I sould suggest you do some research on the issue. Thousands are now dead in BC because of their failure to focus on treatment.
Ask some people what harm reduction really is and they can’t tell you. Lethbridge Housing Authority is certainly not going to give you a straight answer.
Actually you are wrong again M Siever just as your husband was with his calculations on the effectiveness of an SCS in one of your disjointed articles. Sara in the LH article is quoted as they saying they use Galt Gardens for the same reason as the General Population. What she fails to see is the General Population does not use Galt Gardens to produce a Ghetto.
If she wants to be safe, she could be in a facility outside of town where men and women are separated and she has her own bunk and locker. If she wanted to be safe she would agree to bus in to downtown to buy her items and head home just like the normal population does.
The Concept of a fence for Galt was not created with the idea of keeping people in or out. It was to create one of the great parks in a centertown in which there are plenty of examples. You only have to look at the Commons in Halifax to see what you can achieve with a fenced park. So I understand why Council suggested it, because of their secret meetings slowly removing all the land between the shelter and 5th North on Stafford. This was a feeble effort to try to give some of our downtown back to the residents.
So what is/was the purpose of fencing? No great horticultural park exists without controlled ingress and egress. Why because of the propensity of people to take short cuts to get into the park. So you have people tramping over flowers, plants and trees creating paths into the park.
The Commons in Halifax has, I believe, 3 accesses. Many downtown employees lunch their everyday. The place is filled with song birds and flowers, benches, gazebo’s etc. Its the goto place in that part of Halifax
This council however is secretly building a Community Care Center without telling anyone. They use the clandestine meetings to pursue purchases of buildings as if it is so secret no one knows they are doing it. Then, they insist they have not made a decision yet? So because they have no intent on telling the public what they are doing until its too late for them to even listen to what the public wants, they will vote the idea and concept in. Saying, oh, we have progressed to far to turn this around.
Thats not how a democracy works. This is council expropriating our downtown, and then trying last minute to throw the residents a bone by proposing we “at least tried to get our park back”. Which was at best handled badly, to say the least.
M Siever, you are great at dropping sympathetic drop terms but like all the other sympathizers you cannot justify “placement”. No where in the code of sympathizing city killing theorists such as yourself is their a rule that insists that a city must provide(in their downtown)
“……… all the resources to help them heal. That includes harm reduction, housing, medical and mental health resources so they can get better for their own lives and their families.”
at the cost of killing other people, jobs, businesses, business owners and residents!
You seem to think offering services in a city center comes at no cost to the city? Whom are you to choose who shall live and die? Because by picking the city center you are choosing to put criminals in the downtown that will, if not already, kill others. what if they were part of your family? Is that fair game? Thinking from one side of the equation has always been the Seiver mastery, keep it up!
In pursuit of saving lives you join the same group of NDP who must kill Livelihoods, and the UCP is no better!
If you believe you are 100% right M Seiver, why don’t you and the rest of your city business, employees, residents and employer killers get together and debate me in an open forum where the City of Lethbridge can observe? After all, you seem to believe you have God on your side, how can you possibly lose?
Get Phillips and all the other City Killers and we can debate this once and for all, surely you can organize this and stamp out my obvious “uninformed concept once and for all”…..or can you? Accept the Challenge Mary, make it happen, bring Lethbridge with you to the greatest one man debate in Lethbridge history, don’t be another UofL that if you don’t like the speakers topic you shut down free speech!
This could be as good as the “thrilla in Manila” before your time. Dennis Bremner against Lethbridge? We could charge Taylor Swift ticket prices and donate it all to the homeless? How can you refuse that Mary?
Let me know where and when, and I will be there!
Have your daughter or sons walk through on their own.
SROs have high death rates. But the city still pushes them through. Too much money to turn down? Too many jobs and power depend on the lies?. At least the YWCA quit the SROs. Too many deaths,very dangerous for staff and the place gets trashed.
Plus if these facilities, including the shelter don’t do staff drug testing ,its a joke.
How many people miss all the drug use while walking through Galt Gardens, the needles, the paraphernalia?
How many people noted the Sgt. Darroch has a meth bowl in his right hand in the picture? If we don’t look, we don’t see it! Probably not the only pipe or paraphernalia found during the walk!
Keep up the great work Ryan!
Nice to see ‘Deputy Chief’ Grobmeier on the walk . . . I am pretty sure there was a error in rank stated. 🙂
How much did that cost the local taxpayer? A private escorting through Galt Gardens. These councilors have no shame. Sounded like this was the first time in ever, maybe that they walked through Galt Gardens?