City Hall march brings light to homeless plight

As a way to put attention to the homeless in Prince George, about 50 marchers made their way to City Hall on Wednesday afternoon from the empty lot on George Street across from the courthouse.

Bylaw services personnel parked their vehicles at each intersection to allow participants a safe way across each busy downtown street on their way to the front lawn of City Hall.

The call for a permanent place for the homeless to set up camp was put out Friday when there was a protest rally at the empty lot on George Street with about 100 people in attendance.

That spurred organizers to take it a step further and ask for a meeting with the mayor and city staff to talk about what could be done in the interim while housing will start to become available in 2022.

Cathy Hutchison, a local registered nurse, said they’re looking for a place for the homeless to set up camp and asked they not be shuffled from place to place as so often happens in the downtown core.

Lheidli T’enneh elder Violet Bozoki gave a welcome at City Hall and a prayer to keep those who are homeless safe from harm.

Several in the crowd spoke up including a homeless woman, Christina Alec, who has been on the streets for 22 years.

“We are here to fight for our rights to have a home,” Alec said. “It’s been a long time since we’ve had a warm meal or warm water to shower. This is inhumane the way we have been treated.”