Omineca Arts Centre downtown was packed with people eager to hear candidates in the upcoming Prince George municipal election during a forum to address poverty, homelessness and the drug poisoning crisis.
The forum was hosted by Uniting Northern Drug Users (UNDU) and specifically sought the attendance of residents of downtown who are people with lived experience of being unhoused, accessing the illicit drug supply, experiencing poverty, stigma and discrimination.
The two-hour-long forum moderated by Audrey McKinnon was composed of three rounds of questions and began with a specific question for each mayoral candidate.
Mayoral candidates Lisa Mitchell and Simon Yu were asked to address the encampment known as Moccasin Flats, on Lower Patrica boulevard.
“The BC Supreme Court struck down the city’s attempt to evict residents on Moccasin Flats largely because of a lack of suitable emergency shelters and daytime services, particularly for substance users. What will you do as mayor to meet those needs and remove the necessity of Moccasin flats altogether?” asked McKinnon.
Mitchell responded saying the city needs to look at re-purposing buildings that are sitting idle and vacant.
“I believe we again that scene down at moccasin flats happened because of lack of communication from the city and from the people. We need to have that communication so we can solve this issue before it starts and it gets to a real contentious issue like that,” she added.
When asked the same question Yu said he approved of the court's decision.
“We cannot move people out of place regardless of condition if we have no place for them to go to. This is the land of plenty here we have all sorts of resources and we shouldn’t have come to that point,” said Yu.
“As a mayor, I will build and find a home. Homeless means home first regardless we are fellow citizens and human beings we have to help each other and that is my approach.”
Mayoral candidate Roy Stewart, a lawyer who has campaigned on the principle of tough love and involuntary treatment for drug users, was asked a pointed question about his involvement in representing a group opposed to the proposed drug treatment centre on Haldi Road.
"Do you stand by your position on forced treatment and what is your reason for it?” asked McKinnon.
Stewart said he is a lawyer and when clients come to him for advice, he fights their case because it is what he does for a living, but it’s not necessarily his case.
“Tough Love? Well, I am an advocate for treatment and people who have mental health issues. I want treatment for people I want them to be saved from their dilemma,” said Stewart.
“Right now, there is no involuntary basis for this, and the province will have to control what can be done. The city should advocate for treatment facilities to deal with drug addiction and mental health issues, and I am in favour of that.”
Mayoral Candidate Adam Hyatt, who campaigned on a platform of ‘cutting the fat’ at city hall was asked about his specific wording on his website where he said of the unhoused population “I vow to make their lives as uncomfortable as legally possible”.
“You have since then changed the wording on your website however you still say that you would like to make their lives uncomfortable. As mayor in what way do you intend to make these peoples' lives more uncomfortable than they are and what purpose would that serve?” asked McKinnon.
“Well, I think you are right that was on my website and slightly perhaps a strong wording that was changed but the principal remains,” responded Hyatt.
“We have a balance we have people that need help and housing, but we all have a city and a downtown that needs the right to operate their businesses and survive.”
He then pointed towards the ‘four-point plan’ on his website which includes creating a world-class rehab facility and barrier-free housing but said he also believes in ‘tough love’ because the status quo is not acceptable.
Safe Streets Bylaw
Mayor Candidate Terri McConnachie, who is an incumbent city councillor, was asked to address why she voted in favour of the Safe Streets Bylaw, a bylaw which gives the city the ability to ticket many behaviours associated with homelessness such as panhandling.
“By restricting access to panhandling the bylaw can actually increase the need for survival crimes, with this in mind how can voters be sure you are acting in good faith if you chose to support a motion if elected?” asked McKinnon.
McConnachie confirmed she did vote in favour of the bylaw and said it was the least worst option presented at the time.
“Since then I have had an opportunity to learn more and realize there are better ways to approach this issue more holistically. Folks are dying on our streets, and they are our moms and our dads and our brothers and our sisters and our children and our grandparents and we have to find a better way of finding resolve to the issue,” said McConnachie.
She later said that if she was elected mayor one of the first things she would do would be to revisit the safe streets bylaw.
The other incumbent candidates who are running for re-election to city council were also asked about their position on the controversial bylaw.
“You voted in favour of the safe streets bylaw despite BCAFN regional chief Terry Teegee calling it inherently racist and sitting before you to ask that you not support the bylaw. Do you stand by that decision and why or why not?” asked McKinnon.
Kyle Sampson said he voted in favour of it at the time because it was the option that was best available to the city of Prince George.
“Although I stand behind the decision we made because it has been made. I stand behind revisiting that decision and making sure it is the best path forward for the city,” said Sampson noting if it is having negative impacts of any sort he would be in favour of doing more consultation.
Susan Scott said she voted in favour of the bylaw and in its essence she still supports it.
“I do believe that homelessness is not a crime. Mental health is not a crime. This bylaw is to address individuals who conduct themselves violently, aggressively or otherwise inappropriately,” said Scott.
“Those who take these counterproductive approaches will face consequences for those choices and this is one of them. Keeping a society safe for everyone is not an option it is a requirement and one that we will need.”
Brian Skakun said the decision was made in consultation with the entire community and that was the reason he supported it at the time.
“We had residents in certain areas of town that were basically under siege and we talked to administration, we talked to the RCMP, and we had talked to different community organizations and not just Chief Teegee but a lot of consultation so when we made the decision it wasn’t an easy one,” said Skakun adding that he stands by his decision but has no problem revisiting it.
Cori Ramsay, who did not vote in favour of the Safe Streets bylaw, was asked why she opposed it and if she still stands by her decision.
“I continue to stand by my decision to oppose the Safe Streets Bylaw,” said Ramsay, saying she carries a different position from her colleagues
“I just did not believe that policing homelessness in that way was productive to this date there still has not been a single ticket issued under the Safe Streets Bylaw and yet we are still talking about these contentious issues and we need to be de-stigmatizing homelessness and poverty. That is my position.”
Anti-Indigenous racism on the school board
Two council candidates who previously served on School District No. 57's board of education, Tim Bennett and Ron Polillo, were asked to specifically address their involvement when two trustees resigned because of anti-Indigenous racism and a culture of fear within the school district.
“What will your role be in contributing to an inclusive environment on council and what specific actions will you take to work towards reconciliation?” asked McKinnon.
“I think it was an incredibly horrible time for our district and as a trustee, I have done a lot of work in that time to be able to start to repair relationships with the Nations,” said Bennett adding he has since had the opportunity to meet with Elders and representatives from both McLeod Lake and Lheidli T’enneh.
“Since that time we have also had the opportunity through the Indigenous Education Leadership Table to make real progress and at the end of the day I am on my own cultural and learning journey to commit to do better tomorrow than I did today and I hope my actions over the last year and a half have proven my commitment.”
Polillo said the environment he tried to foster was one of collaboration and respect and understanding.
“The Indigenous Education Leadership Table, which is a first for British Columbia and appointing an Indigenous superintendent is a first in British Columbia, and we have done many profound and big things on our journey of rebuilding relationships and truth and reconciliation.”
After multiple rounds of questions for each of the 23 participants, the forum ended with a round of trivia for the candidates.
Those with lived experience of homelessness, poverty and accessing the illicit drug supply were also given scorecards and had the opportunity to evaluate the candidates based on their answers.
The full recording of the forum is also available online.
