Happy Valley-goose Bay seeks help with homelessness issues
The issues surrounding a seasonal transient population in Happy Valley-goose Bay aren’t new to residents of the central Labrador town, or to the local government — each spring and summer, social media is alight with residents complaining about trash, property damage and large numbers of people on the trail system in places around town.
The Town of Happy Valley-goose Bay has spoken to Saltwire Network about the issue numerous times over the years and has consistently maintained the town does not have the resources to deal with the issue or the root causes, laying the responsibility for dealing with the problem at the feet of the provincial and federal governments.
The town issued a video and news release on June 10 reiterating this point, saying additional resources are needed in mental-health and addictions treatment, and that residents and businesses are living and operating in fear.
“Daily, our seniors, our children witness illegal activities such as public drunkenness, lewd and deplorable acts, sexual assaults, rape,” Mayor Wally Andersen said in the video. “They see people passed out or convulsing. Residents and businesses report trespassing and damage to personal and private property, damage to their storefronts and properties, and assaults on staff and customers.”
Minister of Labrador Affairs and Indigenous Affairs and Reconciliation Lisa Dempster told Saltwire she spoke with Andersen shortly after the statement was released and has been working with the council to try to find solutions.
Dempster said there have been improvements in supports in the region in the last year, such as a community action plan and committee to look at the issue. An idea that came out of that, Dempster said, is what she describes as a “mini-gathering Place,” referring to the centre in St. John’s that provides a range of services to people in need.
“Folks go there and under one roof they can get anything from a warm meal to medical care for physical needs they might have and, equally, or paramount, they can have supports for mental health and addictions. It’s a whole wraparound, so coming out of the community action committee, this was one of the things folks pointed to, this is maybe what’s needed here in Happy Valley-goose Bay going forward.”
Dempster said she couldn’t give a timeline on when such a facility would be completed, but conversations about it are taking place.