Neighbours share concerns about emergency shelter space in trailers at public meeting

A public meeting was held on Jan. 16, 2024 to discuss an emergency shelter facility in the parking lot of the old Sands Inn and Suites on Fort Road in Edmonton. (Galen McDougall/CTV News Edmonton)

Residents of the Elmwood Park neighbourhood attended a public meeting on Tuesday evening to voice their concerns about an emergency shelter and housing space in their area.

NiGiNan Housing Ventures has spent the last few years transforming the former Sands Inn and Suites at Fort Road and Yellowhead Trail into "Pimatisiwin," an Indigenous-led permanent housing facility and shelter space.

The group received a permit from the city to bring trailers into the parking lot to be used as emergency shelter space for about 50 people.

That shelter space opened on Jan. 9.

Residents say they weren't consulted before the permit was granted, but at the meeting NiGiNan's CEO said they did the amount of consultation that was required by the city.

"I will say that we did move quickly, the consultation we did was the requirement by the city. That was our requirement. And that is what we did," Keri Cardinal Schulte told attendees.

"We were just following what we were told the process was. And so as far as we're concerned, we gave the consultation needed as part of the requirements."

Camp trailers for emergency shelter at Pimatisiwin in north Edmonton. (Miriam Valdes-Carletti/CTV News Edmonton)

About 200 people have signed a petition opposing the trailers.

"They're trying to push us away and quiet us down about this. I know the homeless need a place, but their trailers can be parked in any parking lot," said resident Robert Enger who started the petition.

"I think there was a lot of great points brought up in terms of safety and I think we're going to see some action from the different partners that were here and that's exciting," Elmwood Park community league president Morgan Wolf said after the meeting.

"The outcome we want to see is simple. We just want to see people safe and happy and that's everyone, not just our community, but everyone else who's involved."

The permit granted by the city allows the trailers to be used until the spring.

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Galen McDougall