Opposition parties blast Yukon government's handling of Whitehorse shelter

Opposition MLAs wasted no time Wednesday attacking the Liberal government's management of the troubled Whitehorse Emergency Shelter.

The shelter dominated the first Question Period of the fall sitting, less than a week after owners of a nearby bakery said they're closing their business temporarily over safety and noise concerns.

"There have been a steady stream of letters, emails, phone calls and complaints levied by businesses and residents about the increased crime and illegal behavior in the area," said Yukon Party Leader Currie Dixon.

"Even the mayor [of Whitehorse] has weighed in and expressed concern on behalf of the municipality at the way the shelter is being operated, and what's notable is that even people who need and who utilize the services of the shelter have complained that they don't even feel safe there."

The government and the Council of Yukon First Nations (CYFN), which contracts out operation of the shelter to the non-profit Connective, have already commissioned two reports studying the effectiveness of the shelter.

Lane Tredger, the NDP MLA for Whitehorse Centre, the riding that includes the shelter, said the government already has all the information it needs to act.

"Over the last five years ... report after report after report has come out on how to make the shelter work better for everyone involved...," Tredger said. "The answer has been nothing but silence."

Premier Ranj Pillai said he's taking over the file from Tracy-Anne McPhee, the minister of Health and Social Services. He acknowledged the problems outside the shelter, including drug dealing and other crime. But he said the shelter also provides vital services for vulnerable people.

"We have to deal with the problem outside," he said. "It's not just about Health and Social [Services] and their programming. It's about our community coming together. I'm willing to take this on, but I have to get the help of other organisations." 

Pillai said he's ordered civil servants to draw up a list of options to improve the situation within the next two weeks.

He also said CYFN plans to deploy more frontline workers, based on the Bear Clan Patrol model, by the end of October.