A Saskatoon city councillor won’t be serving on a homelessness subcommittee after criticizing a local shelter and its operator.
Coun. Robert Pearce was expected to be appointed to a recently formed city subcommittee on homelessness, and named as area lead on housing, homelessness and community safety during council’s regular business meeting.
Instead, council amended the motion Wednesday to remove his name from consideration. Councillors were clear the move was an act of censure.
“I think it’s not a secret that there’s some friction between council and the Saskatoon Tribal Council (STC) right now,” Ward 5 Coun. Randy Donauer said.
“And I think what we need to do is focus on repairing that relationship.”
Pearce has long been a critic of the STC’s 106-bed Emergency Wellness Centre dating back to before his election to council.
Pearce has repeatedly asked administration to report back on statistics, emergency response and safety in the area and encouraged staff to ask the province to reduce the number of beds or change operations since becoming a councillor.
At last week’s Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association convention, Pearce asked Premier Scott Moe during a question session if the province will reduce the number of beds at the shelter and consider “replacing the operator as more successful operators seem to be in place.”
Moe said he would consider downsizing the shelter but is not looking to replace the tribal council as operator.
Donauer, who made the amendments at City Hall Wednesday morning, feels Pearce is no longer the right man to serve on the subcommittee.
“I think what you saw today is us putting our best foot forward to say we’re going to put people at the table on behalf of council that the stakeholders are prepared to talk to right now,” he said.
“I think we’re gonna have to take some time to heal that relationship before maybe some of the rest of us can sit on that committee as well.”
Pearce did not attend Wednesday’s council meeting, but STC Chief Mark Arcand sat in the gallery and was greeted individually by nearly every member of the council during a break shortly after the amended vote.
Afterwards, he said this could be a learning moment for Pearce, who has persistently called for the closure of the facility.
“When you’re a politician, you can’t make promises to people like when he [was elected] to Ward 3 to say he’s going to move the shelter because there’s another ten other councillors in the room,” Arcand said.
“And sometimes it doesn’t work. Unfortunately, I don’t think the shelter’s going anywhere.”
Arcand said the well wishes from other councillors mean a lot to him and shows him he has the support of council.
He also feels support from the provincial government after meeting with Social Services Minister Terry Jenson, who toured the shelter Tuesday and spoke of other supports the province could provide.
“For Mr. Pearce to continually attack us and question our ability — we showed good outcomes and results. So how can you discredit us when we’re showing good outcomes and results,” Arcand said.
Ward 7 Coun. Holly Kelleher and Ward 8 Coun. Scott Ford will serve on the homelessness subcommittee.
Pearce was replaced by Mayor Cynthia Block as the lead on housing, homelessness and community safety.
When contacted by CTV News, Pearce said he was “not prepared to comment at this time.”
