Saskatchewan’s Opposition NDP is calling on Premier Scott Moe to step up provincial funding for homelessness, addictions and mental health services, warning that a lack of provincial support is leaving border communities in crisis.
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During a visit to Lloydminster on June 11, Erika Ritchie, the NDP critic for government relations and social services, argued the province’s inaction is unfairly shifting millions of dollars in costs onto local property taxpayers.
For Ritchie, the issue is deeply personal.
“I have a family member who’s directly impacted by these issues as well,” Ritchie said. “I see it every day in terms of the effect it has on our local community, and by extension, the rest of the province. I challenge you to find a person who doesn’t have a direct experience with this issue.”
Ritchie said the provincial government’s failure to address root causes has forced municipalities to step in and fill gaps left by “failed policies.”
According to Ritchie, Lloydminster city officials have spent roughly $3 million cumulatively to handle local social disorder. This includes a recent decision by city council to spend $325,000 on targeted summer projects aimed at cleaning up needles from encampments and establishing an enforcement and navigation unit to patrol high-impact areas.
“This is money that should be going towards core services like roads, public facilities and fire protection,” Ritchie said.
Tyler Lorenz, the founder and former executive director of Residents in Recovery, joined Ritchie to emphasize that frontline workers, police and hospitals are overwhelmed because they have nowhere to send individuals seeking help.
Lorenz criticized the government’s recent legislative efforts, such as the Compassionate Intervention Act, arguing that forcing individuals into treatment is an expensive distraction from the actual problem: a severe shortage of open beds.
“You don’t need to force anybody into treatment. They all want to go at certain points. There’s just nowhere for them to go,” Lorenz said, adding that many unhoused residents are currently languishing on multiple waitlists.
The unique geography of Lloydminster, which straddles the Saskatchewan-Alberta border, creates a bureaucratic nightmare for vulnerable populations, Lorenz explained. He highlighted instances where individuals lost their Alberta social benefits upon staying at a local shelter, only to face a mandatory 30-day waiting period before they could even apply for Saskatchewan assistance.
“These cross-border issues, when it comes to our marginalized communities, are devastating,” Lorenz said. “It’s just a barrier that doesn’t allow for them to ever get out.”
When questioned about how an NDP government would navigate the jurisdictional finger-pointing between Saskatchewan and Alberta, Ritchie stated her party would prioritize evidence-informed decision-making over ideology. She promised an NDP government would actively collaborate with Alberta counterparts to establish a proportionate sharing of responsibility.
“Saskatchewan people deserve a government that rolls up their sleeves, meets communities where they’re at and comes out with real solutions,” Ritchie said.
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