By JT Marshall

Hundreds protest Lighthouse cuts in Saskatoon

Oct 23, 2016 | 12:38 PM

A large rally was held against the provincial government’s cuts to The Lighthouse in Saskatoon Saturday afternoon.

“We come through 10 years of good times and now when times get tough we attack the most vulnerable in our society,” said an emotional Patrice Kelly, who was one of the hundreds at the rally.

Chants such as “Wall says cut back, we say fight back” and “Hey, Ho, the cuts have got to go” erupted through the streets. Some of the signs read: basic needs are not for profit, and marching in the streets not sleeping in the street.

“I know people who have gotten sick, I know people who have frozen to death and it’s a real possibility these cuts will put people in danger,” rally organizer Peter Garden said.

Protestors actually took over 2nd Avenue and 22nd Street downtown without clearing it with Saskatoon police.

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“We need to keep people off the streets,” said Shawn Finnigan.

The Lighthouse Supported Living Inc. exists to provide emergency shelter, supported living, and affordable housing to those in need in Saskatoon.

“These cuts are cold and they’re literally leaving people out in the cold,” leader of the opposition Trent Wotherspoon said. “It’s devastating to a community and the suggestion this will save money is nonsense.”

When the province cut the funding on Sept. 28, 2016 they said a funding review found only five people who used the stabilization unit over the last year went on to make the transition to stable housing.
 
“After careful review of the results of the evaluation undertaken by the Ministries of Social Services, Health and Justice along with the Saskatoon Health Region, the government has concluded that the Lighthouse does not serve enough eligible clients to cover the cost of operating the stabilization unit in Saskatoon,” read the release.

jmarshall@rawlco.com
On Twitter: @JTMarshallCKOM