The deadline to move by Aug. 1 may be very difficult to meet for some families who still live at the North Bay Trailer Park. (File photo/ paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Moving day draws near

Time running out for Trailer park residents

Jul 10, 2019 | 5:00 PM

As a deadline looms closer for the remaining families living at the North Bay Trailer Park, a new call for help was issued this week.

A delegation of residents were at the Rural Municipality (RM) of Buckland’s monthly council meeting Monday, and requested financial help with their forced move. The remaining residents have until Aug. 1 to move themselves and their trailers out of the trailer court. Reeve Don Fyrk said the RM has now in turn sent a letter to the provincial government asking if any help is available.

“A lot of the owners don’t have the money to do it, and when they do do it, where are they going to move then, like there’s just not 30 some [occupied] lots sitting out there vacant for them,” he said.

I’ll live in a tent outside town if I have to, honest I will. – Edna Ratt

As of Wednesday afternoon, there were roughly 50 units still at the park but only about 30 were occupied. There were as many as 65 units in 2017 with up to 200 residents before the concerns about the local sewer lagoon reached a serious level and the initial threat of eviction surfaced.

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Two separate extensions for a permit to operate the sewer works at the nearby lagoon were granted by the Water Security Agency (WSA), the last of which expires September 2019. That gave the owner time to work with various agencies on a possible solution. The 50-year-old facility has not been operating to modern standards for some time. However, the owner of the property James Wankel of Westcan Property (Sk), announced last month he would be closing the park and services would be disconnected.

Fyrk told paNOW he was aware that in the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia and Manitoba, there is financial assistance for helping people who live in trailer courts to relocate, but he was not sure what grants, if any, were available in Saskatchewan. Fyrk said he certainly sympathized with the trailer court residents.

“You don’t want to see them leaving your community, gosh that’s crazy,” he said.

paNOW reached out Sask Rivers MLA Nadine Wilson and was told three levels of government were at the MLA’s office Wednesday to hear concerns and discuss possible solutions.

“We encourage anyone who needs help with their basic needs to contact the Ministry of Social Services to apply for income assistance. The toll-free number is 1-800-487-8603. The Ministry of Social Services also maintains a list of housing resources in Prince Albert and area, and anyone can come to the office at 1288 Central Avenue to request a copy,” the statement said.

Ernest Sauve has owned a trailer at the trailer park for four years. He said many of the residents face a real dilemma.

“A lot of the mobile home owners are in this position where they have invested many years into the only real estate they own, which is their mobile home,” he said. “And if they can’t relocate to another permanent site, then they are in the position where they will have to abandon their mobile home.”

Edna Ratt, 59, has lived in the trailer court for three years, and resides there now with her seven grandchildren, who range in age from three to 16 years old.

“We’ve got absolutely no place to go, no money, no nothing,” she told paNOW.

Ratt claimed her grandchildren came to live with her to escape the “bad influences” in the city, and had been doing well. Ratt, who has no other family to support her through this tough time, acknowledged she was running short on time and options.

“The kids were joking around and said we will just set up tents,” she said. “I’ll live in a tent outside town if I have to, honest I will.”

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nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell