The fences surrounding the gazebo on River Street and the Margo Fournier Centre were removed on Wednesday. (Nigel Maxwell/paNOW Staff)

By Teena Monteleone

Fences removed

City takes down ‘embarrassing’ fences surrounding Margo Fournier Centre and gazebo

Aug 18, 2021 | 5:00 PM

Just over a month after the city of Prince Albert put up a fence outside the Margo Fournier Centre (MFC) because of loitering and safety issues, the six-foot temporary wall has been taken down. A fence surrounding the gazebo on River Street was also dismantled Wednesday.

“I don’t agree with the fences. It’s a total embarrassment. It’s a blackeye on our city,” said Coun. Charlene Miller during Monday’s meeting.

Miller was one of five council members who voted to take the fences down. She was joined by Terra Lennox-Zepp, Dennis Ogrodnick, Dawn Kilmer, and Tony Head.

“I have also heard from many members of the public telling me it’s embarrassing that this is a solution we as a city has come up with,” said Lennox-Zepp.

“The fence pushes the problem aside and that’s not the message many councillors want to send. The message is we need to make improvements and work together and work with the people that are sitting, loitering in these areas. It’s a whole different discussion when we’re talking about criminal actions,” she said.

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While loitering was part of the reason the city erected the fence in the first place, it wasn’t the only problem.

Mayor Greg Dionne said the gazebo, which was recently repainted, has already been damaged again and he cited incidents of people urinating and defecating on or near MFC and the gazebo, disposing of needles, and harassment.

“The fence went up at the Margo Fournier Centre the day we seen the action going on there. A senior was walking by to get to the Heritage Centre, which she has the right to, and someone got up off the grass, ran and stole her bag,” Dionne told council.

“I am going to protect the staff, the people and the seniors that use the Margo Fournier Centre. Have some respect here. That’s who we’re talking about. Have respect…they have the right to go into our facilities and feel safe and secure,” Dionne said.

Ward 6 councillor Blake Edwards said taking the fences down would give free access for people to urinate, defecate and drop needles.

“It’s not right that the employees are scared to go in and out of work. That’s not right…We need to protect our employees of the city….is it (a fence) the absolute solution? No. There is no direct solution. But if we can keep the city employees safer, I’m all in because right now around Margo Fournier, it’s terrible,” said Edwards.

Mayor Dionne said the recently repainted gazebo on River Street has already been damaged again. (Dawson Thompson/paNOW Staff)

Mayor Dionne, Edwards, and councillors Don Cody and Ted Zurakowski voted against the motion to remove the fences.

While Coun. Head argued the fence made the situation look worse than the problem is, Dionne said he had received positive feedback from the community and residents would sooner have the fences than the activities that were occurring.

“What’s gonna happen is I’m publicly going to show the pictures of what made that fence go up and then you’re gonna be ashamed of our city…that this could go on in our downtown core and that’s why I get so frustrated,” Dionne said. “As soon as the weather changes, the fence will come down, but people have the right to walk our streets and be safe.”

“How much more money are we going to put into the gazebo? Here’s another $10,000 – paint it every week? Let alone the staff have to clean up things. I’ll show you pictures and that’s more embarrassing to me than those fences.”

Dionne encouraged council to submit solutions to the problem. Coun. Head suggested placing a police car outside of the centre. Ogrodnick referenced a report from 2011 that detailed the development of the Pehonan Parkway — an area from the bridge to Riverside school. It featured recommendations on how to make the area a positive gathering place. Ogrodnick said the report was shelved 10 years ago but worth another look. Miller offered the idea of opening the MFC gym to the loiterers and homeless population to use it as a cooling station with washroom facilities. Lennox-Zepp suggested a discussion during budget meetings about downtown revitalization.

“Lots of data and research says when you improve your downtown, you get more people coming to your downtown and more of a massive [group of] people means that you lower your crime rate because there are more people out,” she said.

After council voted to immediately remove the fences, Dionne invited councillors Head and Miller to attend a meeting with him that he plans to hold with seniors who use the Heritage Centre and Margo Fournier.

“You can come and explain why the fence came down and what the solution is going to be,” Dionne said.

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teena.monteleone@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MonteleoneTeena