‘It is a struggle every day’: The faces of Prince Albert’s homeless community

Cecilia Sewap sits with three others in a downtown alley – an umbrella provides shelter and along with some small candles, they rely on each other to help keep each warm on cold nights.

Originally from Cumberland House Cree Nation, Sewap told paNOW she has been on the streets for the better part of four years and explained why she prefers sleeping in the alley over going to the shelter.

“In the shelter there’s a certain time you have to go in and they wake you up at 7 a.m. to leave. We like to sleep in,” she joked.

The conversation becomes more serious when Sewap is asked about the impending cold winters. She explained she and her “familia” work really hard all year, gathering items they will need to survive.

“We work really hard for our stuff and it doesn’t seem like we do anything but we do,” she said.

Prior to moving to Prince Albert a few months ago, Sewap was previously in Saskatoon. She said there were more opportunities and resources available there for homeless people. While she appreciates the work done by local service groups and the occasional kindness of strangers passing by, Sewap agrees more can be done.

Samuel Fearn

Samuel Fearn, 41, grew up in Kinistino and has seven years experience working in the Canadian Armed Forces.

He’s also held jobs as a youth care worker and in retail. He’s been on the streets for roughly three months due to running out of money and lost his job as a result of COVID. He recalled his introduction to life on the streets was very rough, due to the way he looked and talked.

“I almost got macheted; I was assaulted, and I’ve been bear maced because I offered somebody a cigarette,” he said, adding despite being seen sleeping on park benches, he was still being confused for a narc or an undercover cop.

Fearn has been able to find temporary beds at shelters such as Stepping Stones on the exhibition grounds but explained the facilities in the city, while appreciated, are lacking in resources. He’d like to see the same generosity given to the homeless, as what’s been done in the past for other organizations such as the hospital.

“There’s no radiothon for people that don’t even have money to listen to the radio,” he said.

When asked what he feels are the biggest obstacles in his way, Fearn is honest and sincere when he admitted the answer is himself, and finding motivation, knowing mistakes are going to happen again and again.

“There are cracks and only those that fall through them know how to fix them but nobody actually gives funding to an individual that’s addicted to a narcotic because it stops you from killing yourself,” he said.

Facing a cold winter ahead, Fearn acknowledged he has fears and suggested one way the city could help the homeless is through the creation of more shelter space. He described the challenges of someone walking from the west flat to a shelter either at Our House or at the Exhbition Grounds, and how it can take an entire day to get there, only to arrive and be turned away. He said that’s why some people just don’t bother.

“It could be the Ritz and no one is going to go there,” he said.

With respect to possible other solutions, Fearn said the Gateway Mall is under utilized and suggested even the space once occupied by Sears coud be used, and further to that reach out to businesses that have winter wear or tents.

Samuel Fearn. (Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

Abby Ross

Abby Ross, 32, is from Montreal Lake Cree Nation but jumped around from group home to group home during his teenage years, before ending up on the streets in Prince Albert. While he has family he can call, he said he prefers not to.

“I just don’t feel like I [belong] when I go there because I’m used to living on the street,” he said.

Battling an addictions issue, Ross admitted he struggles on a daily basis finding a warm place to sleep, often ending up in an alley. When asked what sort of help he would ask for, Ross said more shelters and more programs.

“Because of COVID … it’s been tough for us,” he said.

Abby Ross. (Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

Marcy Primeau

Marcy Primeau, 50, is from Watson and was sitting on the riverbank Wednesday, when she agreed to share her personal story with paNOW.

“I left Watson when I was 16, started working the streets,” she said. “I was too young to be here in the first place.”

Pointing to a nearby park bench she had slept on the night prior, Primeau fights back tears as she describes being there all alone.

“It is a struggle being on the streets every single day. A lot of times there’s never anyone who cares enough,” she said. “They barricaded businesses where people are warming up and can survive overnight.”

When asked what the city or police could do to help homeless people like herself, Primeau appears surprised to be given a choice, but said all she really wants is honesty, sympathy and patience. Noting personal feelings of abandonment that she’s carried since childhood, Primeau has struggled with issues related to addictions.

“You struggle your whole life to find somebody to love you..somebody to accept you.. somebody to have patience,” she said.

Marcy Primeau. (Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

Mayor Greg Dionne has previously mentioned a plan of action is in the works and will be developed through the use of a survey.

The survey will be two fold: first focusing on the community at large and the respective agencies, and second focusing on the homeless and looking not just at how many people are on the street, but also the reason why they are living on the street. In the case of both Fearn and Primeau, both agreed they’d like to be part of those discussions.

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell

by Nigel Maxwell

‘It is a struggle every day’: The faces of Prince Albert’s homeless community

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