Homelessness, addiction in Wetaskiwin exposed in online video

A video posted to the Wetaskiwin Rant and Rave Facebook site is raising questions about whether the central Alberta city has adequate social services to deal with addiction and homelessness.

The video, which has generated more than 400 comments, shows three mensleeping in the small lobby entrance of the Sherwood Manor apartmentbuilding.

A woman can be heard saying that kind of thing happens every day.

The apartment's resident manager Barbara Frostad confirms there havebeen ongoing problems on the property for the 20 years she's beenthere.

"I've gone out there and they're cooking cocaine on a Bunsen burnerunder our trees," she said. "And they just pee wherever they want,they poop wherever they want."

Frostad said there's nothing she can do about them sleeping in thelobby entrance because it has to be left unlocked so the firedepartment has access.

She said they've put in fencing and cut back trees to deter thebehaviour. Nonethelessit persists, not only on the apartment's propertybut allacross the city, she added.

"Anybody who has lived in Wetaskiwin, I guess you become immune to some of it."

Wetaskiwin RCMP agree it is a city-wide problem.

Small homeless population hassevere addictions

Insp. Fran Bethell said there is a small homeless population withsevere addictions and other social issues.

She said they've tried a number of different strategies over the yearsbut none have been particularly successful.

That included attempts to put some through the justice system.

"The court's view is that this is a social problem and not a criminaljustice issue," said Bethell, adding that in an ideal world therewould be better resources available.

"We don't have a shelter here,we don't have a sobering centre, wedon't have some other resources that some communities in the provincemight have access to to help deal with the severe intoxication, butalso help coach and mentor these people," she said. "We do the best wecan with the resources we have."

Those who study and administer social services aren't sure if moreresources will help. Deborah Teed,the executive director for Familyand Community Support Services Association of Alberta,said it's difficult to help the individuals.

"Either they realize they have an addiction and they don't want to gethelp or maybe they have a mental illness and they don't realize thatthey need help."

Teed says the FCSSAA is now focusing on early intervention to preventpeople from becoming addicted or homeless in the first place.

Meanwhile, the RCMP, city officials and social agencies have formed acommittee to tackle an issue that they say isn't exclusive toWetaskiwin.

They say it's a problem in small cities and towns all across Alberta.

Scott.Stevenson@cbc.ca
@SStevensonCBC