SASKATOON — City library workers having to act as "first responders" has resulted in the closure of the Frances Morrison and Dr. Freda Ahenakew libraries for a month and the Canadian Union of Public Employees spoke out about the situation in a Monday morning gathering.
"We are temporarily pausing full library services at these two locations due to the ongoing lack of support available for Saskatoon’s most vulnerable people, for shelter facilities and for adequate response to address the current opioid poisoning public health crisis, states the Saskatoon Libraries website. "The public library is not equipped to fill these service gaps for our community’s most vulnerable individuals. During this time, we will implement additional security measures and provide training and wellness support to our employees in preparation for reopening. for the safety of the staff."
CUPE National Servicing Representative Cara Stelmaschuk, who represents almost 250 Saskatoon Public Library workers under CUPE 2669, said libraries should be safe places where the public can read and borrow books and DVDs for free and use computers for research and browsing purposes. Nowadays, she said, library workers need to multitask and sometimes deal with persons who are in mental distress or, worse, those who have consumed illegal substances.
“Library workers aren't first responders. They shouldn't have to deal with medical emergencies. They shouldn't have to deal with violent people. They should be there to help people read, find books, find information, learn to write a resume,” said Stelmaschuk, who joined Saskatchewan NDP Mental Health and Addictions Shadow Minister Betty Nippi-Albright and two library workers in a media availability on Monday, March 24, across the Frances Morrison Central Library downtown.
“Things beyond their control overshadow all the wonderful things a library can do. They have one eye on those duties and another eye watching for violent incidences, people who are in medical distress, people who are going through mental health crises, and they are also, in many instances, put in danger themselves. I don't know that I've ever worked anywhere where I was scared to go to work. I always felt safe. Libraries should feel safe, and if library workers could go to work, do their jobs, and make a decent wage, it would be a happy world. That's not what's happening.”
Nippi-Albright, Saskatoon Centre MLA, demanded that the Saskatchewan Party-led government act on the current drug crisis experienced by cities like Saskatoon, where there have been 400 cases of overdoses and poisoning over the last month.
“Those are the numbers that we know of. We don't know how many people have died, but we know that these drugs are killing people, including young people, our future. I've attended three of those young people's funerals. Workers at the two libraries have had to deal with dozens of overdoses and drug poisonings,” said Nippi-Albright.
“They [library workers] are also routinely being forced to intervene in drug sales occurring at the library and subjected to abuse by those under the influence of [illegal] substances. Public libraries and library workers should not be forced to fill the role of treatment and care because of the Sask. Party is missing in action.”
She said the Sask. Party had been in government for almost 18 years and had the means of addressing and preventing the mental health and addiction crisis; instead, they failed to act. She added that last week’s budget offered nothing substantive to address the provincial crisis.
“The Sask Party is cutting funding to health care at a time when we can least afford it. That budget isn't worth the paper it's printed on. I'm here today to demand action. We need more funding for treatment, housing and social support. We need the Sask. Party government is to come out of hiding today and deliver a real and accountable plan to the people of Saskatoon to end this drug crisis. Far many people have died already,” said Nippi-Albright.
“To be clear, those 500 treatment spaces and beds will be announced in 2023, that is a recycled announcement. Today, we have 221 treatment centres and treatment beds that are open today. That includes the 60 inpatient beds the government announced open in Lumsden. So we don't know what's open, and that number is giving the public misinformation, and that 500 spaces is a recycled regurgitated announcement by this government.”
Minister Carr responds
At the Legislature Monday, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Lori Carr was asked about the closures at the libraries in Saskatoon.
"We're fully aware of what's happening in the city of Saskatoon and we're very concerned about what's happening there," Carr said. "But I think we need to put it in perspective that this is all happening because of illicit drugs, and so putting that into context, that's why the government of Saskatchewan is moving towards recovery and getting people the help that they need so that they can move on to live happy, healthy lives in their communities."
Carr said the the Ministry of Health, the City of Saskatoon and the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency are working together. "We've actually set up a Provincial Emergency Operations Centre, and that centre is working very closely with all individuals involved, coordinating what's happening in the city, where resources are, tracking... and so we're working really closely with them."
Carr said to organizations in Saskatoon and to the people of the province that "this government is committed to recovery and getting individuals that may be struggling with mental health or addictions into an addictions bed, into a mental health space, so that they can truly get the help that they need to live those healthy lives on the other side."
As for those families that can't access the facilities that they've been used to accessing, Carr said: "It's unfortunate these facilities are closed down at this point in time. They absolutely will be open again. We do see that happening. Like I said, they are in very stressful situations and they need a break."
With files from John Cairns
