Safety in Wetaskiwin – Next Steps
Community safety is an ongoing concern for Wetaskiwinites, and it is clear many within the community feel the need for further engagement following the town hall recently held by the RCMP. The City is conscious of our responsibility to ensure this happens, and these are steps we plan to take in the coming days and weeks:
Virtual town hall
The City is working to organize a virtual town hall where anyone concerned about community safety can attend. A virtual town hall allows for the largest number of people to participate and express their views in a safe and respectful way.
Details of this town hall are being worked on now. We know people will likely want to express their thoughts on safety-related subjects such as homelessness, the planned homeless shelter, the impact of opioids in our community, and crime severity in Wetaskiwin.
There may end up being more than one virtual town hall to allow for wider participation because of differing schedules. Again, details about this virtual town hall — including the date(s) and time(s) — will be shared by the City through its official channels as soon as they are finalized.
Business-focused meeting on September 20
The City has also scheduled a meeting on September 20, 2023 for business owners/representatives who are closest to the planned new homeless shelter to talk about operational impacts. This meeting has been in the works for months to gather that specific feedback. It is not meant to exclude the wider community from sharing safety-related concerns.
The City recognizes many business owners are concerned about the economic impacts of community safety issues, and will be reaching out to the business community to continue these discussions. Business owners are encouraged to email Vern May, manager of economic development, at vern.may@wetaskiwin.ca with any concerns in the interim.
Continuous input welcomed
As always, community members are welcome to communicate directly with the City to share thoughts or concerns. This includes:
The City is highly conscious of the need for Wetaskiwinites to have their say about the crucial issue of safety in our community. In doing so, we will do our best to ensure that these things happen:
- There are avenues for everyone to have their say.
- Because these are complex issues, there will also be avenues where individuals, businesses, social service agencies, law enforcement, and other groups can have in-depth discussion. These are not intended to be exclusionary but rather to allow for thoughtful and in-depth input.
- We will take steps to ensure that in all engagements, the environment is safe and respectful for everyone.
Additional updates will be shared at Wetaskiwin.ca as they become available.