T H E B AT T L E F O R D S
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Serving the Battlefords since 1908
www.newsoptimist.ca
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Thursday, April 18, 2019
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Published every Thursday
BATTLEFORD
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First to Win New Competition
CSO calls for service “through the roof” By John Cairns Staff Reporter
For the first time, the prestigious competition, Skills Canada Saskatchewan, offered Aboriginal beading as a competition area. Fifteen students competed, including two from North Battleford Comprehensive High School. Savannah Pierre-Weenie was awarded the gold medal. See more winners on Page 2. Photo submitted
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Councillor Kevin Steinborn was among city council members airing their frustrations about reports of harassment by individuals downtown. “It’s frustrating,” he said. Photo by John Cairns
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The tipping point for councillors came when Community Safety Officer Supervisor Ross MacAngus Continued on Page 3
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Councillor Len Taylor, who chaired Monday’s meeting, recounted being harassed himself near the liquor store.
Darting around pays off Page 20
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What readers are saying: • Shut the bars down • Wouldn’t it be great if the feds dealt with Canada’s homeless instead of everyone else’s • … bring in more “trained” RCMP that are indeed qualified to do the policing around here • Downtown is conducive to loitering, not shopping
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Despite more foot patrols and the presence of more community safety officers and RCMP, reports are still coming in of incidents of harassment and intoxication downtown. Monday night’s planning committee meeting turned into a venting session on the issue, as councillors bemoaned the lack of noticeable improvement despite all enforcement attempts. “It’s frustrating,” said Councillor Kevin Steinborn. He was referring to an email forwarded by Councillor Kelli Hawtin earlier that day about downtown incidents. “We spend a lot of money, a lot of time making downtown more beautiful and trying to be friendly to both consumers and business people, and when I hear stuff like this that [is] happening from individuals downtown, bullying, threatening citizens, it’s disheartening,” said Steinborn. The issue has come to the News-Optimist’s attention in recent weeks. Our newsroom was tipped off recently about loitering and harassment by people
sitting on a bench outside a business on 101st Street. It has been an ongoing concern for council, which has continued to hear feedback from residents about harassment, intoxication and aggressive panhandling in the downtown area. Tough panhandling bylaw amendments were considered in response to the situation in 2017, but were ultimately voted down. At that time
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