Open letter to the Editor, Moose Jaw Residents:
The Good Neighbours Group (GNG) would like to provide an update on latest activities in the community.
This is a follow up to the story covered by Randy Palmer February 25, 2024.
Following the Town Hall held in downtown Moose Jaw, the GNG met with the Moose Jaw Police Chief and the following topics were discussed:
- Better communication of programs/initiatives for the business community.
- The effect of crime, graffiti, and vandalism.
- Patrol officers building relationships with the downtown merchants.
- Plan to meet regularly moving forward.
GNG also met with the Mayor and City Manager, and the following topics were discussed:
- The effect of crime, graffiti, and vandalism.
- Appearance of the streets, sidewalks, public parking lots.
- Fine options, bring back the program.
- Loss of tourism revenue - $85 million.
- Plan to meet regularly moving forward.
GNG invited the following to attend a collaboration meeting:
- Moose Jaw & District Chamber of Commerce
- MJ Police Service
- Tourism Moose Jaw
- Downtown Moose Jaw Association, and
- Businesses
This meeting was well attended, with representation from many businesses, Chamber of Commerce, Downtown MJ Association, Tourism Moose Jaw as well as the City Mayor.
The following action items of the meeting are listed below:
- Lobby City Council to develop and implement a bylaw that ultimately supports businesses, citizens, and safety of the community.
- Petition to City Council to hold a public meeting regarding Souls Harbour.
- Petition to City Council to return City Hall Operating Hours (open to the public) to 815-500: Currently hours available to the public to access city hall is 1000-400. Moose Jaw is the only community in Saskatchewan that has such restricted public access hours, with the exception of Morse Saskatchewan, population 200!
If you are interested in adding your name to the petition please contact Carolyn Ross at ctcgriffin@sasktel.net. The petition is not available to sign at the Moose Jaw Express office.
The best way to predict the future is to create it!
This is about keeping our community safe and saving lives!
Carolyn Ross
Below is a template letter to the Moose Jaw City Council
(Sender’s name)
(Sender’s address)
(Sender’s city, postal code)
(Date written)
Moose Jaw City Council
228 Main Street North
Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
S6H 3J8
Dear Mayor and Council,
[I/we] [am/are] writing to request Moose Jaw City Council develop a bylaw to support the Historic Downtown Area and the businesses operating in the area, as well as to uphold the plans from the “City of Moose Jaw Downtown Local Area Plan, November 2017 WHICH WAS adopted by council.
The requested bylaw would keep Moose Jaw streets safe, for all involved. A move towards ensuring that unhoused people receive the mental health and drug addiction services they need.
• Moose Jaw must not allow homeless encampments to intrude on its citizens livelihood.
• Moose Jaw must prohibit loitering/sleeping on city streets, sidewalks, and in parks, AND ENSURE LAWS ARE BEING ENFORCED.
• Any shelters located within the City, must include substance abuse and mental health treatments.
• Services directly assisting those with criminal or nuisance behaviors must not be located
a) downtown, and
b) in the same spaces as retail or service-based businesses.
[I/we] understand the intent of The Municipalities Act is to ensure municipalities provide the legal structure and framework which must govern themselves and make the decisions that they consider appropriate and in the best interests of their residents. The Council is to promote safety and well-being in the community.
You (WE) should learn from other communities that made mistakes and their unwillingness to act.
Our public spaces and downtown are CRITICAL TO MOOSE JAW’S OVERALL ECONOMY AND GROWTH, AND worth fighting for.
Sincerely,
(your name)
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
