Worries and questions as Whitehorse shelter prepares for change

Clients at the Salvation Army's Centre of Hope in Whitehorse are wondering how things will change next month when the Yukon government takes over ownership and management of the shelter.

Some clients are adamant in defending current staff at the shelter who may be replaced.

"There's no way it can be done better," said client Vanessa Smith, after hearing the government was taking over. "The people that work here take care of us. These people know what it's like to live on the street."

The Yukon government is pledging a new approach to running the shelter, which would see more integration with other government services.

Outside the shelter, people had differing opinions and some had questions — such as what might happen to people who are inebriated. Bruce Waugh, a client at the shelter, said the current Salvation Army staff are too strict.

"A lot of the staff — they're a little bit too much to kick people out," he said. "A lot of the people who come here are alcoholics, we're down and out." 

Waugh said people can't always be sober when they are struggling with addictions. 

"Sometimes you need this," he said. "And they have people in there who are not cool."

Others disagree, and say the new government management should be less tolerant of inebriation. Margaret Anne Bill says there's already too much being allowed. 

"I want them to change it," she said about the ownership change. "There is too much alcohol, drugs, bad things." 

Marge Profeit is a longtime volunteer who has stayed at the shelter. She says some shelter clients are wary of government, and the new managers will have to build trust. 

Clients told CBC they hadn't heard about the planned change until it was publicly announced last week.

"They're just wondering what is going to happen. There's going to be a lot of changes, I think it's kind of scary for people," said Profeit. 

The shelter will stay open as it transitions to new management.