Whitehorse to hold forum today on protecting the homeless

Hundreds are expected to take part in a forum today in Whitehorse focused on how to help the city's homeless and other vulnerable people.

The event is sponsored by the Kwanlin Dun First Nation and the City of Whitehorse. 

Mayor Dan Curtis says it's an issue that has to be addressed — and people tell him so.

"People [walk] up, and political leaders [walk] up, saying 'you've got to do something about this, you've got to do something about it,'" Curtis says.

"Well, we are doing something about it. We're engaging the community; we're looking for solutions."

Kwanlin Dun chief Doris Bill says one topic will be the people often seen at the city's waterfront. She says some are Kwanlin Dun members, but there are also members of other First Nations, and non-aboriginal people.

Bill says some city residents are irritated by the people on the waterfront, but she says they all have a right to be there.

"We have a long, long history on the waterfront and that's not going to change," Bill says. "But what we can change is how we assist people."

Homeless people or people with no fixed address are at risk in many ways, Bill says, including exposure to extreme weather conditions. She says every homeless person who dies from exposure in Whitehorse is a painful reminder of how vulnerable some people are.

"For Kwanlin Dun, it's reality. It's a fact of life. It's something that we are always dealing with," she says.

But Bill argues that everybody in the city needs to step up.

"This is a community problem," she says.

Both Curtis and Bill say their main priority is protecting vulnerable people from harm. Curtis says he's counting on community members to come up with solutions — "tangible, action items we can do quickly," he says.

The forum is scheduled to start at 8:30 a.m. at the Kwanlin Dun Cultural Centre, and continue most of the day.

A panel discussion will include representatives from Kwanlin Dun, RCMP and the Yukon Anti-Poverty Coalition. Renowned author and physician Gabor Maté will be the keynote speaker.