Swan Valley restricts charitable operations in the community

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While it’s common for governments to throw support behind charitable endeavours that help the most vulnerable, one rural Manitoba community is taking a different, more restrictive approach to organizations that help the homeless.

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Last month, the RM of Swan Valley West passed a new by-law that puts restrictions on harm reduction efforts, in part because of what Reeve Bill Gade says has been a significant increase in distributed needles and drug paraphernalia that are causing safety concerns in the western Manitoba community that is home to more than 2,700 residents.

The bylaw goes one step further, putting restrictions on persons or organizations that want to start charitable endeavours such as homeless shelters or soup kitchens, and these guidelines could see charities shut down if they don’t adhere to council regulations.

“We’re not suggesting we don’t’ care about the homeless or those who are suffering, we are suggesting we care about everyone,” Gade said. “We are saying, if you want to provide a spot for people who are homeless you can’t do it until this council gives you permission.”

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Gade said in Swan Valley West previous zoning bylaws made it easy for people to set up charitable endeavours without going through council, and he said that often led to issues like temporary homeless shelters or soup kitchens being suddenly set up in residential neighbourhoods, and causing concerns for local residents and families.

“Until now you could just show up anywhere and build a homeless shelter or call an existing building a homeless shelter and we’ve seen it happen,” he said. “I don’t think you’ll find many people that say, ‘please put a shelter beside my house.’

“We are making sure we look after everyone. We have to show compassion, but we also have to remember our next-door neighbours.”

Gade added if council does approve projects like soup kitchens or homeless shelters, it won’t come without strings attached, as the bylaw also states those types of organizations must update council regularly on their operations, and could be shut down if they are not adhering to council guidelines.

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The by-law also takes aim at clean needle distribution in the RM, making it an offence to distribute needles, drugs, or drug supplies in the community, without first receiving written permission from council, with fines starting at $1,000.

“We don’t want these needles in our community, and we have to make sure kids are not accessing them,” Gade said.

Gade says he continues to be at odds with the NDP government and their strategy to increase harm reduction in Manitoba, and that is why council created these harm reduction bylaws in Swan Valley West.

“My job as reeve is to always be friends with whoever the government of the day is, and respect their decisions because they were elected by the people,” Gade said.

“However I also know that what we’re doing in Swan Valley in terms of harm reduction is not working right now, and I also have to look out for the interests and the safety of my community.”

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The neighbouring town of Swan River also made moves to restrict harm reduction efforts, with a resolution that calls for the town to commence “any and all necessary actions to cease and prevent the distribution of all injectable drug syringes and related paraphernalia within the town by all organizations providing such materials.”

— Dave Baxter is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of the Winnipeg Sun. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.

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