With a bit of pomp and circumstance, the Yukon government has released what it calls a comprehensive plan to address downtown public safety issues in Whitehorse.

The strategy is the culmination of several months’ work. It began back in October, when the Alpine Organic Bakery announced it was closing its door due to ongoing safety issues the owners said were mostly connected to the close proximity of the city’s emergency shelter on Alexander Street.

The government is calling the document the Downtown Whitehorse Safety Response Action Plan.

“This living document was developed in collaboration with community partners and summarizes the actions taken to date and future actions to help shape a safe, supportive and thriving downtown Whitehorse,” the government stated in a media release following a Thursday afternoon news conference.

“The plan is intended to be flexible and responsive, focusing on immediate and long-term solutions, such as increasing housing security, expanding support services and increasing public safety.

“It will serve as a roadmap to guide government efforts to address challenges related to homelessness, addiction and community safety.”

Premier Ranj Pillai and Tracy-Anne McPhee, the minister of Health and Social Services and Justice, chaired the news conference.

In response to a question from the Star, the pair talked at length as to how they will know whether the plan is working.

Pillai said a lot of that kind of feedback will be anecdotal. “We will talk to the people involved.”

He also said the success of the measures can be counted in the “people who do not die.”

He said the shelter, originally managed by the Salvation Army, has prevented 40 people from dying, using numbers that have been presented on prior occasions.

“So there’s a stat for you. Forty people who didn’t die.”

Pillai also said the success could be tracked by the “amount of damage being seen downtown and the area.”

Pillai expanded on his answer, saying the RCMP will also be offering feedback to the government.

The premier also mentioned he is tracking the number of people on the waiting list for housing, which has been dropping, indicating a reduction in the number of homeless people.

“We’re constantly looking at that number.”

All that information will be used – and useful – in determining how the plan is working, Pillai said.

“As for me, that’s something that I’m watching all the time.”

McPhee added, “This is unprecedented in the history of the Yukon. The kind of work that’s been here, the action plan that’s been put together to address really complex issues in the community (is unprecedented).

“Those are not easy concepts and not easy challenges,” the minister said. ‘We know that lives are being saved.”

Many people, 38 to be precise, have been saved at the government’s safe consumption site in downtown Whitehorse over the last year, McPhee said.

“They were saved because that’s where they chose to go and be safe.”

In response to another question, Pillai said much of the cost of these measures and the plan have been built into the budgets of various departments, especially housing.

The private security service the government has hired to patrol the area around the shelter has cost approximately $50,000 for two months.

He said there was a break-in in the area last week where the private service was the first responders.

Pillai said the service has proved popular with business owners, who have said they want it continued in the downtown core.

Continuing that service will cost another $50,000 to $100,000 until spring, he estimated.

The total cost of the plan might run into the “hundreds of thousands” of dollars, Pillai added.

According to the news release, the action plan was developed with input from community partners, First Nations, downtown residents and local businesses.

“The Government of Yukon recognizes that community challenges related to colonialism, homelessness, addiction and cost of living cannot be solved by one level of government alone,” the release says.

“Continued collaboration with partners is key to ensuring that the diverse perspectives, voices and expertise essential in developing the plan are actively involved in its implementation.”

Immediate next steps include continued engagement with partners, operationalizing additional locations for satellite food services and building on the actions outlined in the action plan.

“Our government is committed to working with partners to help keep Whitehorse a place where residents and visitors feel safe and everyone can access the supports and services they need,” Pillai said in the release.

“I want to thank everyone who provided feedback and resources that led to the development of our Downtown Whitehorse Safety Response Action Plan.

“I am proud of the collaboration and hard work done to date, and I look forward to continued work with our partners and the community to enhance community safety.”

Medium-term priorities to be underway in the next 12 months include:

1. decentralizing services down-town, including food services and culturally safe programming;

2. securing options for additional supportive and emergency housing.

3. operationalizing a residential managed alcohol program to reduce harms associated with chronic alcohol use disorder;

4. improving safety on Alexander Street by applying Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles and by exploring new options for the management of 408 Alexander St. facility through an request for proposals, and extending hours at the supervised consumption site;

5. continuing to engage with downtown residents, businesses, NGOs, First Nations and residents with lived experience; and discussing appropriate levels of emergency service accessibility and policy standards to better meet the community’s needs.

Longer-term plans that will require at least a year to achieve include:

1. reviewing policies for emergency housing facilities and diversifying options that exist to meet support needs;

2. finalizing the Yukon’s rapid response to homelessness strategy;

3. working with the private sector to bring more affordable housing online quickly; and building more Yukon Housing Corp. community housing units to alleviate YHC waitlist and By-Name List pressures.