Boyle Street relocation causes confusion, anxiety in Edmonton's unhoused

Whitford Skani meets friends, has coffee and shares cultural experiences almost every day at Boyle Street Community Services in downtown Edmonton — a ritual he's had for at least 15 years. 

"Everybody knows this was home," Skani, commonly known in the community as Woody, told CBC News Tuesday. 

Friday will be the last day he and others can use services at the 10116 105th Avenue location, as Boyle Street prepares to temporarily move to four separate sites within the inner city. 

"When they move, they're going to be lost," Skani said. "People are going to be all over the place." 

After more than two decades at the central location, Boyle Street announced the move as part of an agreement with the landlord — and owner of Rogers Place — the Katz Group, otherwise known as the Oilers Entertainment Group. 

The move to four other locations is expected to be complete by Tuesday, Oct. 3. 

Clients will need to make the trek to the Bissell East building at 10527 and 96th Street for general intake services: bus passes, harm reduction supplies, retrieving their mail, identification, printing, making phone calls and accessing the pet food bank. 

Two other locations — the Mercer building on 10363 104th Street and Co*Lab at 9641 102A Avenue, will provide recreation and cultural services. 

A trailer at the site of the future King Thunderbird Centre of Okimaw peyesew kamik at 107A Avenue and 101st Street — the agency's future permanent home — will offer banking services by Four Directions, a financial institution that operates in association with Alberta Treasury Branches (ATB).

Jim Gurnett with the Edmonton Coalition on Housing and Homelessness said people using Boyle Street services on a regular basis are frustrated. 

"They feel confused. They feel nervous about what's going to be happening next week," Gurnett said in an interview Tuesday. 

People experiencing extreme levels of poverty move around already to get services at different places, and Gurnett said the new locations will add to the feeling of exhaustion. 

Funding for social services has never been adequate, Gurnett argues.

"This is only one more blow in an already underserved, undersupported group of people who, too much of the time, are essentially written off," Gurnett said.