Chris Clegg
The last few weeks I have heard several complaints from citizens and merchants. I arrived in High Prairie in 1988 and I have never witnessed this specific problem to be so bad.
Three times within an hour last week I was asked outside a local store for money. This begging epidemic in High Prairie is now bordering on ridiculous. Being hassled outside a store is not my idea of a good time when I go shopping.
But what to do about it is perplexing. It is not a simple problem to solve and I am the first to admit I have no solutions. Other people are so frustrated they are suggesting buying the guilty parties a one-way bus ticket out of town. It just becomes someone else’s problem, however. Nothing is really solved except it is an out of sight, out of mind solution. Besides, how would we feel if Peace River or Slave Lake decided to ship their homeless to High Prairie?
The concern from business owners is understandable. Some people will not go into stores where beggars are outside hanging out and hoping for handout. I am not an expert on law and do not know if these people are doing anything illegal (vagrancy?) but at the very least it is incredibly annoying.
Summer is also the time of year many prospective teachers are considering moving to town. Imagine coming to High Prairie to “scope out” the town and being bombarded by the homeless and beggars. Not a good look, I would suggest. It doesn’t exactly scream “Move to High Prairie” from the welcome committee, does it?
What is disturbing to me is many of these people are strong, young men, capable of labour. They could go out and make an honest dollar but it seems they are trapped in a world of despair. If addictions is a problem and they are begging to get some money for a fix, that is another issue. Others are resorting to stealing, which is a big problem in town right now.
The legal system is horribly inadequate on dealing with these people. The annoyances they are should not fall upon society to lock them up and throw away the key. As annoying as it is, this is not the worst crime one could commit. The question remains, what do you do?
To date, no one in town has stepped forward with a plan. No matter what the solution it will cost money. Money I am not sure where it will come from. High Prairie town council certainly doesn’t have the cash to implement a program. To date, the subject has not breached the hallowed halls of town council so any plan is a long time coming.
If they even care. The theft problem was brought up months ago in council chambers and nothing has happened other than a few concerned citizens taking it upon themselves to patrol at night. Frankly, I am not sure if council can do anything.
There are many people in town who want to help and are eager to help, but they lack resources to help the addicts and/or homeless, so where does the help or resources come from?
The fact is, it is too complicated a problem for me. I have no answer. Does anyone have a solution? I, like many others, are getting very, very tired of this and would welcome suggestions.