In the 1970s, non-market housing (social housing, transition homes, non-profit affordable housing, co-operatives etc.) represented 25% of all new construction. Since then, government funding has declined to the point where non-market housing represents approx. 5% of Canada’s total existing housing stock, while market housing represents 95%. The financially driven, for-profit market has not and will not produce a sufficient number of affordable places to live. It is up to our governments to step back in.
On Friday, Saskatoon City Council approved controversial new zoning bylaws related to four-unit dwellings and increased housing density. Our city will now receive $41 million dollars from the Federal government, almost all of which will go directly towards expanding affordable housing! There has been significant backlash against these zoning bylaws as local homeowners balk at the speed of change, express concerns about the impact of living amongst four-unit residences and, in many cases, have received misinformation about what that impact will be.
If you have outlying questions or anxieties about certain sections of our city rezoning for density, we urge you to reach out to us at Quint or ask your City Councillor for the facts. #skpoli
Some food for thought on the power politics behind the financialization and privatization of housing.
Who benefits from the “housing crisis?” Private corporations and wealthier individuals use housing as an investment opportunity, funnelling money away from regular people who are increasingly priced out of renting a suitable home, let alone owning one. Our current system allows private profits to soar without addressing the public right to be housed.
For more context, check out “The Tenant Class” a 2023 book by Brazilian-Canadian political economist Ricardo Tranjan 📚
Nothing changes if nothing changes.
Unfortunately, a satirical poem written in The Daily Worker nearly 100 years ago still rings just as true today.
It’s time for an economy that benefits all. #saskatoon #yxe
Hear from Gray, Justice, Cierrah, and Brad — four people on social assistance who have meaningful suggestions and reflections they wanted to share with the wider community.
They are all currently completing In Motion and Momentum, a 10 week career development program at Quint where they are supported to find their personal path to employment.
We want to congratulate our Cultural Coordinator Edward Ermine who has spent the past year learning Cree! It has been an amazing transformation to witness, going from zero fluency to speaking in full sentences. Edward says, “I began this journey to reconnect with my true language and decolonize myself. I’m also honouring my late grandmother (nôhkomipan) Grace Ermine of Montreal Lake Cree Nation who was fluent in Cree but never passed it down, maybe because of residential school. When I speak Cree, I feel she is guiding me and giving me confidence.”
His message to anyone who wants to learn their language is: “It’s not too late! If we don’t learn the language it will go to sleep and as one elder told me, we need to wake it up — waniska! You can start today, even if you don’t have someone to guide you. I have studied every single day for a year, listening to podcasts, watching videos, using online dictionaries, and speaking in front of a mirror.”
This journey has inspired Edward to develop new programming at Quint and share Cree language and teachings with our staff. We are so grateful for his contributions to our community 💙
How many times per day is your life improved by the work of “unskilled” labourers? Who benefits when essential work is undervalued?
The majority of the people we support in our employment programs are Indigenous or new to Canada, with complex lives and significant barriers to moving past entry level work. It’s no coincidence that the people working our lowest paying, least respected jobs tend to be racialized and intergenerationally poor.
Over 30 years later and symptoms and services are still being blamed for our social issues. The real root causes of the crises in our communities are increasing wealth inequality, a toxic drug supply, ongoing colonial harms, and wholly inadequate systems of healthcare, housing, and social support — not harm reduction services like Prairie Harm Reduction.
Pushing for solutions that address those root causes, alongside adequate funding for the services that keep people alive in the meantime, is how we create lasting change. We need to eradicate these issues, not just move them to the next block.
Quint's first Executive Director, Len Usiskin, met Sheila Pocha in the early days of our organization when she was the principal at W.P. Bate Community School here in the core. Len could see that Sheila was a passionate educator and community leader so in 2001 he invited her to join our board, and the rest is history!
Sheila has been a fantastic connector, ally, and advocate for Quint. She was involved in many pivotal moments in our history, including the scramble to save @station20west following the funding cuts back in 2008. This week, Sheila is stepping down after 25 years of dedicated service.
We will miss her presence greatly, as well as the depth and decades of experience she brought to our work. The enduring support of community members like Sheila is a staggering compliment to Quint as an organization. We will continue to strive to be worthy of the many hours she invested into our mission.
On behalf of our community, thank you Sheila for everything you have done to strengthen the west side!
In closing, here are a few words from Sheila herself:
"I've been amazed by what a group of people can do when we put our minds to it and what we can do to heighten and support families experiencing the many hardships and barriers that come with trying to raise a family on a fixed income that is more often below the poverty line...I remember the many important meetings we were engaged in with community and provincial government officials as we strived to pay attention to the needs of our inner-city families and how the minimal funds budgeted for these families have always been shocking as there is never enough funds. I'm extremely grateful, thankful and nursing feelings of nostalgia as I say farewell to this important board work. However, I know it’s time to step aside and allow new folk to continue this work. Thanks to all of you and to Kristen Thoms and her staff as you all continue to work hard on behalf of the enterprise, the developmental work and for the core communities. The fresh new ideas keep coming and good things keep happening — you are all wonderful people! I'm glad I got to know you in some way and have had the chance to work alongside all of you."
For over a hundred years, Saskatoon’s west side has been framed through fear‑based narratives that reduce people to problems. History shows us that this approach hasn’t solved the social challenges in our communities, in fact, it has reinforced harm and division, holding us back from real solutions. If we’re serious about healing our communities, we need to changes these narratives.
Source for the historical articles is “Saskatoon History by Terry Hoknes” on Facebook, a public archive generously facilitated by a local historian.
Today we are saying goodbye to an integral member of our Resource Room team! Emma joined our organization during the pandemic and immediately proved herself to be a community-minded critical thinker and an absolute workhorse to boot. We will miss so many parts of working with Emma but especially their stellar potluck dishes and passion for spreadsheets. She created lasting relationships at Quint and always pushed our organization to be better.
Emma is returning to their full time career as a massage therapist and we will be cheering her on (and booking an appointment!) Thank you Emma for everything you gave our community and our organization over the past 4 years 💙
