address

The city pays for 37 RCMP officers and approximately another 20 to 30 are paid for by the province.

“One of the things I am most proud of, and I’m sure our council members were all very proud of, is the community leadership groups that come forward, especially Citizens on Patrol,” Gillan said.

addictions.

Before moving on to address post-secondary education in the Battlefords, Gillan added that half of all vehicle thefts in the Battlefords are because keys are left in the ignition or fobs are in the cars.

Finlayson Island is often visited by the pileated woodpecker. These are colourful birds and you can often hear them drumming on a tree before you actually see them. From head to tail, they are about 16-19 inches long. They like to visit trees that are infested with insects, which often have woodpecker holes that are used for nesting. Design all around. | Photo and text by Jim McLane community, and the general population.

“That is being of the community.”

Since the council was elected, the city has undertaken several initiatives furthering inclusion and reconciliation, including:

• The adoption of a formal land acknowledgment policy;

• Raising Métis and Treaty 6 flags in council chambers;

• renaming Railway Ave West to Peyak Trail;

• the creation of two urban reserves with a plan to create two more;

• celebrating Pride Week and the LGBTQ2+ community; and

• completing the first stage of new accessible council chambers

Looking at crime

Addressing the topic of crime in the Battlefords, Gillan said that it’s been a priority for previous councils as well, adding that North Battleford has frequently been number one or two on the Crime Severity Index.

“We understand the challenge this negative moniker can bring to you, your business, to our community, and we have committed resources to tackle this and build our public image … If you ask almost anyone, I think it has been misrepresented.”

And although with the formation of the Gang Task Force Unit has seen a decrease in violent offences and the Battlefords ranking on the violent crime CSI index, non-violent crime including mischief, trespassing and vehicle theft have been rising and contributes 30 per cent to the overall index.

Gillan said that COPP is endorsed and supported by the council because he believes their work is proven to deter trespassing, car shopping and other forms of petty crime.

“Having engaged citizens who take pride in our region is so important, and ultimately, that sense of community is what will evolve into a strategy for re-framing the Battlefords,” Gillan said, imploring anyone with free time to join him and Mayor Ames Leslie as members of COPP.

“The more members we have the safer our city will be.”

Speaking to enforcement and community safety, Gillan reminded people that the Battlefords has the largest RCMP detachment in Saskatchewan which responds to both the city and town, and the RMs of Battle River, Meota and North Battleford.

But Gillan believes the Battlefords is receiving more attention from the provincial government, including a new crime reduction team for the Battlefords, six Community Safety Officers, Gillan anticipates “seriously positive results over the next few years.”

He also said the city has been nurturing relationships with the federal government, and specifically Public Safety Canada, regarding funding for programming with a prevention perspective, adding, “20 per cent of crime is directly attributable to mental health and addiction, at least … We will receive funding for a gang exit strategy and community wellness.”

The city will have more information in the coming months, including information on provincial funding for mental health and

“We don’t live in a perfect world, but we need to collectively work together to prevent crime. I encourage you not only to read the newspaper to find out news about what is happening in the city, especially around crime and safety, but also follow us at the city on our social media,” he said, asking people to follow the City of North Battleford’s Facebook page to see good news about the Battlefords.

“We’re working very hard to change the narrative that permeates all of the social media.”

Education

Gillan says North West College is so popular it is running out of space to offer all the programs it would like to. He then shared that a site for a new campus for NWC has been selected inside the city.

“I can confidently say that this council is highly supportive of a new college campus. I’ve been drawn to the college’s approach to change the lives of those who are experiencing challenges within our community,” he said.

Gillian said that the college has been forthcoming about wanting to create long-term opportunities to assist those who want to go to the school and stay in the Battlefords while they do it.

“The province of Saskatchewan is in the enviable position that it has more jobs than people to fill the jobs. Especially around mining, light manufacturing and healthcare,” he said. Some employers are hiring overseas or outof-province he said.

“We have many young adults in the Battlefords that need these opportunities, but sometimes going to Saskatoon for school isn’t an option. We must bring more programming to the Battlefords,” Gillan said.

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