‘There has to be those services in the city:’ Fionn MacCool’s, police, city discuss the Lighthouse

Just days after a group of people was chased by a man with a hatchet near Saskatoon’s Lighthouse, many are keeping the needs of some of the city’s most vulnerable at the top of mind when looking at the supported living facility.

Fionn MacCool’s was a staple in the downtown business core in Saskatoon, but unexpectedly in August, the owners shut the doors for the final time.

Rumours flew around, with many fingers pointed towards the Lighthouse. The downtown pub was a stone’s throw away from the building that offers affordable living, and many supports for those in need.

But, former owner of the pub Barry Willick told 650 CKOM that was not the case.

“The Lighthouse was a concern, but nothing that we thought we couldn’t overcome.”

When Willick originally picked the location, he says the province was “booming,” but by the time they moved in in 2014, conditions had degraded considerably.

They were told that development would come in the area, opening the door to a vibrant section of Saskatoon’s downtown.

He waited but that promise, and day, never came.

After much consideration, the pub closed its doors abruptly at the end of August.

“Things weren’t changing quickly enough for us in the area, and so that’s why we made the decision at the end of August. It was the end of the month for us. We were all current on our lease and everything. We just decided at that point it was time to walk away,” Willick said.

Willick said their business won brand excellence as one of the best run outfits in the country, and their location was one of the company’s largest.

From the moment the doors opened, Willick said they were focused on having a relationship with the Lighthouse, and they wanted to develop relationships with the supported living facility.

“We were quite charitably-minded, and we tried to involve ourselves in the community a lot. As such, we volunteered at the Lighthouse, (we) were there once or twice a month in the community kitchen (providing) and serving meals,” he said.

“Being able to meet people who were (using) the services of the Lighthouse helped us a lot in managing the situations that arose occasionally when people would walk into the pub…we were able to go out and speak to them by name, and they knew us, and we had a mutual respect.”

Still, Willick admitted they did struggle to get some to visit the once-steady restaurant that sat a few steps away from the downtown theatre. It was the public perception of the area that deterred some customers from entering their doors, Willick said.

“We heard frequently, people that would say ‘we would love to come down and try it, but we really aren’t crazy about being near the Lighthouse.’”

Willick reiterated that the Lighthouse wasn’t the determining factor when they closed up shop. He said it added, but the economy and the struggle of downtown parking also were major factors during their five years in business.

Willick said he remains in support of the services the facility offers to Saskatoon but knows some changes need to be made.

“No matter what happens, the only thing I would say is that I know the city has to do something about the situation for the sake of downtown development, and the business community. At the same time, it is essential that we keep those services there,” he said.

“There has to be those services in the city, somewhere.”

What’s next for the supported living facility?

Saskatoon Police say they’re looking into their deployment model to better serve the city, with a focus on areas with higher call volumes.

Supt. Randy Huisman is in charge of patrol and traffic in the city. He told 650 CKOM that their busiest of the three divisions remains the central area. The area includes the downtown core and the Lighthouse.

“We always have to be thinking about efficient, and effective ways of having our manpower dispersed throughout the city. There have been some issues with response times climbing, and a perception of not enough police officers around in the city,” he said.

Those in power have been looking into expanding their districts from 13 to 15, having five districts per division.

Supt. Huisman said the decision could come sooner, rather than later.

“Right now, we’re still developing it and seeing where the district boundaries could be based on calls for service, and having our police service have a look at it, and (we) would like to discuss this with our front line personnel to see if there are other ways to tweak it. But, I could see it coming out as early as early summer.”

The change would benefit areas such as the Lighthouse, as officers would be able to get their response times up, along with being more ingrained in the community.

“When calls for service are up, we’re plucking officers from other areas of the city to help,” Supt. Huisman said. “We decided that we’d have to fence in some officers and give them pure ownership for the areas that they’re assigned.”

From the municipal side of the issues, the city is focused on working collaboratively in an effort to keep Saskatoon’s streets safe.

Cynthia Block is Saskatoon’s city councillor for ward 6, which covers the downtown core including the Lighthouse and its surroundings.

Block said she and other members of Saskatoon city council will be meeting with the provincial caucus on Friday, March 13. She couldn’t confirm that safety will be on the agenda, but she will push to get these issues to the forefront.

She said the solution to the issues of safety is something they cannot arrest their way out of, but something that requires everyone to work together.

“The Lighthouse, in many ways, is like a hospital, and any hospital that I’ve been to, they have security. I can’t think of a place that has more complex health needs than the Lighthouse,” she said.

“There have been many of us working very hard to find a way forward. A way forward that is in the best interest of the clients of the Lighthouse, and everyone else.”