LOCAL: Request for a Municipal Community Engagement Session: Homelessness and Social Supports
Dear Mayor and Members of Town Council,
RE: Request for a Municipal Community Engagement Session: Homelessness and Social Supports
On behalf of the membership of the High River Chamber of Commerce, representing local businesses and not-for-profit organizations across our community, we write to respectfully request that Town Council take a proactive and leading role in convening a community engagement session to address the growing concern of homelessness and the challenges facing unhoused individuals in High River.
The Issue
Our membership is observing, with increasing frequency, the visible presence of individuals experiencing homelessness in our community, including in and around business districts, parks, and public spaces. Alongside this, concerns have been raised regarding related challenges such as open drug use and drug sales in areas frequented by residents and customers.
We wish to be clear: these are human issues that deserve compassion, care, and coordinated response. At the same time, they present real and compounding challenges for our business and not-for-profit members who serve the public daily. The safety, welcoming atmosphere, and overall well-being of our business and community spaces are foundational to a thriving local economy.
Recognizing the Work Already Underway
We want to acknowledge and commend the Town's Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) team for the meaningful work they already do to connect individuals and families to food and essentials, housing, financial assistance, and mental wellness supports. FCSS staff respond thoughtfully and compassionately on a case-by-case basis, and the Chamber recognizes this as a genuine strength of our community.
What we are hearing from our membership, however, is a need for something broader alongside that individual casework: a coordinated, community-wide, and proactive framework that brings businesses, not-for-profits, service providers, and neighbouring agencies together to plan ahead of need, rather than responding one situation at a time. We believe Council is uniquely positioned to build that bridge.
We recognize that the primary jurisdiction for addressing homelessness and social services does not rest with local businesses or the Chamber. It is precisely for this reason that we are respectfully calling upon the Town of High River to take leadership on this matter before it escalates further.
Our Recommendation
We are encouraging the Town of High River to organize and host a formal community engagement session, bringing together a broad cross-section of stakeholders including, but not limited to:
Local business owners and operators
Not-for-profit organizations serving our community
FCSS and other social support agencies and outreach workers
Community program stakeholders and service providers
Faith communities and local churches
Relevant municipal and provincial government representatives
The purpose of this session would be to bring the right voices to the same table, share perspectives, build on the strong foundation FCSS has already established, identify available local resources, and begin building a coordinated, compassionate, and community-led response.
Suggested Areas for Discussion
We suggest the engagement session focus particularly on practical and proactive solutions, including:
Coordinated community response: Developing clear guidance for business owners and community members on how to respond compassionately and effectively when encountering individuals in crisis.
Extreme weather preparedness: Identifying warming and cooling options, emergency protocols, and coordinated response plans to protect vulnerable individuals during severe weather events, including High River's known vulnerability to flooding and extreme cold.
Local support mapping: Cataloguing the services, programs, and support mechanisms already present in High River and the surrounding region, and identifying gaps in service delivery.
Why Now
High River has a proud history of coming together in the face of adversity. We believe the best solutions come from early, collaborative action, before challenges grow beyond the capacity of any single organization or sector to manage. By acting now, the Town has the opportunity to champion thoughtful, community-centered leadership and to build a resilient, proactive framework that reflects the values of our community and builds on the excellent case-by-case work FCSS already provides.
The High River Chamber of Commerce is committed to being a constructive partner in this conversation. We are not seeking to assign full responsibility to any one party. Rather, we are asking the Town to help convene the right people, at the right time, for the betterment of our entire community.
We respectfully request that this letter be placed on a near future agenda for Council consideration, and that our organization be updated in the planning of any resulting engagement session. The Chamber would be pleased to assist in facilitating outreach to our business membership community and possibly act as facilitator of the round-table discussions.
Thank you for your consideration and for your continued dedication to making High River a safe, welcoming, and thriving place for all who call it home.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the
High River Chamber of Commerce Membership
Tricia Bliss, President
High River Chamber of Commerce
Signatories
Mr Mikes Steakhouse Casual High River
Wellness Financial Coaching Inc.
Baby it's Cold Outside Charitable Society
Maureen Moncrieff Virtual Assistant
High River Laundromat
Rowan House Society
Mortgage Towne
Spectrum Promotional Products
designbright Ecomarket + Refillery
Szabon Endeavours