Question Period (3 March 2026)

From Hansard (3 March 2026)

To view this section on video, click here and start play at 2:01:05 PM.

Supports for Homeless Youth

Carla Beck: — Well hilarious hockey jokes aside, the impact of their failures have terrible consequences for the people of this province, Mr. Speaker. Just after this government blocked a motion on measures to deal with child poverty in this province, another damning report dropped. This one, Mr. Speaker, reveals that one in five of those who are homeless in Saskatoon are young adults under 24. Literally our future, Mr. Speaker.

Can the minister explain how he has failed these young people in our province so terribly?

Hon. Terry Jenson: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is an issue that this government takes extremely seriously, Mr. Speaker. When it comes to children and ensuring that we’re protecting the most vulnerable in our communities, I’d point to some of the investments that we’ve made in Saskatoon, Mr. Speaker. We’ve invested thousands and thousands of dollars into White Buffalo Youth Lodge to provide youth overnight shelter services, Mr. Speaker.

This is helping to prevent individuals that are youth that are vulnerable to different things like gangs, prostitution, and all of the bad things that come with being on the street, Mr. Speaker. This is a government that is making the investments in our communities to ensure that the young people of our province who may fall into the problem of homelessness, we’re trying to protect that. And we’re doing the work, and we’re consulting with our municipalities and our Indigenous partners in that work. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

Carla Beck: — Mr. Speaker, they’re not doing the work. Over 200 of those homeless in Saskatoon are age 12 and under. It’s unacceptable. But this is where we’re at in this province right now. We have 2,000 people who are homeless in Saskatoon alone. We have record food bank usage. We have almost 80,000 children in this province who are living in poverty, and we have a government that can’t even be bothered to pretend to care about it, Mr. Speaker.

My last question is pretty simple. What does this government keep themselves busy with all day? Because it certainly isn’t standing up for the people of this province.

Hon. Terry Jenson: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and again I’ll say this. This is extremely important work that my ministry and this government has undertaken — with the collaboration, with the dialogue, with the conversations and the investments — with our municipalities around the province, our Indigenous partners around the province, as well as our community-based organizations, Mr. Speaker.

This is a government that’s invested $118 million into homelessness services across this province, including 22 million, $23 million in Saskatoon, Mr. Speaker. We are working on the problem of the existing homelessness issue with our community-based organizations and Indigenous partners.

But further to that, Mr. Speaker, in order to prevent that from being a growing problem in the future, we are focused on ensuring that kids that are vulnerable, the youth that are in a vulnerable position are being provided the supports. And I would point to the transition house in Regina that we just opened up three weeks ago . . .

[Interjections]

Speaker Goudy: — Sorry. Again, he’s giving an answer and we’re listening. Just, we can’t talk. It’s a very simple rule.

So, Minister, please continue on.

Hon. Terry Jenson: — I would just point to the transition house that we opened in Regina just a few weeks ago, Mr. Speaker, that’s being run by the YWCA. That is going to keep vulnerable kids off the street and give them a head start, give them some extended educational opportunities, and provide them with life skills, Mr. Speaker.

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The following section begins at 2:21:15 PM in the video link provided above.

Community Supports and Library Worker Safety

Joan Pratchler: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, libraries should be places where people feel safe to discover new things. But across this province violence against library workers is on the rise, and library workers are speaking out. Twenty years of Sask Party government cuts to mental health, housing, and addictions supports have consequences, and we see those consequences each and every day in our libraries.

Does the Minister of Education take responsibility for the increase in violence against library workers under its government’s watch? And what is he going to do about it?

Hon. Terry Jenson: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And again when it comes to engagement with our municipalities, these are issues that are brought up. And this is a government that’s listening, Mr. Speaker.

I would point out in Saskatoon and Regina we have outreach teams that meet people in place, Mr. Speaker, whether that be somewhere in the community. It could be on the street. It could be in front of a library. It could be pretty much anywhere, Mr. Speaker. These outreach teams connect with these individuals and offer them supports, and that is work that we’re doing. We’re investing with our municipalities and our community-based organizations as well as our Indigenous partners, Mr. Speaker.

In Saskatoon we have outreach teams operated by sawêyihtotân, which is Saskatoon Tribal Council, Mr. Speaker. And these outreach teams are doing exceptional work, and that work will continue in Saskatoon and Regina. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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