Whitehorse Mayor Dan Curtis and Kwanlin Dun First Nation Chief Doris Bill have declared Friday’s Vulnerable People At Risk Forum a success, and pledge to work together to better assist those in need in the community.

About 300 people turned up to the all-day event to participate in focus groups and interactive exercises and listen to both a panel of local speakers and keynote Dr. Gabor Maté.

“It has been a remarkable day,” said Curtis Friday afternoon.

“Mark it on your calendars because I’m not going to forget it, Chief Bill’s not going to forget it, and I hope none of you forget it, because this really is an epic day and it’s the beginning of a long, strong partnership for our community.”

Standing at the podium alongside Curtis, Bill said collaboration is necessary to identify gaps in existing services, in order to determine what further resources are needed by vulnerable people.

“It’s about working smarter, not harder,” she said. “There are dozens of agencies and organizations working on these files and currently no perceived alignment or collaboration.”

Both she and Curtis agreed a resource handbook must be compiled, with copies available in public locations, that lists all supports and services in Whitehorse.

Until now, organizations and governments have been working in silos, Bill said. It’s time to change that.

“We have so many resources in this community. It’s fantastic. But we’re kind of scattered all over the place.”

In the late morning, “circles of sharing” discussed several issues: What locations in the city attract vulnerable people? How can we improve safety for them and other citizens? What municipal, territorial and First Nation government programs are in place to help people? What new ideas can be implemented to improve the lives of vulnerable people?

At the end of the session, large sheets of paper affixed to the walls were covered with pink, orange and yellow Post-it notes – all ideas and suggestions from participants.

At day’s end, Bill summarized them: the “glaring” need for long-term and emergency housing, after-hours services including a 24-hour medical drop-in centre and mental health supports, employment support and life skills, and a downtown sobering centre.

“It was really important to hear from the community, to hear what the problems are,” Bill told reporters after the event.

“From our perspective, we know some of the issues, but we don’t know it all. We know there are people sleeping, for instance, by the cultural centre here ... under a tarp. We don’t know what the extent of the problem is. We do know that we have a problem, and what I am hearing from people is that problem is getting worse.”

She and Curtis said they both strove to make Friday’s event apolitical.

“We didn’t want to invite a whole bunch of ministers to give speeches,” Curtis said.

“Chief Bill and I were just hosts of our community. So I do firmly believe that, of the 300-plus people that were there, everyone walked out very adamant in their mind they’re going to make a difference in the community.”

From now on, when he walks along the waterfront, he’ll look people in the eye, ask them how they’re doing and give them a hug, he said.

He also suggested that when bylaw officers finish their parking patrols along Main Street, they walk along the river – not for enforcement, but to ensure people are safe and that no one needs assistance.

In Kwanlin Dun, Bill said staff are surveying homeless people to find out what their needs are, whether they couch-surf, stay with friends or live on the street and what resources they access.

This will help identify gaps in aid.

She said the First Nation is raising money for a crisis fund, to be used for people living in the community from other Yukon First Nations in case of emergency – such as the death of 17-year-old Brandy Vittrekwa in December.

Kwanlin Dun raised money for her family so her body could be transported home to Fort Macpherson, N.W.T., for a funeral. Because Vittrekwa wasn’t a Kwanlin Dun citizen, the money the First Nation has earmarked for its own couldn’t be used.

“It’s the only thing I can do that’s immediate and that can help in a pinch,” Bill said of the fund.

A former foster child, Bill is also working on opening up a group home and transition home in the community.

“These kids are turned on to the street (once they turn 19), with not a dime in their pocket and no place to go,” she said. “It’s unacceptable.”

In the past several years, five Kwanlin Dun members transitioned out of foster care and are living on the street, Bill said.

Maté, a renowned addictions and mental health expert, spoke in the afternoon, and was rewarded with a standing ovation.

“Vulnerability,” he said, traces back to a Latin term that means humans’ capacity to be wounded.

“Obviously, as human beings, we are all vulnerable, from conception to death,” he said. “But who is more vulnerable than others?”

It’s not an individual question, he said, but rather a social and cultural one.

Maté said anything can be analyzed on its own. Diabetes can be considered solely a health problem, rheumatoid arthritis can be examined as a joint problem, and addictions as “people making dumb choices.

“We can isolate everything but do we understand anything if we isolate things?”

Maté pointed to statistics that show various health problems, including asthma and diabetes, are much higher among aboriginal people.

“That means there is vulnerability there,” he said. “They are more likely to be hurt.”

He spoke about the effects of residential schooling in Canada. An adverse upbringing – one that involves abuse, the death of a parent, divorce, violence, parental addictions or mental illness – leads to a higher risk of various ailments, addictions and mental illness, he said.

“We’re all connected,” Maté said. “Everything is connected to everything else.”

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