Whitehorse to hold forum today on protecting the homeless

Hundreds are expected to take part in a forum today in Whitehorsefocused on how to help the city's homeless and other vulnerable people.

The event is sponsored by the Kwanlin Dun First Nation and the City of Whitehorse.

Mayor Dan Curtis says it's an issue that has to be addressed and people tell him so.

"People [walk]up, and political leaders [walk]up, saying'you'vegot todo something about this, you'vegot todo something about it,'" Curtis says.

"Well, we are doing something about it. We're engaging the community;we're looking for solutions."

Kwanlin Dun chiefDoris Billsays one topicwill be the people often seenatthe city's waterfront.She sayssome are Kwanlin Dun members, butthere are also members ofother First Nations, andnon-aboriginalpeople.

Bill says some city residents are irritated by the people on the waterfront, but she says they all have a right to be there.

"We have a long, long history on the waterfront and that's not going to change," Bill says. "But what we can change is how we assist people."

Homeless people or people with no fixed address are at risk in manyways, Bill says,including exposure to extreme weather conditions. Shesays every homeless person who dies from exposure in Whitehorse is a painful reminder of how vulnerable some people are.

"For Kwanlin Dun, it's reality. It's a fact of life.It's something that we are always dealing with," she says.

But Bill argues that everybody in the city needs to step up.

"This is a community problem," she says.

Both Curtis and Bill say theirmain priority is protecting vulnerable people from harm.Curtis says he's counting on community members to come up with solutions "tangible, action items we can do quickly," he says.

The forum is scheduled to start at 8:30 a.m. at the Kwanlin Dun Cultural Centre,and continue most of the day.

A panel discussionwill include representatives from Kwanlin Dun, RCMPand the Yukon Anti-Poverty Coalition. Renowned author and physicianGabor Matwill be the keynote speaker.