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ADVOCACY PROGRAM

Defend the poor and fatherless; Do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy; Free them from the hand of the wicked.  Psalm 82: 3-4

We all have a story

Our Advocacy Program provides a platform for those without a voice to share their stories.  To be seen and heard in a world where they may often be passed by. Thank you for listening. 

Names have been changed for security. Dates of stories range between 2018 – present; stories are not kept up-to-date and may not be chronological. We understand that we live in a small community and that these stories are delicate. We seek to honour the stories of those who have shared and ask that you view them with reverence to the weight many in our community carry. 

Angela's Story

MB: Do you live in Regina?  

A: I was born here at about 5 years old. I moved to Port Hardy, BC my dad works in the mine down there and then after the mine shut down, we moved back to Regina. So I was about 10 or 12. Yeah, I live down here. My kids live in the east end. 

MB: How many kids do you have? 

A: I have five. Three of them are adults. My [oldest daughter is] going to school to be a lawyer and my oldest son is a computer engineer. And my youngest two are 12 and 13.  

MB: What are 3 words that first come to mind that you would use to describe yourself? 

A: I’m loving, I’m understanding, and I have great courage and strength. 

MB: From other people, what’s one of the best compliments you’ve ever gotten.  

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A: My roommate calls me her saviour.  I help people a lot.  Give a person the shirt off my back and give them a place to stay.  I’d give them shoes and a jacket and whatever they need.  If they need it and feed them if they need to be fed. My house has become like the spot that, you know, somebody’s having a bad time or they’re having a rough night. They come to my house and they’ll come stay with us for the night. Because of my surgeries and stuff, social services wanted to take my kids from me, so I gave them to [family] they’re better off with [them] because the meds and stuff that they say I wasn’t able to take care of my kids. And because of the amount of pain I’m in when I’m not on them. It didn’t matter what I do, they weren’t gonna give them back to me, so instead of. Having them go someplace else…but I get to talk from all the time they facetime me. And I can go there whenever I want. I could spend the night if I want so like I said, they’re better off.  I’m sick of fighting with social services. I can’t do it anymore. So I said you guys are killing me. I don’t want to come in anymore. to stand in front of everybody and hear what social services thinks is wrong with you.  Everything. So I said I’m done. 

This is embarrassing in front of a room full of people I don’t know, and their entire family, and you made me sound like a ******* dirtbag for every week. It’s frustrating. The system sucks sometimes. And I even said to them one day and I said I have 3 adult children. I said they all went through high school. One is going to be a lawyer… One is a computer engineer, paying for it by himself, I said, my youngest one is autistic and he still lives with me and to this day will defend me to no end and say I’d rather stay with my mom than going anywhere else. 

 So I lost my babies. But you know, just me, a big part of their life and they’re there when they need anything and they go there all the time and I can’t go there when I’m sick and I can’t go over there. They’re sick. Which is really sucky. I was capable enough to have three children graduate and go to university and you still think I’m not capable of looking after my 2 little kids? Not fair.   

MB: Do you still live with your husband? 

A: Yeah. He’s the only one that supports me besides my mom. She’s the only family I have left. My dad’s passed away, and my grandparents passed away. I have a brother here in town that went as far as to tell me if I ever posted anything on Facebook that I wasn’t to tag him in it because he didn’t want to be associated with me. And my sister’s in BC and my one sister hardly remembers who I am because she had a stroke. So like I have three family members left and only two of them talk to me and it’s like, you know? And then there’s my kids. And like I said, my one son will probably never leave my house. Probably never leave me till the day I die. And my oldest son… the only time I like really got to talk to him, really listen to him because he plays video games with my other son online. So he’s always talking to him through the headphones so I’m in the room when he’s talking him. So I sit there and listen to his voice. There’s nothing that I would want more than to be able to go back home to be with my kids. They want me to. But I can’t. But they’re not mad at me about it. So that’s good. I love them lots. They know I’m sick. Because like I said, I was classified as crazy. I guess when always telling me, hey, you’re crazy. Yeah, well, I’m crazy, just like you. You know you’re not. You’re good. She’s like, that’s OK. I’d rather stay with you mom.  

MB: What was your favourite thing to do in childhood that you don’t do anymore? 

A: Go back to being a girl guide. I loved everything about camping and everything else, and I was I went as far as being Pathfinder. I wanted to be a guide leader and stuff but I didn’t.I love being able to camp and be away for a while  

MB: Do you get to camp?  

A: I did when my dad was alive.  

MB: Well, I’ll pray that maybe that opportunity somewhere along the line with your kids or maybe in the future with grandkids, things like that, even just.  

A: You know what I do with my kids now?  Oh yeah, I take a blanket out there because I I knit them or crochet, I should say crochet them blankets last year. They’re like the size of a single bed like. Took me a long time to do it and it’s all different color wool because I couldn’t get the same wool every time I went back to the dollarstore to buy more it was sold out, so it’s like it’s multicolored stuff. So when I go over there, I’m like, hey, go get your blankets. Take the blankets out and we lay them on the hill. We lay down and we watch the stars. And we look at the lights and stuff at night.  

Raylene's Story

MB: Tell us a little bit about where you grew up. You mentioned you have a really interesting story. 

R: Yeah, well, I did as as a Caucasian lady, definitely. I grew up here and I was born in Regina. I was a young girl. I moved out to a small town, moved to Wadena. I spent a lot of time on the reserve out of fishing Lake. So as a Caucasian woman who grew up on a reserve, it was tough.  As my dad brought me back to the city, he lost his job and the Regina Qu’Appelle Health region made a bunch of cuts way back in ’98-’99. So, we had to go somewhere, so he brought me back to the city here.   

MB: When did you leave the city and then come back? 

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R: I was just like, so I spend like my kindergarten to grade 8 out of town. So, you know, it’s very and then grade eights you’ve already done your high school out in Wadena.   

So I graduated Grade 6, went to high school, and then back here for grade eight and had to go back to elementary school. I grew up with like I said a lot of native culture around me and coming into the city, as I look very Caucasian and you know there’s no, there’s no doubt about it and find it, it’s hard to find a find a niche to fit into, you know, because there’s, I told my story, even to the people that I’m friends with now.  I realized the racism that they faced and kind of told them I kind of faced flip-flop racism. You know there’s a there’s a good way to look at it. Just because you know I wanted my culture that I knew and grew up with, I, you know, I want to go watch a Pow Wow, go to a sweat. But, you know, they didn’t look at me like I should or fit in. Right. But it’s only the only thing I grew up with at that point in time. I found my niche, found many people. And like I said, downtown here.  

Here a lot of people are scared of downtown here. Yeah, it’s you can be on the streets. It’s pretty rough down here, but like I said of five years, I bet you I’ve only had a home for 18 months of those five years. So we’re in and out of shelters for sure. Going from couch to couch, that sort of thing, of course being an addict and stuff like that the streets are tough.  

I wasn’t an addict until I lost my mom and dad.  

MB: When was that?  

R: 2017 

MB: And you lost both your parents? 

R: I lost my mom in 2017. Lost my mother-in-law in 2017 and me and my kids’ dad broke up.  We split our three kids up and then [I lost] my dad, [all] in 20 months. And my job. Yes. So hard time. Yeah. Lot of tragedy. Tragedy. Yeah, that’s usually what brings addicts together, right? Pain and tragedy. I wish I knew how to grieve a little better than I did. It’s hard, you know, as I look, I can walk into some place. And I’m looked, you know, the hospital’s a big one I’m looked at right away. You know, I’m helped instantly. Oh, yeah. Because my, you know, and I’ve hurt or this or that. But as soon as I tell them my past then there will be the changes, right? Yeah. And they tell them, you know, I’m an addict, you know, you got to be honest, especially with healthcare. You’re getting healthcare and things like that. But just to see the way that the difference they treat you unbelievable.  Even walking into a store, say, five years ago. You know, and you know, seeing how they treated the native people around here and things like that. Well, you know, I could be standing there shoplifting in front of them and they wouldn’t bat an eye. But, you know. This you know, the native person is doing nothing wrong. It’s just it’s tough out here. Yeah, it’s, it’s an interesting story. It’s backwards. Then some people. Yeah. But I have been here, in Regina. I did. I worked for 17 years of my life. My oldest son is 21 years now.  

My kids have been with their father since I realized that I didn’t want them in the system. I realized I wasn’t in the right spot to be the mother they needed. 

MB: And your ex is able to care for them? 

R: Absolutely, 100%. He’s got a job. He was deemed essential business during COVID, so their lives didn’t change when COVID hit. They still got up and yeah.  

He was a shitty partner, but he’s a phenomenal father and I can’t thank him enough.   

And he still talks to me. And now wants me to get better. 

MB: That’s amazing.  That’s the definition of love, right? 

R: Yeah, like it is and it helps. But [my son] sent me a message about a month ago and he said that one of his friends passed away from a Fentanyl overdose. He says he said to me, you know.. He says the next call is gonna be you. Right, he says. You know, he knows that right now is the time that I need it the most, he said, anytime you want to go for lunch, call me. So I talked to him about six months and he apologize for ignoring me. You know, he’s old enough to make his own choices. He’s the one he chose to leave me when he was 16, he noticed what was going on. I wasn’t an addict until 2019 and I worked a job for 14 years… the same job 14 years, you know? Yeah. So.  

If you asked me but I was 34 years old, if I’d be here when I was 40 I never would have dreamed it…… I’ve gone through a hell of a lot in five years. You know where the lot of people have lived it for since they were like 12 years old. You know, even younger 10, 12, they’ve been around it, And I’ve only lived it for five and a half, not even six years. Yeah. So I’ve seen what they’ve seen in 30 years in six. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Real quick. 

But hey, you only got to be ready… to be when you’re ready. And I was clean last year. For six months, I relapsed. So I know. I know the other side of it. Yeah, it’s coming with this, this lovely lady and her husband. It’ll work 

MB: So are you clean now? Or are you working towards it?  

R: I’m getting there. Like you said that it does take a lot of mental preparation. Yeah. You gotta be ready for it. I was like I said, well I guess I should have said, I’ve never actually been ‘clean clean’ per say. But I’m addicted to fentanyl, like I said, for five years. A lot of people don’t see that when they look at me, right. And it’s an ugly it’s. It’s what it’s done to this society and what it’s done to this world is incredible. Yeah. I just got to watch it, you know, because I still have a lot of wits with me. But there are a lot of people out here that have lost any sort of touch with reality or any sort of touch with even life, kind of thing like I still believe in honesty and truth and then they you know, you know, they don’t lie to take care of one another. If we can go back that way we can’t, you know. And then just the addiction is it’s too heavy and to being out at yourself I can you know I can relay that message right. 

I say, you know, even though I am an addict, you know, I can tell people, don’t trust them. They won’t say they will tell you the truth. The only thing they’re worried about is them and their fix and they’re looking at me and they shake their heads and are like, aren’t you an addict? I say yeah I am. Yeah, you know, I’m not going to lie to you, but I’m going to tell you that everybody else is. You know, anything like that? Yeah. So it’s been tough out there.  

I’m just about ready to do it (detox) again and like I said, this lady has made it possible. Her and her husband took me in, and yeah, it’s amazing. There are some good people out here still. Yeah, they are.  

I’m only 40, but I still got a lot right. I haven’t lost my body. I haven’t lost my mind yet.  

So the grief is what kind of brings us together and the housing issues is huge here. Like you should see them. Like I went to Carmichael. They’re crammed in tables. You’re sleeping sitting up. I can’t even get into Regina Housing with my kids because I owe SaskPower money.  

I need power in my own name to get into Regina housing. So that means I get 3 bedroom condo for 650 bucks, has power won’t hook me up. They won’t allow you to pay payments. Nothing. You know? So just simple like that to get my own home, you know? 

That’s been a tough one. I know the [Queen City] Pharmacy has been advocating a lot. I know last year they did a lot of advocation, but yeah, like we like those guys over there like they were just over here, down across from Pepsi Park. They moved up there and they’ve done so much for us, they’re amazing. 

MB: They’ve got another ID clinic coming up too.  

R: Well, I don’t have a card or ID, but you know I’ve got a place where I’m safe so.  

MB: I’m glad that you’re in a place where you’re safe right now.  You know you have the love of your kids, the love of your ex, the love of the couple that you’re staying with. You are so loved. And that is just beautiful. 

R: Yeah, I just gotta turn around and love me back now. Turn around. Yeah, I’ll beat either. I’m ready. They do. It’s all up in here. Yeah. You know, and it really is. You can’t help somebody until they help themselves. That’s a big one. And you can’t force somebody to do something they’re not ready to do. But I asked these guys if they would help me. You know, I said it’s going to be a rough 3 days. I’m going to want to kill you. You might have to lock me in a bedroom. Keep dehydrated, keep sliding food under the door. But when those three days hit, you take me down to the clinic and away will go. You know, I’ve been on it. I’ve done it.  

You feel like you’re gonna die. But I know that. I know that. I know the outcome on the other side of it. 

Whitney's Story

MB: You said that you were from Manitoba? Did you just come up by yourself? 

W: No. Well, I had seven kids.  My oldest is 36, my second is 35, my third is 33. My 4th one would have been 29 next month when he passed away.  Yeah. Overdose on fentanyl. And then I have a 26 year old, 24 year old, and a 23 year old. The same month my son did that one of my 15 year old granddaughters. She overdosed on Fentanyl too. She’s only 15. She would have been 19 this year.  But yeah, so when my 26 year old was just a baby. My sister moved here with her daughter, she’s already 26 or 27. She came here when she was a baby. Her dad, the dad. Then my mom moved here. But I really missed my mom and my sister. We were just coming for a visit 26 years ago and we never left. 

MB: Oh, that’s beautiful.  What made you stay? 

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W: My mom, my mom and my sister. Yeah.  So we brought all my kids here and we just stayed for now.  I was still having babies when I came here. I had five when we left Winniped and we got here I had two more. We had two more me and my ex. We are still friends. So yeah, we’re like best of friends. And. Yeah. So I had two kids here. They’re those are ones that are 24 and 23. And we’ve just been here since.  I didn’t want to leave my mom. So we just stayed. And then my ex went back to Winnipeg. He went back and packed up all our stuff, sold our furniture because we just recently bought all that furniture and like most of it was like brand new and I got it because I got back pay for my older kids for child tax. So I went and bought brand new beds, everything, everything was almost brand new from what I bought. So my ex just went back and brought everything. Sold everything. My cousin that lived here. He’s deceased now too, but he took him back to Winnipeg sold our stuff and came back here with the money and we just stayed. So yeah, it’s going to be 27 years.  

MB: That’s amazing. What a great story! 

W: Yeah I tell everybody we came here for a visit 26 years ago.  Longest visit ever. Now I have 13 grandchildren. 12 now that 1 passed away.  

MB: Do they all live in the city too? 

W: Yeah all live in the city.  My oldest granddaughters are going to be 19 on June 23rd.  They’re twins. I can’t believe I have 18 year old granddaughters. How do I even have a 36 year old kid? I’m like oh, I’m not that old. Not a kid anymore, but like, oh my.  

MB: So if you could use 3 words to describe yourself. What 3 words do you think you’d use? 

W: Like I’m very helpful when when I can be, you know, like somebody needs something. Yeah, you know, like. I’m there, you know, like I’m not. I’m not like ‘ugh i don’t want to do that’. Hey, I’ll do it like I can do it. I’m able to do. 

MB: What’s your favourite part about helping people?  

W: Just the feeling that I get. Like to say, you know like, oh, I helped that person.  And I never expect anything back. I never expect to get repaid for anything that I do for somebody you. If it comes back to you, then it comes back to you. 

MB: What’s one of the ways that someone else has been most helpful in your life?  

W: Well, right now, because I’m homeless, I’ve been staying with my mum, so that really helps me to stay like I wasn’t. I wasn’t really on the street. I was staying with my friends. But he likes to drink and I don’t drink.  And it was very hard to be around him when he was drunk because yeah. He’d have his music so loud I couldn’t even hear myself. Like when we tried to talk to me. He doesn’t really drink every day but when he does drink, he goes for days and days and days, and I just couldn’t put up with that anymore. So my mom said well you can come and stay here if you want.  So I’ve been at my mom’s for a couple of months now. That really helps too, because then I know I could relax. 

Len's Story

L: Good thing I shaved this morning! I wasn’t gonna shave for a while

MB: Laughter: What’s your name?

L: Len from the Ochapowace First Nation.

MB: What brought you to Regina?

L: I was born and raised here.

MB: You have family here?

L: Yeah, sisters. One sister, the other sister deceased back in 2010

MB: What happened?

L: Just smoked too much.

MB: You have a place right now?

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L: Yeah a little rooming house, shared bathroom, shared kitchen. I was surprised. I was living in an apartment by myself, master suite for 650 and then I got fired and I couldn’t afford the 650 so uh, I went to social services and starting getting assistance and they put me on the TEA program (Temporary Employment Allowance). They didn’t give me enough to pay my rent, it was only $583. So I put as much towards the rent as I could. The landlord waited until I owed one month rent, then he evicted me. It was reasonable, I cleaned it up the best I could. And then this friend of mine told me about Recovery Manor. So he talked to this one guy and next thing I know I was looking at it, really happy cuz I could get off my friend’s couch. I was getting in his hair and he was getting in mine

MB: Laughter: That does happen when you are in close quarters like that

L: Ya, I wasn’t used to that, I was used to bein’ by myself.

MB: So do you have any work right now?

L: Nah, constantly searching everyday

MB: What did you used to do?

L: Maintenance. When I lost my license, it was my own stupidity. I need it back but it’s going to cost me some money. I went way down in debt, I didn’t know how I did. Just by having one drink.

MB: Tell me about your sign, what does that mean to you?

L: Jesus is the most amazing person to ever walk this work. He found me in the year 2000

MB: What happened in the year 2000?

L: He came into my life. I was hurting and something happened to me, I can’t explain it, you have to experience it for yourself. The Holy Spirit changed me.

Laura's Story

MB: Good to meet you, Do you call Regina home?

L: Yup. This is my home. I lived here most of my life. I lived on the reserve for a while. Had my family here. Got one brother, one sister. Still here. They all live in the city. I don’t have a big family. I was homeless a couple of years ago and even though my family is still in the city I didn’t bother with them. They would see me, they would take me home once in a while. But I would leave because I had addictions. I was an alcoholic. I had a rough life. And to this day I still live a rough life. Even though I live with my daughter and have my own home. I’m in and out of the hospital all the time cuz of my liver. Damaged, very damaged from alcohol. Sometimes I still go out drinking and I don’t know why but I do. 

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L: And when I do that I don’t go home, I live out on the streets. I have street friends out there that keep me safe. I’m not exactly alone and scared and whatnot. Not like the first time. I was crying. Scared. I had no place to stay. Sleeping out at night. Wintertime. That was no fun. Sleeping under a Christmas tree trying to stay warm. I’m slowly building up to where I want to be.

MB: It’s a slow process. I’m encouraged to hear you’re on your way

L: Yeah I was sick for a while. Like I had a walker. In pain. I could hardly walk. Even when I came here. Carmichael is a good place. It’s like a second home to me. I know everybody. Family, someone to talk to. They helped me find a place but my one friend screwed it up. And we got kicked out. He got me out of a good place and we were back on the street. I looked at him and was like, well are you going to help me find a home now. I was left all by myself then. And it was kind of hard to get back on my feet again. I just turned back into a drunk and I didn’t care. I got sick. I almost died. I ended up in ICU. My oldest didn’t like me when I was drinking. We are starting to get close again. My daughter is struggling cuz she has to raise three kids all by herself. She goes to work and she can’t make ends meet. Try to pay the power bill and this or that. I help out whatever I can, my little cheque of welfare I get. And I give it to her and I buy the food or whatever they need. I worry about my grandkids. As long as my grandkids have food and a shelter over their heads, that’s all I care. Sometimes they run out of food. Sometimes I have to go back out on the street and I panhandle. I have to swallow my pride and tell people that I’m hungry and I’m homeless and I have grandkids that need food. It takes me a while to ask people for money. It’s hard. It’s hard to live that kind of life. I’m not ashamed anymore. I have to do what I have to do to survive. And for my grandkids and my family.

A homeless woman in Regina Saskatchewan

Sarah's Story

MB: So tell me a bit of your story, have you always been in Regina?

S: Yeah I’ve been in Regina my whole life

MB: How old are your three kids?

S: 1,2, and 4

MB: So he (oldest) will be in school next year?

S: He’s already in school and he’s (pointing to second) will be in pre-school.

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MB: So how long have you been coming to Carmichael?

S: I’ve been coming here since I was 5 with my dad.

MB: Is your dad still in town?

S: He’s in jail.

MB: Any other family in town?

S: Yeah all my family.  I only have 2 grandmas and the rest are deceased.

MB: So is most of your day looking after these three? I can only imagine.

S: Yeah. We go for walks all the time. We walk to my aunties. She only lives 5 blocks away from us.  It’s just me and the kids.

Mike's Story

MB: Hey Mike, are you from here?

M: For 19 years I’ve been here.

MB: What brought you here in the first place?

M: Jail.

MB: When did you get out?

M: When I was 19.

MB: What have you been doing these last 19 years?

M: Living life. Partying.

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MB: How long have you been with Carmichael?

M: 5 years.

MB: Are they good folks?

M: They are. One big happy family.

MB: Do you have family around?

M: Yeah I do.

MB: Do you see them?

M: I really don’t bother my family.

MB: Do you have a place?

M: Yes I do. It’s an apartment which Carmichael helped me get. I’m by myself.

MB: When you’re not there where are you?

M: Here {Carmichael}. I volunteer. Work on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

MB: What kind of work do you do?

M: I answer the door for the donations. Then I haul the stuff for the donations to the sorting room and then from the sorting room I put it up for the public. And I help with the housing team to house people and the moves. Help them move in and move out. Help them move into a new place

MB: that would be fun

M: It is fun. And see their emotions in their faces.

MB: Have you ever had to live on the street?

M: I did for two years. It’s tough. Especially in winter.

MB: What did you do to survive in the winter?

M: Find the warmest parkade ever. Hope security doesn’t kick you out.

MB: Do you mind if I take your photo?

M: Yeah (insert pose) .

Maybell Developments Regina portrait story project photo

Justin's Story

MB: With all the rider gear I assume you are from around here? 

J: I was born here but then I moved to Calgary  

MB: When did you move to Calgary?  

J: I was months, months old. I was there until I was 13.  

MB: Do your parents live together?  

J: No, mother’s real spun out and dad, I don’t know, Dad isn’t really there. He got diabetes and kind of broke his back six times, and I dunno, I can’t explain her life, cause I don’t know, but she puts a smile on everyday.  

MB: What brought you here? 

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J: 11 years old and my mother was put in jail, my dad told me at that point that he couldn’t handle me anymore and told me to get out. So I just walked my way through Calgary to my aunties house and my aunties like, well, I guess you go to the foster home for the night because we can’t keep you here so I went to the foster home for the night and they called my parents, well I guess my mother, and she had gotten, I guess, a parole or whatever and they put me on the bus here and I’ve been here ever since.  

MB: Is she still out? 

J: I don’t know where she is now, she did something 5 years ago there when my Grandpa passed away and like I asked her not to do it but she went to his house and took some money from him and a mentally ill person that lives in the house. But uh, she just involves me in it, and I got picked up for it, even though I didn’t do it. It looked to my family like I had done something even when I hadn’t. So when I got out I got from social services I was very vocal I guess about wanting to hurt my mother and I got put in jail for it. When I got out I found myself alone on the street and not able to trust anybody. Not because of drugs, because simply I had been put in a @#$% situation.  

MB: So what gets you through day to day? 

J: Just making.. one person smile, that’s it.  

Mark's Story

“I moved out here to take care of my mom. She had diabetes and she lost her leg. I was roofing and now I’m having problems with my legs so I can’t roof. It’s all I really know how to do. My mom past away a year and a half ago and since then I’ve kind of been homeless. I was living at her house helping her and when she died Regina Housing had to kick me out because I was only one person and it was a two room place. That’s what they do. So that’s how I got stuck doing this. When it’s nice like this and I can make 20 or 30 bucks in a day I have a place I can pay $20 and take $10 for food and eat there or else I can go to a shelter if I can’t make no money and it’s really cold and I’ll sleep at the shelter. You have to be there early. I can make more money at night sometimes instead of the day and if you go late you can’t get in. You can go to Salvation Army and they have a hallway that you can sit in to warm up, that’s the best I can do.”

Dennis' Story

“I went to University of Saskatchewan. I got mentally ill. I didn’t know that I was sick and I jumped in front of a train because I was so scared; I was seeing and hearing things and I later found out a couple weeks later that I had a mental illness. I’ve been living in Regina since 2000. I was at the Phoenix Residential Society and they gave me an apartment and taught me to be sober and I was sober for 5 years. I lived with other people in the same apartment building as other people with mental illness. Being on the streets is not the life I want but it’s the one that I got. I slipped back into drug addiction and that’s where I’m at now. (When asked about mental illness) I’m doing real better lately. Haven’t had any delusions for a long time. I have a mental health worker who helps me, a social worker. It’s pretty good.” 

Kylie's Story

MB: How long have you been in Regina? 

Kylie: Since October 3rd 

MB: Oh man, you’re new! Where were you originally? 

K: Winnipeg I guess. And I moved to Grenfell in May. 

MB: So what brought you to Regina? 

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K: I actually got stranded here cuz I was in the hospital and um, issues I guess. Issues I had to deal with. And I got into Kate’s Place. This is my first time even coming to Carmichael. So I’m just trying to find what resources Regina has. 

(discussion on services in Regina) 

MB: So what is Kate’s Place? 

K: It’s through Regional Housing Authority. It’s for women who are in and out of jail all the time. It’s related to drugs and addictions. My addiction was alcohol. And so I’m signed up for treatment for that. I don’t want to go back to a small town. There’s not too much support. 

MB: Do you have family around here? 

K: I do have family in the city. I just don’t know where they live right now. I did meet up with one but I want to stay out of trouble so, that’s the whole point. 

MB: What gets you through day-to-day? 

K: Well, I just got out of detox again. Trying to find where I can go for AA meetings. Trying to figure this out. I have all my education and everything. I’m so used to working. I’m in a rut right now. 

MB: What education do you have? 

K: Business Admin and my first year in Psychology. Didn’t take me too far though. I ended up doing construction. That’s what I’m looking at right now. I can’t start work until I deal with the treatment situation first. 

MB: Were you on site doing work? 

K: I worked for a company in Winnipeg called Build. From that I went to building for flood evacuees in northern Manitoba. I did lots of work there. I just ended up leaving. 

Carl's Story

MB: Shawna signed you up for this?  

Carl: Yes she’s been very bossy with me (laughter). She’s like a supervisor to me.  

MB: You from Regina originally?  

C: Yes. I’ve been on my own since I was 15 and I’ve been around a lot. Yorkton, Regina, Saskatoon. Back to Regina. Then to Manitoba, then back to Regina. Then to Edmonton. Then back to Regina, it’s like oh my god. Regina has always been my home since I was like 15.  

MB: Do you have family here? Is that what keeps bringing you back?  

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C: I have relatives and all that but I don’t really bother them all that much. Regina is just familiar. It’s where I grew up and went to school and all that. I have a lot of people. Some relatives out at the reserve and some in Regina. A big family tree.  

MB: Do you have a house here?  

C: Yeah yeah I got a place. A one bedroom house. My niece came to my place for the first time. She’s like “Wow uncle. Your place has no people. It’s so quiet.” I’m like ya. Well I do like my house. She’s out by Yorkton  

MB: Oh, that’s where Yorkton came in then?  

C: Yeah. Cuz I have grandkids out there (you have grandkids!) I’m already a great grandparent (What?!) Ya! (You don’t look old enough for that?!) I know! I mean that’s how much of a big family tree . I happened to be on a date and I got a text message. It said come to my place. I was like, who is this? “It’s me grandpa.” There was a party there and I was having a hard time getting through and she heard me from the other end, she just yelled for everyone to go to the side. I just walked right through. I was like okay. She said just wait here grandpa. I was like, why. She said I have a surprise for you. I was like all right.. She came back holding a baby. I thought she was babysitting for somebody! I’m like ookkay granddaughter. Who are babysitting for? She just burst out laughing. She’s like Grandpa, that’s my baby. I was like oh.my.god. She smiled, yes grandpa, you are a grandparent already. Okay. This was my first great granddaughter I held on to. And I was on a date. Then my date noticed I was crying and goes, did someone hit you in there? No no no no, it has nothing to with anybody. And if you’re going to try and assault anybody you’re going to have to go through me. He’s like, what do you mean. I was holding onto my first great granddaughter. Ohhh, I didn’t mean to rush you. Then we went on with our date. (That’s a really great story) Now, I’m going back to university next year.  

MB: Cool, what are you taking?  

C: I’m going to take Psychology and Native Arts. I just picked up the forms here and I gotta drop them off. Plus I gotta pay $100 for my picture ID and I gotta write a letter to my reserve for funding. So shouldn’t have a problem with that.  

MB: Did you take classes before?  

C: Yeah at the First Nations University of Canada.  

MB: Great Grandpa in university  

C: Yeah, it’s going to take a while to get into it. Getting up for school and that. Routine and all that. Cut down on my hours of trying to stay up all the time. Looking forward to taking Psychology again. I took before when I was 18. And my uh, professor in Edmonton was writing to me, wanting me to go back and finish my degree. So I thought, well I better get back to school cuz two of my granddaughters are in grade 10. They’ll be graduating in two years and then they’ll be going to school. I’ll be going to school for three years. Once they start I’ll be in my last year. Going to school with your grandpa (Laughter)