Dear Editor
I have worked with all kinds of people and have seen all kinds of situations during my relatively long life.
However, nothing can top the spectacle that is playing out before me here in what is supposed to be my comfortable, safe and secure retirement home.
There has been much said and written about the grotesque living standards that have become commonplace at the Battlefords Housing Authority. We have seen the state of this organization slide completely down the drain. At a time when one would think it could get no worse, the state of affairs has turned even more desperate. We have had multiple police officers come to our building in each of the last four days, as of Sept. 23.
Thursday night, Sept. 19, a drunken party on the fifth floor led to multiple individuals being led away in handcuffs.
Human feces were left on the floor of the fifth-floor laundry room, in the hallway and in one of the elevators. The mess remained there until Friday morning when the janitor cleaned it up.
On Saturday evening, Sept. 21, property was destroyed and thrown around the fifth-floor common room and in one of the elevators – again along with human feces. The police again attended and hauled away some of the same culprits in handcuffs. Sunday morning one of the tenants cleaned up that mess.
Sunday afternoon, Sept 22, the police again attended the fifth floor where drunken rowdies were again taken away in handcuffs. This time one of the tenants scrubbed the vomit out of both elevators. Close to noon Monday police again attended to remove a wayward guest from the building. All of these incidents can be linked back to the same tenant, but management does nothing. They say, “never mind we’re handling it.”
This has all occurred after countless complaints, reports, meetings, letters and media accounts by literally dozens of individuals – tenants, family members and others. managers, directors, executive directors, presidents, assistant deputy ministers, MLAs, ministers and the Premier have all given their assurances that things were going to be corrected. Yeah, right, and when is that going to happen?
Obviously, not soon. Those that are being paid a great deal of money to do their jobs are simply not doing them. We the tenants, you the taxpayers and our elected officials are being played for suckers. How much more are we expected to take?
I can assure you this is simply not just going to go away. I for one do not like getting played for a fool or a sucker. I worked very long and hard to build a good life for myself, my family and my community. I will not let everything I have worked for get wiped away like this.
It’s only a matter of time before someone gets killed around here. Tenants have been threatened on more then one occasion and the police have already dealt with many dangerous situations.
Natalie Berrecloth
Tenant
Valley View Tower II
