Tin Can Alley Losing the Tin Cans?
In the Public Services Committee Agenda Packet this week, we learn that staff is asking Council to consider removing the Tin Cans to the Marshall Yard. Their reasons stem mostly from the costs of dealing with unhoused individuals.
Background
We all had great hopes for the PEACE Team presented to Council on April 22 2024 (about 17 minutes in). The MHPS (Medicine Hat Police Service) would be doing regular patrols with other agencies, offering people in encampments the opportunity to connect with housing, etc. They’d be doing the same thing they’d already been doing but would be doing it as a team instead of separately. The Sept 2024 MHPC (Medicine Hat Police Commission) agenda packet (found on this page) mentions the PEACE team and how many contacts they had but not the results.
We were promised performance indicators and have not yet received them. Hopefully they will be on the Oct 16 2024 MHPC agenda.
At the May 13 2024 Public Services Committee meeting we heard about the plans for weekly Block Parties at TCA (starting at about 20 minutes in). No written plans were provided, no questions were asked about security, only about parking.
Staff Says Tin Can Alley (aka Towne Square) Was Successful This Year
Successes
Parking
Block Parties
Lighting for a cause
Community Activiation
Challenges
Encampments happening nightly
Increase in Vandalism and Break-ins
Pods have no temperature control - too hot or too cold
The parking lot revenues are not enough to cover the costs
Pod rental was reduced and then offered for free but nobody wanted them unless security was provided
The Future
Staff says Towne Square will continue to be successful and host events under the very functional solar shade.
This Year’s Issues With TCA
City staff says they did a good job of hosting events at TCA this summer but there were many issues. Here are some of them.
Event hosts – Generally positive reviews from renters. Concerns with safety and cleanliness and the need for security presence during events.
Market pod users – Generally positive reviews from market pod users during high traffic events. They offer shelter from the elements, and protection for their products and goods. The concept of the market pods is well received and positive suggestions to improve are reported. However, some vendors refuse to be set up in the market pods and prefer to be outside or at a table under the canopy area due to heat and bad odours. Prospective vendors will not rent market pods or participate in free events if security is not present or provided.
General public - Generally positive reviews from public attending events. Comments received related to inactivity of market pods as well as loitering, sleeping, and cleanliness of the space. Unsafe for children due to location and close proximity of busy intersections and heavy traffic. Activities that were presented outside of the canopy or tented areas such as obstacle courses/slides were extremely hot and unusable at times.
Did You Know?
Conditions were placed on the Towne Square Occupancy Certificate under Building Safety Codes permitting use of the space without onsite washrooms for a three-year period. Conditions include identification and communication of offsite washrooms and a limitation on continuous hours of occupancy unless portable washrooms are on site for an event.
The City directed people to the only 24 hour public toilet at the transit station, increasing security by adding an extra 12 hrs/day. The March 25 2024 Public Services Committee minutes says that due to “working alone” legislation the City was required to add an additional person from 10pm-6am.
Downtown Washrooms – 24-hour washroom access with security at the downtown Transit Terminal has been in effect for over six months. A mid-way survey to targeted businesses and residents downtown garnered 29 responses compared to the initial 136 responses six months ago. Responses show:
• Stakeholders are seeing less evidence of outdoor washroom usage.
• The number of respondents directing people to the public washrooms at the Transit Terminal has doubled (from 40% to 80%).
• Appreciation for added security in the terminal (and Medicine Hat Police Service confirms they spend less time dedicating resources at this location).
Of note, security costs have increased due to the requirement of two guards at night for ‘working alone’ legislation. There are now two guards on site between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. At this time, Public Services is able to cover the additional costs through operating budget and will evaluate success to bring final recommendations forward once a full year of data is available. (Source March 25 2025 Public Services Committee Minutes)
Today's Agenda Packet goes on to say
“Health and Safety risk of staff and the public increases without any action for a resolution. Risk of vandalism to the market pods and Towne Square infrastructure – several incidents of break-ins to the market pods were experienced in 2023 and continue to escalate in 2024. Expenses were incurred to repair locks and doors on market pods, extensive damage to electrical outlets and power sources in Towne Square and weekly professional cleaning and graffiti removal. Regular weekly staff inspections to the site continue to ensure the area and the market pods are secure, and any repairs or cleaning are identified and scheduled.
Inappropriate use of public space – Encampments are now prevalent and cleared by the PEACE team every Tuesday and Thursday.
Unhoused individuals are moving into the space daily and stashing belongings between the market pods, urinating, found unresponsive and incoherent.
Drug paraphernalia, dirty clothing and assorted items are often left in the space which Community Development staff are not permitted to clean or clear.
Staff often feel unsafe during set up and taken down during event programs.
Despite weekly power washing, the area continues to smell of urine and other unpleasant odours.
#yxh #medicinehat #tincanalley #townesquare #communityTV #comtv #thetrashpanda #pisspoorplanning
