Pubdate: Thu, 28 Dec 2006
Source: Vue Weekly (CN AB)
Copyright: 2006, Vue Weekly.
Contact:  http://www.vueweekly.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2918
Author: Murray Sinclair

HAPPY HOLIDAYS, KIDS ... NOW GET THE HELL OUT

Just four days before christmas, Embattled iHuman Youth  Society 
faces eviction-againKevin Peter pauses for a  while when pondering 
whether he would return to a life  of crime and drugs if the iHuman 
Youth Society can't  find a new building to operate out of.

"I don't know," the 18-year-old society client slowly  replies. 
"There's a big possibility."

The prospect of the society having no home was made  much more real 
just four days before Christmas, when  the City of Edmonton's 
subdivision and development  appeal board rejected iHuman's appeal to 
keep its  programs operating in its current building.

Society board chair Sandra Bromley says the decision  could soon 
leave iHuman and its programs out on the  streets.

"It's a scenario many iHuman youth are all too familiar  with," says 
a group press release.

iHuman is a non-profit, charitable organization that  works with 
high-risk youth, promoting their  reintegration into the community, 
according to the  release.

"Addictions are one of the youths' greatest problems,  with crystal 
meth being the drug of choice," it  explains.

The help for the group's high-risk youth clientele,  including many 
who are living or working on the  streets, comes through a program 
involving crisis  intervention, arts mentorship and life-skills development.

"iHuman helped me a lot," says veteran client Peter.  "They gave me 
all my maturation to get my life in line  and straighten out. They 
taught me there's more to life  than drugs and crime."

After what he called a "huge history" of criminal  offences like 
stealing property, he started coming to  iHuman five years ago to use 
its day services.

"They always accept me no matter what," Peter says. "I  can paint, 
draw or do anything."

He calls the city board's decision a great loss,  because of all the 
work and trouble that have gone into  making iHuman what it is.

Growing out of high-risk youth working on a gun  sculpture in the 
late 1990s, iHuman's previous home was  in the former headquarters of 
the CN Police, in an  unused building next to the CN tower on 101 Street.

While the company that owned the building allowed  iHuman to operate 
there completely free-of-charge, even  paying for utilities, it 
decided to demolish the  building in 2005. From October of that year 
to January  2006, the society was homeless, leaving its staff 
to  meet clients in coffee shops.

iHuman found a former dry-cleaning and printing shop in  an old 
industrial park at 11355 - 105 Avenue, near  Oliver Square, and was 
initially approved to move in by  a city development officer. But 
iHuman Youth Society  board president Lorris Williams says the 
approval was  appealed by some nearby landowners and an area 
community association, neither of which could be  reached for comment.

The development officer apparently did not know that  iHuman 
building's area had its zoning changed in late  2005 by the city to 
allow for only the sort of  high-rise condominiums that have been 
sprouting out in  the area more recently.

The latest judicial move came on Dec 21, when the  development appeal 
board upheld an order that the  society should not use the building 
for its programs,  which are designated as health services due to 
their  harm-reduction and prevention nature.

"There was no medium for justice," says Gabrielle  Rodgers, an iHuman 
youth worker, of the case. "We were  just breaking the bylaw. It's 
such a kick in the ass to  us, so close to Christmas."

Brianna Olson, a staff social worker and recovered  addict who 
received her training through the society,  agreed.

"They didn't look at our situation or what we were  doing," she says 
of the judgment. "What positive effect  on our neighbourhood was not 
taken into consideration."

Rodgers says she was also once in a situation like that  of many of 
the society's youth clients before iHuman  helped her and today 
serves as a role model. If the  group has to move out of its current 
building before  finding another a replacement, she fears the 
clients  will be shattered.

"They depend on it day to day, feeling they belong,"  Rodgers says of 
the service.

Client Tina Leduc says iHuman helped her get back on  her feet this 
year, after pulling her away from a life  of getting drunk and 
fighting with friends and going  "to jail all the time."

"The government's not going to see that because [it's]  all about the 
money, not about what's going to help  youth," the 17-year-old said. 
"The government's not  very smart. [It's] paying more money for us to 
go to  jail."

iHuman chair Bromley, fearing the late-December appeal  was the 
society's last chance to delay eviction, says  the group just wants 
to stay until it can find another  suitable building.

"Redevelopment of the area may not begin for  months-what harm is 
there in allowing iHuman to stay  operational for the time being?" she asks.

Lawyer Linda Duncan, who coincidentally came down to  donate money to 
iHuman on behalf of some artist friends  the day after the decision, 
does not understand why  anyone would object to iHuman's current location.

"I think it's a fantastic program," says Duncan, who  attended a 
society function with federal NDP Leader  Jack Layton when she was a 
candidate for the party in  the last election.

She notes the irony of a youth arts group being  dislocated while the 
city under Mayor Stephen Mandel  wants to promote the arts.

iHuman president Williams says city council has tried  to help the 
society find a new location, but  understands how it would not want 
to interfere with an  existing plan to redevelop the area by stepping 
in to  rezone the society building's current location.

The board will wait until it gets some paperwork  outlining the 
decision from the city to decide its next  move, Williams says, which 
could include going to  court.

He says he is focused on getting a new building, which  has been made 
difficult by Edmonton's high lease rates  and low lease availability.

"iHuman staff and board members have made every effort  to address 
the problem and to relocate," the press  release added.

The new building must be central, close to public  transportation, 
have an electrical supply and washrooms  and measure 450 square 
metres, to fit in an art room,  locked storage and office, music, 
meeting, drama and  dance areas.

Williams says the society's programs have "blossomed"  since it moved 
into its current location, so being  homeless this time would be 
worse than during the last  fall and winter.

"Some of the crisis intervention work can be done, but  it's hard," 
he says, noting that the group serves 18 to  24 youths in a given day 
out of the 60 served in total.

Rodgers says she wouldn't be able to work with the kids  or do the 
stuff she likes to do, noting she works at  iHuman to help-more than 
for a paycheque.

"It's absolutely crucial we get a new building," Olson  adds. 
"Otherwise, we can't offer arts, theatre, film or  dance: the things 
that make iHuman unique."
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