In 2015, Saskatchewan had the highest hospitalization rate in Canada at 25 per 100,000 people. Although this has since decreased to 21.7 per 100,000 people, this still leaves Saskatchewan with the third highest rates in Canada.
We spoke with members of White Pony Lodge, a volunteer group in Regina with the goal of creating a safer and more connected community in Regina’s North Central neighbourhood. White Pony Lodge originally started as a response to gang violence in their community but has evolved to help their community with many issues, including addiction.
Every Friday and Saturday night at 6 p.m., a group of volunteers meet in a non-descript building on 5th Avenue. They begin the evening with a smudging ceremony and a prayer before gearing up with fluorescent orange vests, tongs, buckets, and flashlights. While patrolling the streets, they look for many different things, including abandoned properties, drug paraphernalia such as needles, lighters and spoons and condoms. Anything deemed hazardous to the community is carefully put into buckets and properly disposed of. They wrap up their evening around 9 p.m. with another smudging ceremony and prayer.
'The Future' Investigative Team
