Boyle St Community Services and Rogers Place
Here we are at Boyle Street Community Services on 101 street and 105 avenue. Since 1971, Boyle Street Community services has been supporting individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness and poverty in Edmonton. Some of the supports and services they provide are as follows:
They provide Housing, support, advocacy and guidance to clients requiring access to AHS addiction and mental health services. They provide Special emphasis on Aboriginal services and cultural practices. But they also employ people as well who help walk the Aboriginal community through Truth and Reconciliation Commission processes and help fill out paperwork for compensation for victims of residential schools.
Lastly, they provide appropriate health care resources written “by street people, for street people” (i.e., how to prevent sunburn and how to deal with pregnancy while you’re homeless etc.)
One of the most interesting spots in downtown is this spot here because what I’ve noticed that across the street, where the arena which is also known as Rogers Place, there are high risers going up and businesses that sprang up whereas on this side, it’s run down and not so much is going on. I’m wondering if you can see the contrast as well.
As we walk towards the LRT vent outside the northeast corner of Rogers on 105 Avenue and 102 street, you will notice lovely pillar of community artwork known as Murals. The mural was painted by two artist, Layla Folkmann and Lacey Jane. They said that they tried to show a little bit of Edmonton’s past, present and future, mirroring the diversity and reality of Edmonton. If you would like to learn more about each of these murals, please click the button below.
At our next stop, we’ll be delving into the loneliness and isolation that comes hand in hand with homelessness. Please make sure you check out each picture of the murals and head south on 102 street, then turn left onto 103a Avenue. On the north side of 103a Avenue, in between 99th and 100th, facing north, you will see the Edmonton Homelessness Memorial.