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Downtown Red Deer used to be the heart of our city — a place Red Deerians have always been proud to walk, work, and visit. Today, too many business owners and residents say they don’t feel safe. Addiction-related crime, vandalism, and open drug use are becoming all too common. Enforcement is inconsistent, and accountability often seems to be missing entirely.
We hear a lot about “harm reduction” and “safe supply.” These terms sound compassionate, but in reality, they often make things worse. Calling giving drugs to people “harm reduction” is an oxymoron — like the name “Planned Parenthood,” which sounds like it’s about supporting families, but in practice focuses on abortions rather than parenthood. These approaches can enable harmful behavior instead of addressing the root problems. True compassion isn’t handing someone drugs and walking away — it’s helping them get clean and rebuild their lives. The Chamber of Commerce has recommended creating a society to coordinate community efforts, and I think this makes sense. A society made up of business leaders, social service agencies, and the City could organize resources, track what’s actually working, and make programs effective. It wouldn’t provide services itself, but it could direct funding, coordinate programs, and ensure results. I’ve seen this work firsthand. In my building, drug dealers and problem tenants were removed after six months of working with SCAN and property management, with a police escort. Livability improved, and RCMP patrols increased. Not every neighborhood has someone willing to spend that much time, but a society could help make sure solutions like this happen citywide. I also demonstrated recently how simple it is for the average person to document conditions. I took a photo of The Mustard Seed lineup on 60th Street. A few months ago, I spoke to someone downtown who didn’t think there was a problem because the soup kitchen across the street never had a line. I explained that most people walk up the Red Mile to 60th Street, and they didn’t even know there’s more than one soup kitchen in Red Deer. Small observations like this can make a big difference in understanding the real situation. We need peace officer patrols and a Downtown Ambassador program in summer to encourage visitors and residents to linger, shop, and explore. More people downtown creates natural oversight, which discourages trouble and increases safety. Not all crimes are reported, and not every incident is enforced — I’ve seen this firsthand. Anonymous reporting to a non-police agency, with public maps showing problem areas, would give citizens a safe way to share what they see. Live, publicly accessible cameras downtown, in major parks, and at the CPR Bridge would allow everyone to see activity in real time. This isn’t a surveillance state — it’s community oversight. Social services like Turning Point should be relocated to a controlled district, like Cannery Row or the Michener Center, so access is easier to manage and downtown pressure is reduced. Here’s how I would improve downtown specifically: 1) Year-round peace officer patrols to enforce bylaws and discourage public drug use and vandalism. 2) Summer Downtown Ambassadors program to make the area welcoming and encourage visitors to explore. 3) Anonymous reporting through a non-police agency, with public maps showing problem areas while keeping identities safe. 4) Live, publicly accessible cameras for real-time awareness and community oversight. 5) Relocate social services like Turning Point to a controlled district. 6) Coordinate programs through the proposed society to ensure resources are effective and results are tracked. 7) restore evening bus transit services to bring more people throughout the city downtown and encourage businesses to remain open til 9pm These steps can help restore downtown Red Deer as a place we can all be proud of — safe, vibrant, and welcoming for everyone.
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I am really starting to believe residential units (in particular downtown) with on-street overnight parking should have paid parking permits if you are not the homeowner. If you are a renter downtown this will probably rub you the wrong way, but that's a taxpayer funded street you are using as your personal driveway, you should pay for the privilege.
If your unit includes a driveway, you should use it—driveways exist so streets aren’t overcrowded. We’ve seen complaints from areas like Clearview North about too many vehicles parked on the street, and that’s exactly what driveways are for. Tenants renting rooms shouldn’t automatically get on-street overnight parking without a permit. Many cities are now adapting a universal year-round parking pass/permit for residents without on-site parking. This means that in winter, when on-street overnight parking may not be available, residents could use the pass to park in public/municipal parking (like the Parkade) at no additional cost. Renting out spaces in homes or converted buildings shouldn’t come with free or zoned on-street parking—either the tenant or landlord should provide a permit. Existing street parking downtown tied to residences should be clearly marked or painted a different color to avoid confusion. The number one complaint I hear is that city workers are allegedly parking in public spaces. I haven’t personally seen it, but after hearing it from more than half a dozen people, I’m inclined to believe it’s accurate. Our downtown bus terminal parkade sits 70% empty most of the time, so city employees and councillors should park there with permits, leaving street spaces available for residents and visitors. Even better, take the bus (which means restoring our routes), hop on a scooter or bike, or, like me, simply walk. Let’s truly be the green city we aspire to be! QUESTION: Our downtown needs to be made a priority in the areas of homelessness, as well as drugs and substance abuse which occur openly on our streets, and parking issues. Do you agree? Comments?
ANSWER: Downtown parking probably wouldn’t be such a headache if city employees weren’t allegedly taking up street spots, residents downtown who use the street for parking should be issued paid parking permits, and the Bus Terminal Parkade—most of the time sitting 70% empty—was used more. Bringing our transit system back to pre-COVID levels, with more evening routes, would also make it easier for people to get around without a vehicle. Our downtown needs attention when it comes to homelessness, open drug and substance abuse, and parking issues. Do I agree that downtown should be the absolute priority? Not exactly. Simply pushing the problem out of downtown might make business owners feel safer or give the impression that something has been accomplished, but it isn’t a real solution to homelessness. That’s why plans like the Chamber’s, and the work of local organizations, are important—they focus on practical approaches and partnerships to address these issues while the city provides support and oversight. Regarding drugs and substance abuse, the approach should be clear: addicts need to choose rehab or face legal consequences. If drug use is happening openly on our streets, law enforcement should enforce existing bylaws—but that also requires citizens to report incidents rather than just vent on social media. I’ve personally called the police about open drug use here on the Red Mile, and within five minutes there were two marked and one unmarked vehicles on site. If that’s the response I received, I can’t understand why it wouldn’t happen elsewhere like downtown—though maybe people aren’t calling the police when they see issues. Following things on Facebook, I was starting to wonder if one new coffee shop was the only business in Downtown Red Deer? I went downtown two days last week and spent several hours walking around. I saw a lot of great businesses that need positive attention and customers. Downtown has its challenges but it is still a lot safer then the big cities like Edmonton and Vancouver. Don't let the rumors ruin our community. Shop Downtown Red Deer today!
"Revitalizing Downtown - Create a safer, more accessible downtown from Ross Street outward by supporting local businesses, reducing bureaucracy, improving parking, and encouraging rapid redevelopment of unused properties." Additionally, I believe we need to see more residential development in the downtown core. The large vacant lot at Ross and Gaetz would be an ideal location for a mixed-use building — shops and services on the ground floor with one-bedroom apartments above. Bringing more people downtown around the clock would naturally discourage some of the less desirable activity that happens there. As a bedroom community, our long-term success depends on building a vibrant downtown that stays active and alive well into the evening.  Source: Google Street View, Google Maps, 2025 Our downtown definitely needs more attention. I’m not comfortable with the continued expansion into Timberlands and Gasoline Alley while so much of our downtown and core commercial districts remain under-utilized. We should be prioritizing infill and redevelopment, not pushing outward into rural areas—at least not yet.
FACEBOOK:
"Rant to downtown… My daughter had to visit the hair college today and parked so she could pay at the meter — she doesn’t use the app. When she got there, a man clearly high on drugs was leaning on the machine. She was so uncomfortable but found the courage to quickly pay, then ran inside. When she came back out — just 15 minutes after her ticket expired — she found a parking ticket that had been written only minutes earlier. By then, the man was passed out next to the machine. We’ll pay the ticket — she was late, fair enough — but the fact that the bylaw officer prioritized writing a $30 ticket over making sure it was even safe for someone to use the meter says everything about why I avoid downtown." CONDENSED POINTS MADE BY ANOTHER READER: I’m sorry your daughter felt uncomfortable — that’s a valid reaction. But posts like this can spread fear and reinforce stigma against people struggling with addiction, homelessness, or mental health. They’re not necessarily dangerous, just unwell. Framing them this way harms those already vulnerable and hurts downtown businesses by driving people away. Safety comes from compassion, support, and smart policy — not fear or blame. If we want a healthier city, we need solutions, not scapegoats. MY CONDENSED RESPONSE: So you think the answer is for people to just get used to it? I disagree — safety shouldn’t be sacrificed for a business’s bottom line. Downtown is struggling, and City Council is to blame. Ignoring the growing issues of safety, addiction, and homelessness is a liberal excuse that’s gotten us nowhere. One of the reasons I’m running for Council is because I’m tired of seeing people feel unsafe in their own city. We need real change — especially downtown — and a new approach to how we handle narcotics and homelessness. We’re not Vancouver, and I refuse to let Red Deer turn into the Downtown Eastside. Telling people “we need systems, not scapegoats” misses the point. We showed compassion, and it was abused. Now it’s time to take back control. Yes, we need systems — but until this Council is replaced and the problems are properly addressed, nothing will change. How do we "handle" the homelessness? Introduce temporary housing using tiny homes, implement rent control with mandatory freezes on vacant units, require annual updates on housing availability, prioritize infill development of existing zoned vacant properties for affordable housing, rebuild Cannery Row with a focus on rehabilitation and recovery services, and strengthen targeted community policing and bylaw enforcement. |