Saskatoon woman volunteers to clean benches downtown

Earlier this month, the Downtown Saskatoon Business Improvement District pitched the temporary removal of 25 benches in the downtown core to city council.

The goal of the removal was to lower “hot spots” linked to issues related to social disorder, such as concerns regarding safety, including stabbings and bear spray attacks, along with vandalism to the benches and local businesses and some using the benches as beds.

This pitch sparked a lot of debate among those at the city council meeting and online in Saskatoon groups on Facebook and Reddit. Some residents say removing the benches would help improve the issues, while others argue it is merely ignoring the greater problem at hand.

For one local woman, Lillith Rose, this proposal made her angry, saying she believes the city should help vulnerable people. While sharing her feelings about the proposal with her parents, Rose was told it takes only one small action to spark change.

With that, Rose decided to grab some supplies and clean the benches herself, calling it a peaceful protest against removing them.

“I’ve actually already had people on the street come and tell me, thank you, this is where I sleep. I feel much safer sleeping here now,” says Rose.

For her, this project is more than just a way to give back to the community.

“The number one reason I’m doing this is because I actually used to be homeless myself,” explains Rose. “And these benches, they used to be my bed, too. They matter to me a lot because when I see benches, I see myself, I see my family.”

After cleaning a few benches on her own, Rose shared photos of her work on a local community Facebook page. It wasn’t long before she began to receive an outpouring of supportive messages and people asking if they could help by volunteering their time and supplies.

“I’ve literally been crying for days because every morning I wake up to … hundreds of messages from people just like loving and supporting what I’m doing and all of that is what keeps me going, honestly,” shares Rose.

With other volunteers, Rose and her crew pick up garbage, wipe down benches and remove any graffiti.

“With more people and more help, I know that we can make this city a really, really clean and beautiful place for everyone and we can live in harmony,” says Rose.

To keep everyone safe during this process, Rose created a safety checklist for her volunteers. She also carries Narcan, bandages and feminine hygiene products for those who may require a helping hand.

“I let them know, like I really care about you guys and this is something very important to me,” says Rose.