Downtown benches come under scrutiny by some, others say not the problem
A number of business people believe the benches installed downtown as part of the city’s rejuvenation project have done more bad than good and would like to see them removed, but others say they are not the problem.
Jayda Englot, a downtown retail store manager on 101 St. who spoke to battlefordsNOW, said the benches are attracting vagrants who are often under the influence. She expressed a concern about safety due to aggressive panhandling.
“More times than not, when we look outside they are all sitting on a bench passing a bottle around. So I just think, if [the benches] weren’t here, they wouldn’t sit there,” she said.