HAPPY HOLIDAYS, KIDS ... NOW GET THE HELL OUT

Just four days before christmas, Embattled iHuman Youth Society
faces eviction-againKevin Peter pauses for a while when pondering
whether he would return to a life of crime and drugs if the iHuman
Youth Society can't find a new building to operate out of.

"I don't know," the 18-year-old society client slowly replies.
"There's a big possibility."

The prospect of the society having no home was made much more real
just four days before Christmas, when the City of Edmonton's
subdivision and development appeal board rejected iHuman's appeal to
keep its programs operating in its current building.

Society board chair Sandra Bromley says the decision could soon
leave iHuman and its programs out on the streets.

"It's a scenario many iHuman youth are all too familiar with," says
a group press release.

iHuman is a non-profit, charitable organization that works with
high-risk youth, promoting their reintegration into the community,
according to the release.

"Addictions are one of the youths' greatest problems, with crystal
meth being the drug of choice," it explains.

The help for the group's high-risk youth clientele, including many
who are living or working on the streets, comes through a program
involving crisis intervention, arts mentorship and life-skills development.

"iHuman helped me a lot," says veteran client Peter. "They gave me
all my maturation to get my life in line and straighten out. They
taught me there's more to life than drugs and crime."

After what he called a "huge history" of criminal offences like
stealing property, he started coming to iHuman five years ago to use
its day services.

"They always accept me no matter what," Peter says. "I can paint,
draw or do anything."

He calls the city board's decision a great loss, because of all the
work and trouble that have gone into making iHuman what it is.

Growing out of high-risk youth working on a gun sculpture in the
late 1990s, iHuman's previous home was in the former headquarters of
the CN Police, in an unused building next to the CN tower on 101 Street.

While the company that owned the building allowed iHuman to operate
there completely free-of-charge, even paying for utilities, it
decided to demolish the building in 2005. From October of that year
to January 2006, the society was homeless, leaving its staff
to meet clients in coffee shops.

iHuman found a former dry-cleaning and printing shop in an old
industrial park at 11355 - 105 Avenue, near Oliver Square, and was
initially approved to move in by a city development officer. But
iHuman Youth Society board president Lorris Williams says the
approval was appealed by some nearby landowners and an area
community association, neither of which could be reached for comment.

The development officer apparently did not know that iHuman
building's area had its zoning changed in late 2005 by the city to
allow for only the sort of high-rise condominiums that have been
sprouting out in the area more recently.

The latest judicial move came on Dec 21, when the development appeal
board upheld an order that the society should not use the building
for its programs, which are designated as health services due to
their harm-reduction and prevention nature.

"There was no medium for justice," says Gabrielle Rodgers, an iHuman
youth worker, of the case. "We were just breaking the bylaw. It's
such a kick in the ass to us, so close to Christmas."

Brianna Olson, a staff social worker and recovered addict who
received her training through the society, agreed.

"They didn't look at our situation or what we were doing," she says
of the judgment. "What positive effect on our neighbourhood was not
taken into consideration."

Rodgers says she was also once in a situation like that of many of
the society's youth clients before iHuman helped her and today
serves as a role model. If the group has to move out of its current
building before finding another a replacement, she fears the
clients will be shattered.

"They depend on it day to day, feeling they belong," Rodgers says of
the service.

Client Tina Leduc says iHuman helped her get back on her feet this
year, after pulling her away from a life of getting drunk and
fighting with friends and going "to jail all the time."

"The government's not going to see that because [it's] all about the
money, not about what's going to help youth," the 17-year-old said.
"The government's not very smart. [It's] paying more money for us to
go to jail."

iHuman chair Bromley, fearing the late-December appeal was the
society's last chance to delay eviction, says the group just wants
to stay until it can find another suitable building.

"Redevelopment of the area may not begin for months-what harm is
there in allowing iHuman to stay operational for the time being?" she asks.

Lawyer Linda Duncan, who coincidentally came down to donate money to
iHuman on behalf of some artist friends the day after the decision,
does not understand why anyone would object to iHuman's current location.

"I think it's a fantastic program," says Duncan, who attended a
society function with federal NDP Leader Jack Layton when she was a
candidate for the party in the last election.

She notes the irony of a youth arts group being dislocated while the
city under Mayor Stephen Mandel wants to promote the arts.

iHuman president Williams says city council has tried to help the
society find a new location, but understands how it would not want
to interfere with an existing plan to redevelop the area by stepping
in to rezone the society building's current location.

The board will wait until it gets some paperwork outlining the
decision from the city to decide its next move, Williams says, which
could include going to court.

He says he is focused on getting a new building, which has been made
difficult by Edmonton's high lease rates and low lease availability.

"iHuman staff and board members have made every effort to address
the problem and to relocate," the press release added.

The new building must be central, close to public transportation,
have an electrical supply and washrooms and measure 450 square
metres, to fit in an art room, locked storage and office, music,
meeting, drama and dance areas.

Williams says the society's programs have "blossomed" since it moved
into its current location, so being homeless this time would be
worse than during the last fall and winter.

"Some of the crisis intervention work can be done, but it's hard,"
he says, noting that the group serves 18 to 24 youths in a given day
out of the 60 served in total.

Rodgers says she wouldn't be able to work with the kids or do the
stuff she likes to do, noting she works at iHuman to help-more than
for a paycheque.

"It's absolutely crucial we get a new building," Olson adds.
"Otherwise, we can't offer arts, theatre, film or dance: the things
that make iHuman unique."