They cannot go live on crown land...
Local group pushing for council to address homeless crisis.
While most are starting to plan for their Christmas shopping or their winter holiday some in West Nipissing are simply planning to stay alive in the coming months.
With the tough economic times and lack of housing, many communities are facing a homeless crisis. Luckily most cities have shelters for the unhoused. But not West Nipissing.
Homelessness was not a problem for West Nipissing in the past but over the last couple of years we have seen for the first time our own homeless encampments popping up. This prompted a group of dedicated volunteers to form No More Tears a year ago. No More Tears is West Nipissing’s only orgnaization that is advocating on behalf of those without a home and without a voice.
The group organizes soup kitchens and weekly outreach missions where they touch base with all of the city’s homeless. Their latest reports indicate that 26 locals currently live on the streets full-time. This number is growing.
Chair of No More Tears, Josée Rainville has had her hands full this week as the municipality has started making plans to evict the dozens of homeless people currently occupying municipal properties.
But the city does not seem to have any long-term plans to deal with this problem. When asked what these people are supposed to do, Rainville was offered by a city executive the suggestion that they move their encampment to crown land.
Rainville and her group have gotten council to agree to add the topic to their next meeting agenda. The November 7th council agenda does have “Homelessness in West Nipissing” as an item but no further details are provided.
No More Tears has been circulating a petition asking for council to establish a warming center ahead of the Winter months.
Tristan Vaillancourt, a volunteer with No More Tears issued a heartfelt message on social media this week. His post which was widely circulated and discussed in our community started with:
In the days to come our town will be tested. Will it rise to the occasion and help the destitute in the cold months ahead, or will it show its true face? Will the mayor step up? Will council step up?
Regardless of how one feels on this subject; Regardless of what approach to homelessness someone feels is correct; The town will be tested. It must make hard decisions. It cannot ignore this problem. It cannot expect dozens of people in need to scatter into the forest.
When pressed on the subject of a shelter in West Nipissing earlier this year, Mayor Kathleen Thorne-Rochon told the CBC that "We would have to see what the numbers are, you know, and whether there is enough demand within the community that we could support it”. The numbers seem to support the idea of a shelter. At the very least, they warrant a meaningful conversation at council that should have occured months before the below zero temperatures started.
The municipality is definitely in a financial crunch however they have found extra money for a $1.1M outdoor ice rink in field earlier this year ($450,000 above budget) and they have recently authorized a salary review to increase council and senior staff’s salaries. They are about to begin important budget deliberations and a homeless shelter is bound to be an important matter to be discussed.
The West Nip Voice is a regular newsletter covering issues in West Nipissing and the surrounding area. Please consider becoming a subscriber.