City says plywood it set up at Hamilton City Hall blocking homeless from hot air was done without permit
CBC
The city says plywood it erected to block homeless people from hot air vents behind Hamilton City Hall was set up without a necessary building permit and using the wrong material.
"After a review, it was determined that although the structure is safe, a miscommunication between departments led to an error related to materials and permitting," read a statement shared by Michelle Shantz, spokesperson for the city manager's office, Friday morning.
"The City finds this completely regrettable and appreciates we have to follow the same by-laws and policies, which are in place for the safety and well-being of the entire community," she added in an email.
Shantz said the review of the "temporary hoarding" follows concerns raised by members of the public and media about the safety of the structure after it appeared last weekend.
By Friday, the plywood had been replaced with another material.
The city's statement comes as yet another cold alert has been issued for Hamilton and COVID-19 outbreaks continue at 10 of the city's shelters, accounting for 255 cases.
The plywood was set up to block access to the air from the vents, which some people were using to try and stay warm.
The city said it built the structure in response to "occupational health and safety, property maintenance and fire code" concerns. Shantz also pointed to "several incidents of violence and drug use" happening near the rear entrance, in her email.
The move drew criticism from some, including Dr. Tim O'Shea, who works with vulnerable populations in the city, including some who stay around city hall.
"The fact that people are [sleeping outside] and they are able to find some small amount of warmth from an air vent, which is then covered over … because people don't want to see them is very discouraging and disappointing," he said on Friday.
Anarchist website North Shore Counter-Info shared pictures Wednesday of people dismantling the structure and carrying the boards away.
The city said the hoarding was quickly replaced once it learned it had been taken down.
But now the city says its own review found a temporary building permit was needed and the plywood it used had to be replaced with material that has the "required fire resistance rating."
Shantz said the city will now go about obtaining the necessary building permit to make sure the structure complies with the Ontario building code.
P.E.I.'s Public Schools Branch is looking for 50 substitute bus drivers, and it'll be recruiting at three job fairs on Saturday, June 8. The job fairs are located at the Atlantic Superstore in Montague, Royalty Crossing in Charlottetown, and the bus parking lot of Three Oaks Senior High in Summerside. All three run from 9 a.m. until noon. Dave Gillis, the director of transportation and risk management for the Public Schools Branch, said the number of substitute drivers they're hiring isn't unusual. "We are always looking for more. Our drivers tend to have an older demographic," he said.