Timmins, Ont. to consider moving homeless shelter after complaints from residents
Global News
Timmins Mayor Michelle Boileau said she was the only council member to oppose the resolution because she didn't want to support the narrative that shelters cause problems.
The future of a homeless shelter in the northern Ontario city of Timmins is on the line as many residents blame it for a rise in crime while others, including the mayor, say that ongoing social issues and a lack of resources are the real problem.
The relocation of the Living Space emergency shelter will be the subject of an independent review after city council passed a resolution asking the Cochrane District Social Services Administration Board _ an agency created by the province and led by elected municipal officials _ to consider moving it at least two kilometres away from dense residential or commercial areas.
Timmins Mayor Michelle Boileau said she was the only council member to oppose the resolution because she didn’t want to support the narrative that unhoused people and shelters cause problems.
Boileau, who also serves as the chair of the Cochrane District Social Services Administration Board, said the council’s July resolution was discussed at a board meeting on Tuesday and the board agreed to comply with the city’s request for a review.
She said the board has directed its administration to hire an outside consulting firm to conduct that review to ensure that it’s “as objective as possible.”
Living Space, a 63-bed shelter described as “the last resort for any people” on its website, is surrounded by residential homes and businesses in the city of approximately 40,000 people.
Among those calling for the relocation of Living Space is Robert Boucher, who started a Facebook group for residents to share their concerns about the shelter’s impact on neighbourhood safety. The group has more than 6,300 members.
Boucher, who lives blocks away from the shelter and owns a few short-term rental properties in the area, said there has been an increase in criminal activity in the neighbourhood, including in his backyard, which is adjacent to a walking trail leading to the shelter.
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