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Leduc left hanging on motion to provide warm spaces to eat for city's vulnerable citizens

Coun. Bill Leduc and Coun. Robert Kirwan's motion to establish warming stations will be discussed at a later date

A motion to provide warm spaces in the form of trailers for some of Sudbury's less fortunate hit a snag Tuesday night, as discussions were halted when council voted not to proceed past the three-hour mark of their meeting.

Ward 11 Coun. Bill Leduc and Ward 5 Coun. Robert Kirwan tabled a members' motion on Nov. 10 that looks to establish nine-hour-a-day warming station services where the city's homeless can eat their meals and have access to on-site social services.

"Last week we approved funding for the YMCA, CDS (Centre de Santé) has created a warming station so has the YMCA, SACY (Sudbury Action Centre for Youth) has created two to four beds and a youth warming station, which is all great," said Leduc.

"The unfortunate problem here is that our most vulnerable population at the present time has nowhere to eat their meals. The (Elgin Street) Mission and the Blue Door (Soup Kitchen) reached out to me and Independent Living (Sudbury Manitoulin) has stepped up to the plate on this."

The motion asks that city staff prepare and execute a service agreement with Independent Living Sudbury Manitoulin on a single source basis for an amount not to exceed $175,000 that provides nine-hour per day of warming stations up to April 31, 2021.

Terms of the agreement include temporary facilities suitable for service, meals for up to 66 people twice per day, on-site social services, on-site security, appropriate washroom facilities with cleaning regimen that reflects public health guidelines, sufficient and appropriate staff training and other terms to the satisfaction of the city's director of legal services.

Further to these terms, the motion is that a donation of $50,000 be received from the United Way to fund this service, subject to the provision of a letter from the City of Greater Sudbury acknowledging the United Way's donation, and that the balance of the required funds for this agreement be provided by the tax rate stabilization reserve.

"We don't know the exact numbers of how many people are homeless. We do know numbers from this past summer when we had the Sudbury Arena open and we saw numbers between 40 to 60 people utilizing the arena for meals," said Leduc. 

"So this warming station here can accommodate up to 66 people for lunch, through supper another 66 people, and it's very important that we get this done as winter is coming close now and they're not going to be able to go anywhere to have their meals."

Currently, as many as 60 people are accessing meal service at the Centre de Santé Communautaire du Grand Sudbury for breakfast on a daily basis Leduc said, adding the Elgin Street Mission doles out anywhere from 164 to 230 dinners per night.

"During lunch the numbers go from anywhere between 120 to 160 people per day," said Leduc. 

"I recognize not all of them are homeless, but a good majority of them would be homeless, they have nowhere to go. This provides dignity for them … I'm hoping to have this set up working with staff to set up at the CP Rail where the Farmer's Market is. It's a nice short walk, they'll be able to grab their meal from the Mission or Blue Door, walk across the street into a nice warm space."

Ward 5 Coun. Robert Kirwan was vocal when the city's finance and administration committee met on Nov. 3 and took steps to provide warming shelters seven nights a week

“If we have anywhere from 60 to 100 people who are homeless on the streets right now, it's not only cold from 10 at night to 7 in the morning. During January and February, it's just as cold during the day. So if we're going to set up warming centres and warming stations, from my point of view, we have to set them up 24 hours a day, seven days a week, not necessarily for sleeping, but to get out of the elements," said Kirwan during the Nov. 3 meeting.

Kirwan came back to his earlier comments on Tuesday night, speaking in support of the members' motion that he and Leduc had prepared.

"I think this takes it to that next step where we're recognizing now that the people who have to eat their lunch and dinner are not going to be forced to eat out in the cold during January and February," said Kirwan. 

"I do know that the executive director of Independent Living is probably going to work extremely hard and our cost is definitely not going to be $175,000 by the end of the day. At least by having this resolution passed, we're saying that they can start working on it now. I'm sure the cost will not be in that area of $175,000 and at least this guarantees we can move forward."

Mayor Brian Bigger raised some questions about the motion, indicating that there seemed to be overlap with what staff had already been directed to do in the motion that was passed at finance and administration a week prior as far as expanding their warming shelter availability to seven nights a week.

"I find it a little bit confusing here, Coun. Leduc, you've told us that you've worked with staff but last week was us giving staff direction for staff to do many of the similar things that seem to be in this motion," said Bigger. 

The city's general manager of community development, Steve Jacques, explained that staff has been working to get the YMCA and SACY warming stations up and running, as well as working with community partners to ensure that meals are getting to the city's vulnerable population.

"Staff have been and continue to work with our community partners to discuss food access alternatives. We're working with the Elgin Street Mission on a plan to transport meals to the Homeless Network during the daytime program," said Jacques.

"Those are some of the initiatives we're working with the Samaritan Centre, as well as the Blue Door and the Mission, on finding other solutions for our vulnerable population to have access to warm food and places to eat."

Social Services Director Tyler Campbell explained a proposal has been prepared by the Elgin Street Mission for transporting food from the Samaritan Centre to CDS on a daily basis.

"We haven't had an opportunity to vet that internally, we'd also like to have the opportunity to discuss this plan with Public Health Sudbury and Districts to make sure that proper protocols are in place for food transportation," said Campbell.

Bigger posited that it may be easier to transport meals than to provide trailers and port-o-potties.

"You've been developing these plans based on council direction. I just wanted to make sure that council was aware that there is a lot of work that does appear to be going on in a couple silos here, and absolutely appreciating the generosity and the willingness to support coming from the community," said Bigger.

"I think for us to make a decision tonight is very quick and we have the opportunity to really do this in the right way."

No decision was made either way on Leduc and Kirwan's motion as council did not vote in favour of proceeding past 9 p.m.

The matter will be brought forward again at a future meeting of council.


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