City Council approve the draft Public Space Use By-law as amended, and as attached to staff memo 2024-359…

1:03:45What we're going to do is we're going to listen to our staff do a presentation to everybody

1:03:50And then there's going to be a moment after that where counselors can ask our staff some follow-up questions

1:03:57There's other guests here from a staff kind of position that we can engage with and ask some more questions on and then after that

1:04:04We're going to start into the delegations that have been

1:04:07signed up for us. Okay, so just

1:04:11Everyone sit back and relax and we'll we'll learn from our staff here about about what's present being presented to us

1:04:17And we'll go from there. So at this time

1:04:20I'll call our deputy CEO calling clock bush up to the microphone to give us a presentation of what's before us

1:04:36Thank you and good evening

1:04:39In the interests of time tonight, we've kept the presentation short all of them more detailed material is available from our February the 14th staff

1:04:48Presentation and I'd certainly encourage everyone to review both that staff report

1:04:52Along with the updated memo that was provided attached to this evening's agenda for tonight's purposes

1:04:58I simply want to provide a very high-level summary of the proposed bylaw that is before you and the staff recommendation

1:05:05The intent of the bylaw is to regulate the use of specified public places within the city of Guelph for the protection of persons and property

1:05:14And to promote safe use and enjoyment by all

1:05:18The bylaw has been drafted with the intention of providing clear direction to staff and the public on regulated locations

1:05:25time restrictions and other regulated activities related to the erection and occupation of structures on public property

1:05:32To be very clear this is not a bylaw that is intended to ban encampments

1:05:38The city of Guelph County of Wellington and community partners are committed to a human rights and housing first approach

1:05:45When working with encampment residents

1:05:48This approach is intended to ensure that individuals and families

1:05:51Experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity will be connected to appropriate resources and services to ensure the unique needs of all

1:05:59Individuals and families are being met

1:06:02Unfortunately, we recognize that for a variety of reasons some individuals in our community still struggle with housing insecurity and

1:06:09Those who are unsheltered have to make exceedingly difficult choices, which sometimes leads to people living in encampment situations

1:06:16One of the goals of this bylaw is to ensure that they can live as safely as possible by

1:06:21designating locations that are fully permissible for temporary shelters on city owned property a

1:06:30Fully permissible location would be an area of public land that does not have a competing public use such as a square and

1:06:37Is not a bookable space such as a pavilion or a baseball diamond and the location is not in a sensitive area such as a source water protected area

1:06:46While specifically not identified in the bylaw as there are too many to list an example of a fully permissible location

1:06:53Would be the open space of a park or vacant city land

1:06:57In these areas while the proposed bylaw sets out general requirements as to maintaining the site and not to damage property a

1:07:06Structure as identified in the bylaw as being a temporary structure or shelter would be permitted to be erected

1:07:1224 hours a day and remain in place seven days a week

1:07:16The proposed bylaw also puts protections in place to prevent others from removing shelters or items on public lands

1:07:23And this is an important component of this bylaw

1:07:27We want to make sure that where individuals have needed to take shelter in a permissible location on city lands

1:07:33They can be assured that they are protected from others removing their belongings

1:07:38To balance the needs of all residents for locations that have a competing use during the day or are a bookable space such as a square

1:07:47Which is designated for other purposes or a sports field that may be programmed

1:07:52Temporary structures or shelters are permitted overnight, but must be removed one hour after sunrise

1:07:58It is important to note while the proposed bylaw would require that temporary structures or temporary shelters be removed from these locations during the day

1:08:07If the area is not booked

1:08:10Individuals may still choose to use the space

1:08:13It should also be noted like with any bylaw

1:08:16Staff do have the option to use discretion and so for example

1:08:21Discretion could be used for situations such as cold weather alerts and for these situations

1:08:26Staff could permit temporary shelters to remain during the day

1:08:30For locations that are designated or sensitive

1:08:37Temporary structures and shelters would not be permitted at any time

1:08:41A designated area is an area constructed or utilized for a special purpose or may be environmentally sensitive

1:08:50Examples would include land a budding a pond or railway a

1:08:54Designated area would also include land that is source water protected in this case these areas have been mapped out in the proposed bylaw

1:09:02With respect to sensitive areas the proposed bylaw identifies these locations as those intended for sensitive public

1:09:09recreational or personal use

1:09:11Including areas intended for use by children pets or the mobility of the public

1:09:16These areas may have also have a heightened safety requirement or a heightened expectation of quiet use

1:09:23Examples of a sensitive area would include a playground

1:09:26splash pad

1:09:27dog parks sidewalk or a municipal cemetery

1:09:31The proposed bylaw also provides counsel the option to identify other sensitive areas by adding them to schedule a

1:09:41Staff have been working on a map that will be available for public access in time for the October 1st

1:09:46Implementation date that will show all Guelph public spaces and indicate which locations are fully permissible

1:09:52Which are time restricted and which are not permitted as they have been specifically designated or deemed sensitive

1:10:00The map is not available live this evening as we need to wait to see if there are any amendments to the bylaw that will require updating to the map

1:10:07But I will show some sample pages so you can get a sense of what it will look like

1:10:11So the map above is a section of Guelph the main section

1:10:18Running through diagonally is the speed river and you can see Wellington Road and Edinburgh Road crossing through the image

1:10:25on the left hand side of the screen is how it park and the edge of the Lefarge property and on the right hand side of the screen is Hugh

1:10:32Guthrie Park

1:10:33All of the sections shaded in blue are city owned park properties

1:10:38And you can see the largest sections on either side of the river being Silver Creek Park

1:10:44So when I advanced to this slide you can see added in the pink shading and these areas are the ones that are classified as not permissible locations

1:10:55These are areas where temporary structures and shelters would not be permitted at any time and on this example

1:11:00I'd highlight that the majority of the highlighted areas where structures would not be permitted are simply along the pathways at

1:11:07The fenced Bristol dog park which you can see north of the river and also at the Silver Creek skate park also north of the river

1:11:17And then when I advanced one slide further we've added in the yellow shading and this shows the areas that are time restricted

1:11:23And these are the sports fields so you can see there's one at Howard Park a couple at Silver Creek and one at Hugh Guthrie

1:11:29So these are sports fields where temporary shelters would be permitted overnight, but not during daytime hours

1:11:35So as you can see on the map there are still considerable sections of our city park areas that are colored blue

1:11:41Meaning that temporary structures would be permissible at all times seven days a week 24 hours a day

1:11:47The purpose of this bylaw is to establish those areas that are not

1:11:51Compatible for temporary structures, but also to make it very clear that there is a significant portion of our city-owned spaces

1:11:58That are suitable for temporary shelters and structures and as I said these maps of the entire city will be updated and available

1:12:06Live once the bylaw has been finalized

1:12:09So if the bylaw is passed this evening city staff will undertake a full-sum education

1:12:15Education campaign working with our partners at the county of Wellington and community agencies to provide information about the appropriate and safe places

1:12:23for sheltering intense

1:12:25We will also begin to communicate with individuals who are sheltering in time restricted or not permissible locations

1:12:31About the bylaw and letting them know where the closest permissible location is

1:12:36While also working to address any immediate safety concerns

1:12:40Staff are also scheduled to meet with the accessibility advisory committee in October to seek their input on how best to implement the bylaw

1:12:49Giving particular attention to those unsheltered individuals whose needs are made more complex by accessibility challenges

1:12:58Concurrently the city of Guelph county of Wellington and our community partners continue to work

1:13:02Collaborately to revamp and revise our current response to unsheltered homelessness in order to maintain a coordinated approach and to ensure

1:13:11appropriate outreach supports are provided and as I stated earlier at all times staff will always consider

1:13:17Extraordinary events like extreme cold weather alerts and make sure that the focus is always on individual safety

1:13:24The bylaw itself would come into effect on October 1st of this year to be very clear

1:13:31Staff are not recommending any fines associated with this bylaw

1:13:36The goal is to notify people if they are in a restricted location and assist them with identifying a more suitable and permissible location

1:13:45Only if necessary would city staff issue formal notices and move to dismantle structures particularly in situations where safety may be of a concern

1:13:54The ultimate success for our community would be that no one has to make the difficult decision to live in a temporary shelter

1:14:02situation and that all individuals in the city of Guelph have the stability of permanent housing

1:14:09Until we can reach that goal

1:14:11We want to ensure that those who do have to live in temporary shelters are able to find appropriate and safe locations on city property to do so

1:14:19While also making sure that our public spaces are available for everyone's use

1:14:25So the staff recommendation that's before you this evening

1:14:30If approved the bylaw would be finalized with any amendments you may make this evening and placed on the September 10th agenda for final adoption

1:14:37After which it would come into effect on October the 1st

1:14:41And I'd now be happy to answer any specific questions you may have about the presentation

1:14:48While they are not making formal presentations this evening

1:14:51We also have invited guests from two of our local boards who are also available now to answer any questions you may have for them

1:14:58Chief gord coby from Guelph police services and louisa artuso the social services administrator for the county of wellington

1:15:04Are both online and available to answer questions?

1:15:07They are here in advance of our delegations this evening

1:15:11City staff will of course remain available to answer any more detailed questions

1:15:15You may have following our delegations as well. Thank you

1:15:19Thank you, Colleen to council. Are there any follow-up questions at this time to either

1:15:26Colleen or to the chief or to

1:15:31Louisa from the county of wellington. I'll start with counselor a kitten and then boost till please

1:15:38Thank you

1:15:44this one is for

1:15:46DCaO clocktower

1:15:48DCaO clock bush

1:15:50How many spaces for all-day?

1:15:53Encampment use our wheelchair accessible under this new bylaw

1:16:04Through the mayor to counselor kate and we would have to take that away and follow up with you to

1:16:10Put that on the map

1:16:15Thank you. I also have some questions for the chief if he is available

1:16:24Yes, I believe is it online?

1:16:26Virtual okay. Yeah, we're just going to wait for the chief to get online

1:16:30Just one second counselor kate

1:16:33Chief it's mayor Guthrie. I think you just need to turn your camera on there. You go. I'll be quiet. Go ahead. Yeah, counselor kate and go ahead

1:16:48Thank you

1:16:50Thanks for being here chief

1:16:52There have been a lot of allegations of crime specifically in st. George square

1:16:57I was just wondering what do you think the effect on crime would be if

1:17:02There were no tents in the area would that have any effect at all on the crime rates?

1:17:11Before I start

1:17:13Yes, we can chief. Thank you

1:17:15um

1:17:16Over I it's it's very difficult for me to hypothesize like to answer that question

1:17:22um, I think that what is very important though is

1:17:27For our community to know

1:17:29Our response will be supportive to you and city staff in relation to any proposed bylaw

1:17:37But as far I don't have that I don't want to predict either way because I would be I would be guessing and sorry about that

1:17:43I don't know

1:17:44That's probably not very helpful

1:17:50Would you be able to comment on?

1:17:53The alleged crimes in that area just generally

1:17:58Well, I think we we certainly on a regular occasion

1:18:02Receive calls for service

1:18:04However, I think it's important to note that within the community. We've been talking a lot about say for example

1:18:11open drug use

1:18:12And and discussions we're having tonight around the bylaw while they're related. They're not the same

1:18:18So so if council was to choose to support a bylaw for example

1:18:24um

1:18:25That's not the same as some of the other discussions. We've been having around

1:18:28Concerns around open drug use and things like that. So they're they're they're not they're very different issues certainly related

1:18:34but one issue does not

1:18:37necessarily equate to the other

1:18:40Thank you. Um, I'd heard that you might need a court order to remove a tent

1:18:44Could you comment on how long and a court order would take and what the process for that is?

1:18:51Sure. Um, and again, thanks for that question because it's an opportunity

1:18:55to uh to really share

1:18:57with our citizens

1:18:59Ultimately that would be a question for city staff and council and and bylaw because when it comes to bylaw

1:19:06Well, we'll always be supportive to the extent possible

1:19:10We are not primarily responsible for bylaw enforcement

1:19:14So that would be I could defer that to

1:19:17um, Ms. Clack bush if you think there's it's helpful there, but that's it's very specific to situations

1:19:24And it would be we'd be supporting our city partners, but we wouldn't be leading that

1:19:29Um, because it's ultimately a bylaw rule. Thank you very much

1:19:39Thank you. Councillor caton

1:19:41Is there anything uh further now for the chief at all just while it's on the screen?

1:19:46Okay, councillor caton. Did you want to continue? I have a different question not for the chief

1:19:50But if someone's got some

1:19:53Okay, no problem. You still have the floor you go ahead. We'll bounce around no problem. You have the floor go ahead

1:19:57Oh, thanks. Uh, so my next question is back to dc out clack bush

1:20:01um

1:20:03in the bylaw it mentions

1:20:05uh 10 meters from daycare and I was wondering if

1:20:08legal um

1:20:10home daycares were in that list

1:20:12Through the mayor to council caton the specificity in the bylaw is for child care centers

1:20:18And so no that would not include home daycare. That would be for um formalized child care centers

1:20:26Thank you. And my next question is about um talking to the aac in october

1:20:32um

1:20:33You explain how procedurally they would be able to comment some

1:20:38Bylaw after we pass the details because shouldn't they be talking about this in advance and then commenting on the specific

1:20:45needs of the disabled community

1:20:48As it pertains to it before we get it

1:20:53Through the mayor to council caton. Um, and so I

1:20:58Did not have the direct conversations

1:21:01And so I had uh worked through uh, miss sales

1:21:06In terms of our conversations with the accessibility advisory committee

1:21:11Our intent was to talk to the committee about how best to uh,

1:21:16operationalize this to make sure we were considering the needs of those who uh for whom accessibility concerns

1:21:25made uh

1:21:26Their experience as an unsheltered individual potentially more complex. And so the first available aac committee meeting

1:21:35scheduled was october and so that is our intention is to meet with them in october

1:21:41In terms of a meeting regarding the actual content of this bylaw

1:21:46We did not have the

1:21:48opportunity to meet with the committee in advance of this special council meeting

1:21:54Thank you very much. Thank you councillor caton. Uh councillor Busuttil, please

1:22:02Yes, thank you. And so you're going to hear me say briefly because I only have five minutes

1:22:07To ask questions and get answers. So

1:22:09Two dco clack bush through the mayor, please if you can briefly

1:22:14Help me understand what this bylaw does that existing bylaws garbage noise and so on doesn't do

1:22:33Through the mayor. Sorry. I'm uh, I'm just going to defer to mr. Godfrey on this if he can help answer

1:22:40Through the mayor the currently the bylaw would regulate temporary structures

1:22:47And shelters that are being erected as well as some activities within public space use

1:22:52as public space areas

1:22:55Currently we do not have any bylaws that regulate those activities

1:22:59We do have bylaws regarding noise and nuisance parties as well as

1:23:04Waste that are are not captured in this bylaw because they are captured in other words

1:23:08So the bylaws been created for gaps and other bylaws that we do not have

1:23:14Thank you. And through the mayor again just to dco clack bush

1:23:19In the presentation and in the memo it speaks to the urgent

1:23:22urgency of this bylaw can you can you help frame that and understand the urgency?

1:23:33Through the mayor to council busatil. I think

1:23:36The the urgency to are you referring to the urgency of this meeting tonight or the urgency to the bylaw itself?

1:23:45I think to the bylaw

1:23:47Okay, so I think the the the purpose as stated to the bylaw was to

1:23:53Put parameters in place regarding the use of public space. And so we are growing we're increasingly seen

1:24:02Conflicting issues related to public space. And so I think I referred back in february to the instance of a park pavilion

1:24:11Where we might have a pavilion booked for rental for a birthday party with the competing

1:24:17use of somebody who is looking to seek shelter and wanting to have a bylaw in place

1:24:23That made sure that we are being respectful of the the usage of the park by people who may have it booked for recreational purposes

1:24:32but also wanting to make sure that we are also recognizing the

1:24:38urgency in our community to the fact that individuals are unfortunately needing to choose to live in

1:24:46temporary shelters and wanting to

1:24:48Make it clear that there are lots of locations where it is permissible to do so and making sure that people are able to do that safely

1:24:57So I guess the urgency is just the growing number of concerns that are coming through

1:25:04Our office and also wanting to make sure that we're addressing the safety concerns that we are hearing

1:25:11Both for people who are using the park for record parks for recreational purposes

1:25:16But also for individuals who are having to make the difficult choice to use those public spaces for temporary housing purposes

1:25:24Thank you and through the mayor again just around the booked recreation if I'm a person on the street. How do I know?

1:25:30If something is booked or not

1:25:34Through the mayor to council bruce attil that's obviously a very difficult question because you wouldn't and so certainly those

1:25:41those

1:25:43sorry

1:25:44those spaces

1:25:46That are booked

1:25:48We would obviously recommend that if individuals were looking to stay in a location longer than one night

1:25:54That they would be it would be more advisable that they look to the permissible locations that are available 24 hours seven days a week

1:26:03Because you don't always know when a sports field is or isn't booked

1:26:08And so it isn't the best location

1:26:11Those locations might be better for somebody and we do see this in in our community

1:26:16Where people may only be looking to shelter for one night and then move to another location

1:26:22But those bookable sports fields for example are not ideally suited if individuals are looking to stay in location for longer than one day

1:26:30So we would recommend

1:26:32that the permissible locations that allow people to remain in space

1:26:37For in perpetuity would be more suitable

1:26:41Thank you, and I would assume that seasonality when soccer fields are no longer in use that would apply or be

1:26:46Factored into these maps that there would be seasons as well

1:26:50My next question is about the sensitive public space space is section 3.5

1:26:55It talks about facilities own least licensed to under management of the city and so on

1:27:00Is there an appendix or how would I know?

1:27:04You know is is I don't remember barbara scouts is is separate cell is at least owned

1:27:10School boards that share parking lots and playgrounds and baseball diamonds. What is the scope of that and how would I be aware?

1:27:21So through the mayor to council busitil, I don't know that we would

1:27:25Necessarily and again, I would look to our legal staff on that

1:27:28I don't know that we would necessarily

1:27:30Be attaching a complete list because the list would be so lengthy of all of the various locations in the city that are owned

1:27:38Leased or managed by the city of guelph rather we would be looking through our education campaign

1:27:43To be making people aware and also through the mapping that will make available on our website

1:27:49Thank you, and um my next question is for the police chief if I can is that all right

1:27:55Is he there?

1:27:58Thank you. Thank you chief

1:28:01just a question around

1:28:03the amount of resources that

1:28:06The police department puts into the city of guelph phenomenal amount of community policing mental health and so on

1:28:12As we look at these permissible areas my question is is there a coordination or is there an expectation?

1:28:18That those kinds of services would also follow those other areas

1:28:25Thanks so much for that. Um, so

1:28:29Thank you also for recognizing the work that we're doing in this regard

1:28:33So any work that we would do as a result of this bylaw would be a continued collaboration with our community partners

1:28:42If uh, so as far as the we would have to talk with

1:28:47Miss clack bush and the county and a number of other folks to figure out the how we operationalize that

1:28:52But it would be in consultation with our partners

1:28:55keeping in mind

1:28:57That ours is a supporting role when it comes to struggling people with

1:29:03uh

1:29:04wellness issues

1:29:06Versus our primary role when it comes to public safety and more obvious policing matters

1:29:13Thank you and through the mayor. Thank you and I I think about that through a budget lens as well

1:29:18and I guess my last question is for uh, dco clack bush and perhaps miss artuso at the county as well as our

1:29:24service manager for housing because this has impacts on housing and my question is

1:29:29In your view does this draft public spaces bylaw take a human rights based approach?

1:29:35um to housing even temporary housing

1:29:38um, and to ensure that it doesn't further contribute to stigma or isolation of individuals

1:29:49So through the mayor to council busatil, um

1:29:52I think as I said in my remarks the ultimate goal is for all individuals in guelph to be permanently housed

1:29:59But we recognize that that there are a variety of circumstances that result in

1:30:05Some individuals having to make the difficult choice to live in temporary shelter

1:30:10in

1:30:11encampment situations

1:30:13And so I think that was part of the goal in how this bylaw was drafted was to take

1:30:21that uh human rights based approach to recognize that we do

1:30:26Need to be respectful of the needs of individuals and make as many public spaces available as possible

1:30:34while also balancing the need

1:30:37to to look at how our public spaces are used and so I think

1:30:44It's it's it's a difficult

1:30:46question to answer and

1:30:48certainly one that also our legal staff have

1:30:51Helped us in looking at how other municipalities

1:30:55Have looked at drafting similar

1:30:58Bylaws and I don't know if if

1:31:01If miss charles wants to make comment. It's probably

1:31:05I think as council you've received some information from her enclosed

1:31:08So I don't know that it's necessarily appropriate because I think she's already provided that to you

1:31:12But certainly looking at how other municipalities have handled this we tried to take the approach of

1:31:20Um of making this as

1:31:23specific as possible to make

1:31:26There to allow there to be as much opportunity for people

1:31:31to use our public spaces

1:31:34And still make them available for people who needed to use them for housing

1:31:38So I realize that's I'm not sure I've necessarily answered your question

1:31:42I think I've answered it as best as I can because they're they're this is a very difficult

1:31:49Bylaw obviously for you to consider and for us to draft and we tried to find that balance

1:31:54Thank you. Thank you, mayor. Thank you councillor Caron then or orc and then uh,

1:32:09alt

1:32:11Thank you through you mr. Mayor

1:32:13To kind of more detailed our

1:32:16Hydro lands because we are a shareholder in electra our hydro lands considered

1:32:22Um managed by the city of guelph

1:32:24Would hydro lands be included in this bylaw through the mayor? Uh, no, I don't believe so

1:32:38Okay, thanks. I'm sorry that just came up today. So I would have given you advance notice. I was asking that

1:32:44um, the other thing is is

1:32:47The timing of the bylaw

1:32:50question

1:32:51Uh, we as a as a body as a corporation as a council we regulate

1:32:56all kinds of things parking

1:32:59Running of dogs at large without leashes when we have I don't know how many bylaws are on the book

1:33:04I'm not going to ask mr. God for how many but probably thousands of bylaws on the book

1:33:09So the regulation of the use of public space to me

1:33:13is

1:33:15You know is something that every city would normally have or are there

1:33:20Cities that have public use space bylaws

1:33:25Because

1:33:27That were in effect years and years and years ago

1:33:30This isn't really something that I mean it's new now because

1:33:35We've we've had a great deal of public interest and public response to

1:33:41You know current challenges

1:33:44But I'm wondering whether this is something that many cities already had in place even before the

1:33:50the rise and increase of

1:33:53People living with homelessness mental health and addiction

1:33:56I'm through the mayor to councillor

1:33:59Cron certainly other municipalities do have parks bylaws and have had them in place

1:34:04And we did not

1:34:06It was something that had been identified and was sort of on our radar, but was a depressing issue

1:34:12This came forward. This was actually council direction that we were to bring something back earlier this year

1:34:18um

1:34:18and so

1:34:20Because gulf did not have a parks bylaw

1:34:23We looked to examples in other municipalities and some of

1:34:28What was happening like in kinkston and hamilton

1:34:32And took that council direction back earlier this year

1:34:35To bring this bylaw back for your consideration in february, but yes other municipalities have had

1:34:41broader parks bylaws in place that did provide some of this

1:34:46Clarity on public space use because we didn't have one in place

1:34:51That's why we're now sort of bringing it forward in this context

1:34:56Okay, thank you

1:34:59Thank you. Just before I go on I just wanted to maybe just change course a little bit here to my council colleagues

1:35:06If you could allow me to suggest this

1:35:09We're now an hour in from when our delegates came in the room and sat down

1:35:14And we have two guests here now that are here the chief and louisa from the county

1:35:21This is our time to maybe ask them questions

1:35:23I would ask that we don't ask any further questions to our own staff

1:35:27Because I want to respect the fact that our delegations are here and they've been sitting and they're waiting to speak their mind

1:35:32So is there any questions specifically to just the chief of police right now?

1:35:38Councillor Allt only go ahead

1:35:40Thank you, mayor guthrie

1:35:42Through you to chief coby and chief coby. I apologize for not knowing the answer to this

1:35:47I think that I should but you made reference to community partners

1:35:52And I am wondering if we are speaking just specifically of the county and the city of guelph

1:35:58Or are there other community partners whom the police

1:36:01Services works in consultation which that are important for the community to know about

1:36:09Um, thank you councillor Allt very much for that. I'm going to come to uh, I think andrew

1:36:15Goodie inspector goodie is on the line as well

1:36:17So I'm going to give you a bit of a thought on that and let andrew summarize that as well

1:36:21But so yes in addition to the city the county

1:36:25Um, we work a lot everybody in our city knows marco connell

1:36:30um, so we obviously have mark and connell mark and

1:36:33Connor downtown as well as kim our new impact worker that's dedicated to proactively supporting folks in the downtown

1:36:40And our impact workers who respond throughout the city

1:36:44So there's a great deal of work that we do collectively to uh to work with stakeholders and the list is very plentiful in the downtown

1:36:53um to give you a sense

1:36:57Of that as of today we've done about 1800

1:37:00proactive community contacts or directed patrols year to date and of that 1800 just shy of 700

1:37:08Have been in our downtown community

1:37:10So we're trying to do our best to proactively engage with everyone downtown

1:37:15And uh if andrew's been led into the meeting

1:37:19By the city clerk i'm just going to give him a chance to uh to follow up there

1:37:25Through you mr. Mayor. We're just working to bring in right now. It should just be a matter of seconds here. Okay

1:37:46Great. We can see you. Um, thank you very much for joining us. Uh, did you hear the question from councillor old?

1:37:53I did in regards in regards to community partners in the downtown

1:37:57Yes, the different stakeholders and partners that you as police would would engage with

1:38:02Yeah, absolutely. So thank you

1:38:05Thank you for the question and uh through you mr. Mayor. Yes, uh chief you summed it up quite quite accurately

1:38:10We do have a number of uh proactive and reactive

1:38:14responses in our downtown and our proactive patrols

1:38:17Really are dedicated to engaging with the people who live within that community

1:38:21But we also have community contacts where we specifically set out to meet with other

1:38:26partners in our neighborhoods in the downtown would be our social service agencies

1:38:31In order to speak with them and get an understanding of how we can assist them in supporting our downtown community

1:38:40Just a quick follow-up. Um, so

1:38:43I'm to infer from that that you would be working with uh,

1:38:46Canadian mental health

1:38:48The community health center and organizations like that. Maybe some that I don't even I'm not even aware of

1:38:55So, yes, those are those are organizations that we already have established relationships with as you recall

1:39:01We you know cmha we have an impact team and specifically we have an impact worker who's

1:39:06solely dedicated to the downtown and assist with

1:39:10You know addressing concerns that come up with people who live in our downtown community

1:39:14So from that could I infer that if there is an urgent action required? It might be one of those organizations

1:39:21That would contact

1:39:23the police services or bylaw

1:39:26Rather than just say

1:39:29Other city staff

1:39:33Yeah, absolutely

1:39:34We would encourage all of our community partners as well as members of the community that if there's an urgent response needed that they can contact the police

1:39:42Thank you

1:39:44Thank you. Is there any further questions for our police today?

1:39:48Seeing none, thank you to you both for being here. We appreciate your service. Thank you

1:39:54And then now is there any questions at all for louisa from the county of wallington

1:40:00Counselor or orc and we'll just go to the clerks for a moment just to make sure she can join us online

1:40:13Hi, louisa. It's marica three. I've just been told to turn on your camera there. You're okay

1:40:19Go go ahead. Counselor or work

1:40:21Thank you marica three through you to miss our two. So I have two questions

1:40:24One is for emotion. I'm going to bring later in the evening

1:40:27but miss our two so knows we have a

1:40:30Winter response plan that is coming. I'm just wondering. Can you give us a sneak peek and let us know if there are any plans?

1:40:37in that for day shelter options

1:40:42also or work

1:40:44At this time, no, the the emergency

1:40:47Winter response plan will be similar to that

1:40:51That was initiated by the federal government in 2024. So they will have

1:40:57You know access to a unit

1:41:0124 7

1:41:03And so they're obviously free to stay there during the day

1:41:06Um, but as far as like a hub or a daytime a hub program, um, that's that will not be included as part of that plan

1:41:15Okay, thank you and through you marica three miss our two. So just a question about um

1:41:20That winter response plan. Can you give us a sense of what is being done in terms of creation of additional?

1:41:25shelter units additional

1:41:27permanent supportive housing units

1:41:29And also the the mix of units coming online that might be able to meet a broader range of needs

1:41:36Yes, certainly. Yeah through you

1:41:38here

1:41:39um, so we've actually um, we've noticed our increased numbers on our by name list started in 2023 and it's continued to climb

1:41:49Since 2024. So this is really concerning us for sure

1:41:52Um, however, we've also added emergency shelter beds. Um, so in 2023

1:41:58Um, you know, we've added, you know, 40 beds. We've sustained 68 beds a temporary accommodation site

1:42:05And we have another 27 coming online in 2025

1:42:10um, so that's a total of 135

1:42:12Uh emergency shelter beds that um that we have in addition to

1:42:17The 27 that we had we also opened in 2023 two new emergency shelter units

1:42:24One is on waterloo and that was an emergency shelter for families

1:42:29There was also another shelter that was opened on highway six

1:42:34That was to be a substance free

1:42:36Emergency shelter we heard that individuals were not accessing 23 gordon because sorry 23. Yeah 23 gordon because it was

1:42:45low barrier

1:42:47Unfortunately, the rise of families experiencing homelessness has gone up 106 percent since 2023

1:42:54So now we have families in both of those um in both of those shelters

1:42:58Um, we've sustained

1:43:0068 beds at norfolk manor moving

1:43:04individuals from silver creek to

1:43:07Norfolk manor and we're looking at options there as well

1:43:10To have allow people to to be with their partners

1:43:14While they're in that that is more of um, you know, uh, you know temporary accommodation

1:43:19So it is 24 7. Um, so they can um, you know, be with their partner at that location as well

1:43:26in addition to

1:43:28potentially looking at having some pets allowed in that programs

1:43:32as well because we've heard from people that you know, they don't want to

1:43:36To leave their pets behind and that they're very important to them

1:43:40When we're looking at the increased beds at 23 gordon, there's now going to be two levels of emergency shelter beds

1:43:46So we're hoping that with the two levels we can create a safer environment for individuals who have concerns with everyone being on one floor

1:43:55So we're really looking at number one increasing our emergency shelters system

1:44:00Which I think we were ahead of the curve when you know, not quite understanding how

1:44:06Much more our by nameless was going to increase but also looking at

1:44:11providing a variety of different

1:44:14shelters for people to engage with

1:44:16and then obviously the the sustain the sustaining the 68 beds at the

1:44:21Temporary accommodations is a very important thing that we have done

1:44:25And that allows people

1:44:27Individuals to stay at that temporary accommodation site that was originally

1:44:32Before all of this the increase in 2023 we were actually looking to phase out

1:44:39That temporary accommodations, but we've now sustained that that site

1:44:47Thank you. Councillor Alton. I have a question for you. Thank you very much. Um, is there too?

1:44:52So I appreciate the work you're doing such a difficult challenge. I have two questions

1:44:56They're going to just follow up on issues of accommodations right now

1:45:00Um, I understand that there are approximately 10 people per month

1:45:05That are coming

1:45:06That are that are becoming homeless within the community. Are we able to accommodate an increase of 120 people per year?

1:45:14With the beds that are slated to come online

1:45:18Thank you. Um, mea Guthrie it's um

1:45:22We're holding the line for 2024. Uh, what we're primarily concerned about is 2025

1:45:30So we've had a lot of increase in

1:45:32Um, the transitional housing, uh, that's happening. So 12 units at grace gardens opening up this february 2025

1:45:40We've got the transitional units 28 that are happening on 65 delhi. That's opening up in december

1:45:49We have two supportive housing. So grace gardens has already opened. We have shelled del. That's that's opening

1:45:56But they're they're starting to um, take in their occupants now

1:45:59I don't feel that they I don't know that they're right up to capacity just yet, but that is a process

1:46:05um, that's happening

1:46:07And we've also got

1:46:09Eight supportive that the belvey project. There was supportive housing units there for for youth

1:46:15And then the 65 permanent government funded at st. Joe's so we've seen a significant increase

1:46:21In permanent housing um since 2022 in our area

1:46:25And I believe the total cost of the projected um capital funding

1:46:30That's come for all those projects and this is a this is a role that's um housing services plays

1:46:36Is to try to mitigate and and maximize the amount of one-time funds that are out there

1:46:41That was a total of best but I think of over 42 million dollars in the city of guelph since

1:46:47Starting in 2019 and those projects will all be completed in 2025

1:46:52Now we have our eye to 2025

1:46:54We're projecting that we're going to have about

1:46:57212 people a monthly average on our by name list in 2025

1:47:01So we're holding the line, but we have no new projects coming on. So that's where I feel that we need to

1:47:06Um, you know really roll our sleeves up and work together as a community to figure out if the continue if the climb continues into 2025 2026

1:47:17We're going to need some heavy investments in in the city in order to um to stay where we are right now

1:47:23Let alone reduce the um amount of homelessness that we're experiencing

1:47:29Thank you. So from that I'm inferring that holding the line is on what we have at the present time

1:47:35Not with those that we would anticipate. We would be seeing

1:47:40move

1:47:41Really, we would hope to get into a recovery system. Is that correct? That's correct

1:47:47Thank you

1:47:49One last question. I was just wondering about what time and resources allocated

1:47:55To um, uh a cold weather plan. What do we have as a cold weather plan for the upcoming winter?

1:48:02When we work with the

1:48:04poverty task force so they have locations where people can go to stay warm um, and like we're just finalizing the winter response plan

1:48:11And it will be presented to social services committee. Uh, the second week of september

1:48:17Thank you. Thank you. Is there any further questions just for louisa?

1:48:25Uh, councillor Caton, please

1:48:27Thank you. Thank you very much for being here. Um, I have just a quick question. I was wondering

1:48:33What if any are the plans to make shelter spaces and permanent housing available for those with environmental disabilities?

1:48:41Matthew you may or that is something that we consider at all times even much of fitting the the units that we have right now to make them more accessible

1:48:51Um, you know, we're trying to anything that we build new

1:48:56Uh is it's uh

1:48:59Environmentally friendly as as much as possible. So that is something that we keep in mind because we understand

1:49:05That those needs are pressing and very important to those individuals

1:49:11Thank you. Thank you councillor Caton

1:49:16Anything further at all

1:49:20Okay, um to our guests then thank you very much. We appreciate you being here

1:49:25To both the police and to you louisa from the county. Thank you very much. Thank you

1:49:33Okay, um, let's get to our delegations, please

1:49:39No, i'm not going to go to questions for staff. I really want to go to delegations

1:49:43Yeah, um

1:49:47So just before everyone comes down, you know, I made a mistake last time we had this meeting

1:49:53in february where

1:49:54I was uh using the words like, you know, we have procedural bylaws and we have decorum and and

1:50:02I was caught a little bit in government speak and I want to apologize

1:50:07And I want to instead today

1:50:10Not, you know

1:50:12Say those rules that we have I just wanted to talk about how we're going to act in the room here to to together

1:50:20and this is a

1:50:22This is a

1:50:23complex

1:50:25Issue I think everyone in this room could at least agree with that we'll all agree with that

1:50:29um

1:50:31But this room if we could just kind of describe it like it's a table where everyone is invited to have their opinion

1:50:37That's the best way of me trying to describe it in the easiest possible way

1:50:41So if we could think of this room where we have just a ton of different opinions

1:50:46And there's going to be someone that you know, the pendulum is going to be over here on this one

1:50:50The pendulum is going to be over here on this side

1:50:53But this room should be a safe place where we can hear those differences of opinions

1:50:58And um, you know, like I know some of the I know some of the names here

1:51:02I don't know all of them

1:51:03But I like I already know in advance

1:51:04There's going to be some people here that are going to come up to the microphone and in front of everybody

1:51:08They're going to be like I agree with this by-law and this is the reason why

1:51:12And there's going to be some people here that I know already that are going to come here and go

1:51:15I disagree with this by-law and these are the reasons why

1:51:19And as those two different opinions come to the microphone, I just want to say like they're both very welcome

1:51:26This is what the table is for this is what the table is set for here to allow that to happen

1:51:31And that same sort of respect also comes across here to our side of the table here, too

1:51:37You know, I'm going to hear probably some stuff from my colleagues that maybe I don't I totally agree with

1:51:41And they're going to hear stuff from me that maybe they do or don't agree with but that's

1:51:45That's the arena. That's the table that has been set. So as we hear

1:51:50differences of opinion

1:51:52I would just ask that we uphold that respect

1:51:55Of each other as we as we go there. There are like, you know rules of like, you know, don't

1:52:01Don't jeer and clap or don't, you know

1:52:05Roll, you know, don't be rolling your eyes at your neighbor if they have a difference of opinion

1:52:09Let's let let's let those opinions just

1:52:12Play out because this is an arena where they should all play out. Okay

1:52:17And I would just ask that respect to you and and back to us and we just do it together as a community on a complex issue

1:52:24That we clearly are here to talk about tonight and I totally respect that and hopefully that can come back

1:52:30our way as well

1:52:33Is everyone with me like

1:52:35Yep, we're together on this. That would be really great if we could do that

1:52:39So thank you for letting me

1:52:42Set the table a little bit with that

1:52:44So here's here here are a little bit of the ground rules though as we get into the delegations

1:52:49You don't have you have no more than five minutes. Okay, and

1:52:54If you want to take the whole five minutes like go right ahead. You've got your five minutes

1:52:58You'll hear a chime

1:53:00At the four minute and 30 second mark and that chime is just a warning to give you a heads up. Hey, you only got 30 seconds left

1:53:08Um, and once you're done your delegation, please feel free to stay whether you're in the room

1:53:14Or if you're joining us online video or audio because one of my colleagues or even myself might want to ask a follow-up question

1:53:22So just to stay for a minute. We'll just see if there's any questions if there isn't you're done

1:53:27Thank you very much and we'll go on to the next person if

1:53:32There is people here that are

1:53:35Saying basically what you were going to say. Well, you can also say ditto. That's okay

1:53:39We we take that with the same weight as someone that that you want to speak to for five minutes

1:53:45But we also totally respect the fact that you may have prepared your five minutes and this is your time

1:53:49So we get that. Okay, but if you

1:53:52Part of sort of this discussion is to actually get to the point where we're going to make a decision

1:53:58Whatever that decision is so, you know, if we can get to that decision and you guys can be part of

1:54:02Watching and hearing us get to that point. That's also a good thing as well. Okay

1:54:08So with that

1:54:10Please forgive me if I say some last names incorrectly. I'm not the best with that

1:54:14But janis folk Dawson is right right up at the top

1:54:18And then in person so come on down and then liz hails is going to be in the wings. Is liz here

1:54:26Okay, perfect

1:54:28So janis welcome to you the microphone will turn green for everybody just like that

1:54:33And then so when you see it go green

1:54:35Uh, the floor is yours for up to the five minutes go right ahead. Thank you

1:54:39Good evening mayor and esteemed members of city council. My name is janis folk Dawson

1:54:44My pronouns are she and her. I am a settler. I have rented and worked and raised my son in gulf since 1986

1:54:52I am an injured worker with a permanent disability and i'm the commissioner for the federal n dp persons living with disability commission

1:55:00And an executive member of the gulf and district labor council

1:55:04Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today about this critical issue that affects not only those who are experiencing

1:55:11homelessness, but also housed residents

1:55:14Local businesses and our broader community

1:55:17I have been welcomed by and established relationships by supporting community members who are homeless

1:55:23Under housed and experiencing food insecurity

1:55:27Since the late 80s first at matrix then at 40 baker street and now at the bench

1:55:33Today, I want to highlight the need for a comprehensive solution to the housing crisis in gulf

1:55:39One that serves encampment residents while respecting the needs and concerns of all gulf community members

1:55:46That solution is not this bylaw

1:55:49We stand at a crossroads the encampments we witness in our city are a visible demonstration of the

1:55:56systemic failures that have left many without safe and adequate housing

1:56:00These encampments lack the wraparound supports and resources that individuals truly need to thrive

1:56:07support systems and mental health health care employment and social services

1:56:13This bylaw does not address or provide any of those needed

1:56:17Supports and resources

1:56:19Many residents are facing complex challenges

1:56:22Including undiagnosed mental health issues a lack of addiction recovery

1:56:27resources and isolation

1:56:29Compounded by stigma without these critical resources living outdoors becomes not a choice

1:56:35But in many cases a desperate necessity

1:56:38Moreover our shelter system is not only inadequate in terms of the numbers of available spaces

1:56:45It also presents numerous barriers for those seeking assistance

1:56:49long waitlist complex intake processes and often stigmatizing environments of shelters

1:56:56Act as an additional roadblock for community members in need

1:57:01When people are unable to find safe and supportive housing

1:57:04They are left with limited options too often resulting in encampments that pose challenges for local businesses and residents

1:57:12The housing affordability crisis inflames these issues

1:57:17We are witnessing more and more community members

1:57:20Especially vulnerable seniors our elders facing this threat of losing their homes

1:57:26As rent continues to rise and income levels stagnate a safe and supportive option is not within reach for many

1:57:33We cannot afford to ignore these realities as they affect the fabric of our community at large

1:57:39It is imperative that we recognize this crisis as a human rights concern not a municipal by-law issue

1:57:46We must urge and demand all three levels of government municipal provincial and federal to take responsibility

1:57:53This is not solely a municipal matter. It is a collective failure that requires a coordinated response

1:58:00Relying solely on by-laws or punitive member

1:58:04Measures such as dispersing encampments is not the solution and could lead to severe repercussions

1:58:11Including the potential loss of life and human rights violation that could have profound financial

1:58:18implications for our city

1:58:20Let us be clear pursuing a strategy that does not take into consideration

1:58:24The dignity and rights of all individuals will only perpetuate this ongoing crisis

1:58:30We have an opportunity and deed a responsibility to engage in thoughtful dialogue and collaborative

1:58:37actions to find lasting solutions

1:58:40I believe as I trust all of you do that the city cares deeply for all of its residents and is committed to protecting

1:58:47its most vulnerable members

1:58:49Taking the tents away and criminalizing homelessness will only make the crisis worse for everyone in our community

1:58:56What is needed are comprehensive human rights strategies

1:59:00That focus on immediate and long-term housing solutions

1:59:04increased access to mental health services and the necessity support systems that empower individuals to transition

1:59:12out of homelessness successfully taking strategies from both kitchens and peter burl housing solution programs

1:59:19We can build a guelph where everyone regardless of their circumstances has a place to call home

1:59:25In closing I urge you to champion this important cause and empower our community to seek solutions that includes everyone

1:59:32housed and unhoused I urge city council to defeat this bylaw proposal and instead

1:59:39Enter into a collaboration with members of our community the provincial and federal governments

1:59:44And address the issue using human rights principles and laws to solve

1:59:49Thank you. Thank you very much

1:59:51And uh, I I didn't want to cut you off. I could tell you were on your last sentence

1:59:55All right, so you did you did good right for the basically the five minutes. Is there any questions as a follow-up?

2:00:01There is not thank you very much. Janice. Thank you. Uh, liz hails is next and then in the wings is a barb minnet

2:00:08So please come on up liz

2:00:14Thank you and it will turn green when it's your time. Okay, there you go. Okay, it's green

2:00:18Um, so my name is Liz hails. I'm a primary health care nurse practitioner working in the area of addictions

2:00:26And mental health as well as a provider of primary health care

2:00:29I work with many of the people who are being impacted by the proposed bylaw

2:00:34And I am speaking as a member of the guelph tiny homes coalition

2:00:39We wanted to reiterate that the tiny homes coalition is offering an evidence-based model for providing homes to the very people

2:00:47Who are living rough and camped in st. George's square?

2:00:51And elsewhere in the city of guelph

2:00:53Indeed it was the people living rough on our downtown streets that led us to come together and develop this plan

2:01:01We have the knowledge and skill to provide services to people who have experienced trauma and stigma

2:01:08Many of us have relationships with folks

2:01:11And can move quickly and can quickly move

2:01:14To get shelter built and support people to move into their own home

2:01:18and get out of public spaces

2:01:22No community should have people living precariously

2:01:25Transiently dangerously

2:01:27We know that council is looking for solutions and we are here to continue to work towards a solution together

2:01:34That's it. Thank you, Liz and we appreciate

2:01:38We appreciate you and the tiny home coalition because we supported that just in back in july and hasn't changed

2:01:43So thank you. Is there any questions though for liz while while she's here?

2:01:48No, so thank you very much. Okay barb manette. You are coming up

2:01:55And then uh denise manzera is in the wings denise

2:01:59Wherever you are gotta put my glasses on

2:02:03Yes, uh barb welcome and i'll turn it over to you go right ahead

2:02:07Good afternoon mayor councilors and citizens. I co-created the bookshelf in 1973

2:02:13It is with the understanding that the people currently occupying the tents in st

2:02:17Georgia square will be offered alternative shelter that I support this bylaw

2:02:21I believe that the tents are a health and safety issue that must be addressed

2:02:25But I also understand that addiction is rooted in trauma and that much more help must be given to those suffering

2:02:32The bookshelf the dgba and countless other star keepers have donated significant amounts to service providers like homes for good and hope house

2:02:40We believe in helping our neighbors

2:02:42But the situation we see on the square and other places was ceded when the mike harris government closed mental health facilities in the early

2:02:492000s and the disease is now full blown and out of control

2:02:54I'd like to share with you four conversations that i've had well just four there's many

2:02:58That i've had in the last week. I asked my 20 year old grandson to write an email to you about the bylaw and he actually did

2:03:06As an employee he says as an employee at a restaurant in the downtown area

2:03:09I have a front row view of the challenges posed by the encampment

2:03:13I have observed firsthand how the presence of these tinted communities adversely affects local businesses

2:03:18Driving away potential customers and harming the vibrancy of our downtown

2:03:22Guests at my workplace frequently experience harassment

2:03:26And i've had to call the police on multiple occasions to address these incidents

2:03:30This level of disruption should not be a normal part of our daily lives

2:03:34I have noticed an increase in safety concerns including incidents of sex trafficking

2:03:39Intense this is deeply troubling and highlights the urgent need for action

2:03:44While I understand and respect the rights of those experiencing homelessness the current situation

2:03:49Has escalated into significant safety and disturbance issues

2:03:53It is crucial to address these problems to restore a sense of safety and community to our downtown

2:03:59another friend

2:04:00A 75 year old woman was excited to bring friends from out of town to her beloved downtown

2:04:06But when she visited earlier in that morning

2:04:09She was so shocked at the state of the square that she did not feel comfortable bringing them to the bookshelf and then to have lunch at

2:04:16mijira

2:04:17Another friend a 60 year old man born and bred in downtown guave lover of the downtown

2:04:22Will no longer use the bank machine at the bank of montreal because of being aggressively hassled there

2:04:27Constantly is actually getting into his car and driving to another branch to get money

2:04:33And just one last comment from a woman who has just moved into norfolk manner

2:04:37I live near and I make a habit of chatting to these new neighbors when I pass

2:04:41I told her that I was delegating in favor of removing the tents from the square

2:04:46She actually thanked me for doing that and said could you please tell them that most of us are not taking drugs?

2:04:51We don't like it either too much noise and violence

2:04:55These were ardent downtowners

2:04:58Urban planners and others often comment that the heart of a city is its downtown

2:05:03What does it really mean to be at the heart of a city?

2:05:06You know those of us in retail are often disparaged

2:05:09Retail is after all called an entry level job

2:05:12But if we are at the heart of things we must be doing something useful

2:05:16On reflection, I think that we provide a place where people can come and tell their stories

2:05:21Stories about having teenagers inability to sleep insights about movies the decisions of politicians marriage divorce

2:05:30Very little is off the table

2:05:32I've come to understand that this is how connections are made and the more connections the more cohesive cohesive your town or city will be

2:05:40These conversations that I've enjoyed for the last 50 years have been very meaningful to me

2:05:48Last week I walked around downtown talking to shopkeepers and others without question

2:05:53All of us are suffering economically and psychically

2:05:57You the city need to help us

2:06:00Your downtown citizens preserve these important connections so that we can continue to be the heart of the city

2:06:07And as ban manette wrote in a letter last month the citizens of wealth today

2:06:11Or to the readers of gulf today

2:06:13Don't give up on the downtown

2:06:16In closing I've also been thinking of this phrase

2:06:19Perfection is the enemy of the good. Do I think this by-law will do much to spend homeless? No, it's not perfect at all

2:06:27So we must keep the pressure up at all levels of government and not give up searching for solutions that include more money for mental health

2:06:34As well as housing we owe that to our vulnerable citizens

2:06:38But a square that invites everyone in is a good thing and will definitely help the heart of downtown wealth keep beating

2:06:47Great. Thank you very much for your perspective barb. Is there any follow-up for barb at all?

2:06:53There isn't but thank you. Thank you again for coming

2:06:57Denise is next and then uh

2:07:02Melissa, Melissa Krakowski. I think I saw Melissa. Yes, you're in the wings

2:07:09Denise welcome the the microphone is green go right ahead

2:07:11My name is Denise Mansour and I'm from Miss Mary Mac boutique. I'm the owner and proprietor there

2:07:18Today I want to address

2:07:20Today I want to address a pressing issue in our community the encampment on cubax street in gulf

2:07:26The situation raises serious concerns about the two tiers of justice in our system and the impact of public drug use on our local businesses

2:07:33First let's discuss the issue of justice in our country

2:07:36There is a glaring disparity between how black and indigenous people are treated compared to white citizens

2:07:41This two-tiered system often means that marginalized communities face hard

2:07:45Harder legal consequences and less support from the system

2:07:48This disparity is not just an abstract concept, but a real issue that affects countless lives every day

2:07:54When I address you today, I want you to look at your own biases and how that affects how you see the encampment and the behavior of those living there

2:08:01Does racial bias lead you to deny the existence of rampant legal behavior?

2:08:06Including open hard drug use and trafficking

2:08:09Does bias play a role in the complete lack of enforcement of existing laws?

2:08:13What I see every day is dangerous and illegal activity by white presenting persons that is being tolerated and even ignored

2:08:20If this bylaw is not going to pass and the encampment is going to continue

2:08:23I request for my safety and the safety of those in the community that two police officers and a nurse are present 24 7

2:08:30At all times to address the legal activity and the medical issues flowing from the overdosing

2:08:36Now the encampment on kibbeck street has become a focal point for activism

2:08:40Particularly around the issue of drug use

2:08:42Activists argue that drug use should be decriminalized and that the people who use drugs need access to safe spaces

2:08:48While their intentions may be rooted in a desire for harm reduction

2:08:52The current situation on kibbeck street is problematic

2:08:55It has evolved into a space where open drug use is prevalent

2:08:58And unfortunately this has shifted the narrative from one of advocating for safe spaces to one of creating a drug den

2:09:04The reality on kibbeck street is troubling

2:09:07The encampment rather than serving as a temporary shelter or place of housing support has increasingly become a center of drug activity

2:09:14This environment not only under undermines efforts to provide effective supportive housing solutions

2:09:20But also significantly impacts the local community

2:09:23As a business owner on kibbeck street. I have personally felt the adverse effects of the situation

2:09:29My source livelihood my source livelihood and other local businesses like mine have been severely impacted by the encampment

2:09:35There's been a noticeable reduction in foot traffic and as a result sales have declined

2:09:40This drop in business not only affects my ability to support my staff and keep the store running

2:09:44But also diminishes the vitality of our once thriving streets

2:09:49It's imperative that we seek a thoughtful approach to managing public spaces that both respect the dignity and rights of all individuals

2:09:56And address the practical concerns of our community

2:09:59We must prioritize creating supportive environments that genuinely address the needs of vulnerable populations without compromising public safety

2:10:08Or the well-being of local businesses

2:10:13Thank you. Thank you very much for your perspective and just to see if there's a follow-up at all from any of my colleagues

2:10:19There isn't thank you very much

2:10:22Melissa you're you're in the wings already come on up

2:10:25And uh next is uh Julio Rodriguez Julio. I think I saw uh, yes standing up

2:10:31Melissa, thank you. Nice to see you and the my screen. You can start whenever you wish

2:10:35Thank you. Good evening everyone. Melissa Kwiatkowski from the Guelph Community Health Center

2:10:40It's been a heavy week for so many of us with news that guelph chc's consumption and treatment service will close march 31st

2:10:472025

2:10:49This news would have been hard to receive at any time

2:10:51But especially as many of us are also participating in drug poisoning awareness day activities in mount forest last week

2:10:58And in guelph tomorrow

2:11:00This is a time where we remember the family friends and loved ones lost to substance related fatalities

2:11:05Including the 62 people lost in guelph and wellington in 2023

2:11:10I'm here today not to speak specifically about the public space bylaw

2:11:14But to share data and information with council members that demonstrates the need for a coordinated system response

2:11:21To the complex and layered crises facing our community

2:11:25We must resist the temptation to take the easy way out by latching on to simple solutions

2:11:30Targeting one service or a group of people and instead must hold the complexity and the interrelatedness of the emergencies before us

2:11:38We must act in a systemic way that addresses the co-occurring crises of housing

2:11:44poverty affordability drug toxicity and mental health and addictions

2:11:49Some of the immediate pressures and gaps facing our community including the lack of a fully funded daytime service and the removal of the cts

2:11:57Make it absolutely critical for us to urgently mobilize a coordinated and collaborative response

2:12:03As a member of the wellington guelph health and housing community planning table

2:12:07I hope this data and information will be helpful to council

2:12:11As they consider the request from the group to resource the development of a comprehensive community led plan

2:12:16That includes both short term and long term plans to address these gaps

2:12:22Important data on our cts to share since 2018

2:12:26There were over 41 000 visits to the guelph cts

2:12:30Close to 1 000 referrals from that service have been made to primary care for unattached individuals

2:12:36Of the 311 overdoses reversed in the site only 12

2:12:42Of those resulted in a transfer to the emergency department

2:12:46The service is also the door into treatment for many with an average of 44 people per month connected to on-demand addiction treatment on site

2:12:55And most importantly there have been zero fatalities

2:13:00Removing evidence-based life-saving health services from our community will lead to more people dying more public drug use and higher and more complex burdens for emergency rooms

2:13:09Ems police crisis service hospitals and for neighborhoods

2:13:13All of whom are already overwhelmed

2:13:16We have also been capturing data on the impacts that a lack of daytime service has on our site to help paint a picture of the gap and the needs

2:13:24A five-day point in time count was conducted between July 30th and August 15th at the guelph chc downtown site

2:13:33There were up to 351 visits

2:13:36Including repeat visits to the main floor of the guelph chc where we offer comprehensive wraparound health care

2:13:43Up to 110 of these visits were for people that were not using guelph chc services

2:13:48They were there to rest to charge their phone

2:13:51To cool off etc

2:13:54There was an average of 175 unique people per day

2:13:59And finally I'd like to share some data and information about welcoming streets

2:14:05A program that has been filling in to support many of the gaps that are left by not having a fully funded daytime service

2:14:12In the last six months welcoming streets responded to an average of 149 calls per month

2:14:18The top end was 184 calls in one month

2:14:22The main needs that the team are effectively and skillfully responding to include de-escalating mental health crises or conducting wellness checks

2:14:32resource navigation

2:14:34And responding to public drug use and requests to pick up improperly discarded supplies

2:14:40I have permission to share this quote from our friends at guelph public library

2:14:44We appreciate and value the assistance of welcoming streets and feel that our need to call police is down significantly

2:14:50Because they are able to de-escalate situations for us

2:14:54The welcoming streets team will be needed now more than ever and will be a critical piece of our risk mitigation plan once cts is no longer operating

2:15:04I'd like to urge council to approve the request that has been brought forth by the health and housing community planning table

2:15:12It is more important than ever that we get this right and we do so quickly. Thank you

2:15:17Thank you very much. I have a question from councillor Busuttil

2:15:22Thank you for your delegation and thank you for

2:15:25Highlighting the complex interrelated emergencies that we have before us here in the community

2:15:31You've mentioned a couple of times in your presentation about fully funded daytime service

2:15:36Can you expand just very briefly on that? Is that something that you've discussed with the county? Is it the ministry of health?

2:15:43And and where does full sustained funding come from?

2:15:47So in I think in our community we some of the data I've presented here today

2:15:56I think some of the data that royal city mission has shared before

2:16:00Speaks to the need for a fully funded daytime service and when I say fully funded

2:16:04I mean from the hours of 8 a.m. To 8 p.m. As shelter overnight shelter is only available until 8 a.m

2:16:12And we need that seven days a week

2:16:15My understanding I don't want to speak for the county. I don't know if miss or tuzo is still on the call

2:16:19But my understanding is daytime services aren't within the county's mandate

2:16:25And so these are things conversations that I think need to be had at city council in terms of

2:16:33I know the question is always asked who's paying for it and we can also ask who's paying for it now by not doing anything

2:16:42Thank you. And just

2:16:44You didn't respond to whether or not this has been discussed with the ministry of health or any of the ministry that funds the gulf community health center

2:16:52For a daytime service

2:16:53Typically not this is usually something that municipalities take on for a daytime service

2:17:04Thank you. Melissa. I don't see anything further. Thank you very much for your perspectives too

2:17:11Julio is here and then over video is Amelia meister

2:17:16And Amelia so you're you're getting ready to go after Julio. So

2:17:20And when the green light goes on go right ahead

2:17:26Um, good evening members of city council and america and guthrie

2:17:31Um, I'm here to discuss the disregard the disregard for public safety and the mental health of all tax paying citizens

2:17:38business owners employees and our entire community

2:17:42Including visitors travelers and students surrounding this monstrosity of an encampment which is paralyzing on so many levels

2:17:50We as business owners have expressed our concerns from the beginning when this all started many many years ago

2:17:56We started to hear about other cities

2:17:58Sending those in need here because of the drugs and services that we have provided in our city

2:18:04That should have been a huge red flag from the beginning

2:18:07The repercussions from this has become economically devastating for so many businesses and tax paying community members

2:18:14And the fact that the amount of intellectual people governing protecting and leading our city combined

2:18:19Just laying down and being walked over is repulsive

2:18:22It's almost like the hands at work here are trying to make living like this the norm

2:18:27Almost every organization needs to show why they need more funding

2:18:31Because if we have the perfect answer and resolution then funding is taken away

2:18:36Which makes absolutely no sense

2:18:38Funding should continue even when things are getting much better

2:18:42I feel that without rehabilitation and mental health housing

2:18:45We won't get ahead but will continue to escalate so there is no more help left to give

2:18:50Because the encampments will continue to grow

2:18:53Doing hard drugs in a public space was never and should never be the norm

2:18:58Keeping together in an encampment with no bylaws whatsoever to do more drugs and live in filth is horrific

2:19:06Rehabilitation and mental health health care should be the top priority

2:19:11I still believe that we as a society would rather have taxes help pay

2:19:16For that than the constant push for a safer drug supply, especially when the funds more addiction to others when it's sold for other drugs

2:19:24Why can't we treat and rehabilitate rather than supply them with more drugs when we ask the vulnerable members of these encampments

2:19:32Why they choose to be there? We are told that they do not feel safe in shelters and housing that we are providing

2:19:39Why is this?

2:19:41Plus those with addictions want to be close to the dealers and the drugs

2:19:46They do not want to follow the rules of some of the

2:19:49shelters

2:19:51Encampment like the ones we have in our city core are nothing but havens for crime

2:19:56Looting drug addiction open air drug use and some sex trafficking and drug trafficking and will continue to go rampant in our beautiful downtown

2:20:08Everyone running all city municipalities says it's not their jurisdiction

2:20:13It's too bad. We couldn't have actual leaders step up

2:20:16We'll have to wait for another election in common sex politics while we just sit here and continue to decay as a society

2:20:23No one wants to look bad to a certain group. So we just stay neutral, which is weak in my opinion

2:20:28We all know that getting off drugs should be what we aim for

2:20:32They need help getting off the drugs and not staying on them. This bylaw must go through so we can all enjoy our city

2:20:39We need to look at other

2:20:42Provinces that are starting to do model of care that we need to possibly look at

2:20:47I and others. I'm sure we all want housing for everyone

2:20:50Let's find solutions for the needs that we can fix immediately for the homeless

2:20:55Eyes of property and business owner must follow all laws bylaws and then rightfully so should all so should all encampments

2:21:03But allowing the encampments as they are now is horrible for those with mental illness and addiction

2:21:08Encampments must not be in the downtown core and we can build elsewhere because they will follow if the right care and support is there

2:21:17Thank you

2:21:19Great. Thank you. Thank you for your perspectives and is there any questions as a follow-up?

2:21:25There isn't but thank you very much

2:21:29okay, and

2:21:30Amelia is going to join us. I believe over

2:21:34Video

2:21:40Yes, we can see and hear you. Thank you very much for joining us. You go right ahead and start

2:21:45Thank you. I oppose the public space use bylaw

2:21:49Besides agreeing with the many voices who will be speaking for the human rights of people living in encampments and the horrific practice of criminalizing homelessness

2:21:57I'm deeply concerned about the lack of democratic process in this bylaw

2:22:01City staff stated in February council meeting on the same bylaw that a bylaw of this scope and magnitude

2:22:07Would generally have a 12 to 18 month consultation and research period

2:22:11Other bylaws including the recently adopted night sky bylaw had at least six months of open public consultation and research

2:22:18This bylaw according to staff city staff's own report was not given enough time or resources to adequately consult with people living in encampments

2:22:27Nor has a public consultation process happened nor have I seen evidence of a comprehensive stakeholder consultation process

2:22:34Nor appropriate levels of research including into the definite legal case that will be made against the city

2:22:40Nor into how it will be enforced without criminalization

2:22:43As staff also stated in the february meeting that there is not adequate bylaw staffing to enforce the bylaw

2:22:49Nor budget available to hire bylaw staff to enforce leaving it then in the hands of police

2:22:55Which is an incredibly unjust approach to any bylaw

2:22:58While the community engagement policy states that the need that the public need not be consulted in certain instances

2:23:05None of those apply here unless council is suggesting that people living in encampments are inherent threats to public safety

2:23:12Which is a dangerous and discriminatory line of thinking

2:23:15It seems gravely inappropriate to disregard the city's democratic and logistical processes in favor of a poorly put together bylaw

2:23:23That is an obvious legal risk as the legal clinic of guelph in their delegation in february stated unequivocally that it would take legal action

2:23:31Should this bylaw pass

2:23:33Council is not only risking the lives and well-being of the encampment population with this bylaw

2:23:38But it seems taking excessive liberties with the interpretation of the city's policies

2:23:43We have processes in place to ensure bylaws

2:23:47Are legal appropriate and will actually address the concerns they seek to address

2:23:52Without a robust consultation and research process staff are left offering a bylaw

2:23:57That will not address the underlying issues of homelessness poverty drug use or encampments

2:24:01This bylaw will not stop encampments from existing in public spaces. It will only criminalize those already living in precarity

2:24:10We need a thorough consultation and research process into what will actually address the issues that it seeks to resolve with this unjust bylaw proposal

2:24:18We need short and long-term solutions that ensure safe semi permanent and or permanent all-day housing

2:24:24solutions for those living in encampments only housing solutions will solve the encampment problem

2:24:31And council would have a better and more thorough understanding of this if the time and resources necessary

2:24:36To do a robust consultation and research process were made available

2:24:41Imagine a first responder showed up to a person having a heart attack

2:24:45And without asking any of their symptoms or doing any examination put a band-aid on the person and said there

2:24:51I fixed it. This is the equivalent of what this bylaw would do

2:24:55It seems council is trying to force a quick fix that would do nothing to actually solve the issues

2:25:01And in the process it is leading risking certain legal action and the costs associated with it

2:25:07increased budget for enforcement both of which we know the city can't afford and discriminatory

2:25:13criminalization of an already

2:25:16already vulnerable population

2:25:18That it is the council's duty to serve

2:25:21It is my opinion that this bylaw is not only discriminatory

2:25:24But that it has no place being voted on as it has not been given the adequate democratic and logistical dues

2:25:31needed for a bylaw of this scope and impact and that council is acting

2:25:35irresponsibly to all its residents by bringing it forward at all

2:25:39Please instead use your time and energy to bring forward appropriate immediate

2:25:44Short and long term all-day housing solutions for all living and encampments

2:25:49This is a better option that will do more to address the issues than this bylaw ever will. Thank you

2:25:56Thank you. Amelia. Is there any questions at all?

2:26:00There isn't thank you very much for joining us. Thank you

2:26:05Okay in person we have uh, sarah beluce. I hope I'm saying that right. I apologize if I did not

2:26:12Sarah's coming down in the wings. Catherine nixon. Are you here Catherine?

2:26:17Yes, perfect

2:26:28Welcome and the the light is green for you. You can start whenever you wish. Okay. Okay

2:26:33Uh greetings council. My name is sarah and I'm a 25 year old constituent of ward three

2:26:39I am against the motion. Mayor Guthrie has proposed regarding gulf's downtown encampments

2:26:44To begin I hold a bachelor's degree in sociology from McMaster University

2:26:48I was born and raised in hamilton have worked in shelters and spent significant time working for harm reduction programs

2:26:55I am a disabled woman and someone who has experienced homelessness as a as a teenager after experiencing family violence

2:27:02There will never be enough time in this world to accurately express the trauma and devastation homelessness brings upon a person

2:27:09The cost of living crisis is at an all-time high and landlords continue to purge our city

2:27:14I cannot understand the reasoning behind criminalizing poverty

2:27:18Mr. Guthrie has spent the last few months doing right-wing ideology to manufacture consent to scapegoat the unhoused

2:27:24He makes up interactions. He claims to have at the unhoused claiming that they refuse help that they refuse to use the plentiful resources

2:27:31He readily serves them

2:27:33Guthrie is confident that the unhoused live on the streets and subject themselves to his cruelty voluntarily

2:27:39Telling people to enter a shelter is dismissive and does not address the root of the problem

2:27:44I am disgusted by the stereotypes. Mr. Guthrie utilizes to demonize our most vulnerable

2:27:49His motion tells me he cares little about these communities and hasn't taken the time to understand their struggles

2:27:54Quite frankly it is clear that Mr. Guthrie and the rest of the business class are ignorant to the scope of the issue

2:28:01So I will speak to the numbers

2:28:04According to the Wellington County report there are 368 unhoused individuals in Guelph and only 146 shelter beds available in 2023

2:28:14According to Guelph today, there have been a sharp increase in those experiencing homelessness in Guelph

2:28:19In the first quarter of 2024 there has been a 33 percent increase in homelessness in our region

2:28:26According to the Canadian Women's Foundation in 2019 around 1.44 million women were living low income

2:28:33At least 25 percent myself included lost their housing after becoming victims of intimate partner and family violence

2:28:40Female individuals represented the largest population living in low income households

2:28:44And this becomes more dire as further marginalization is entered into the mix

2:28:49Queer youth make up between 25 and 40 percent of homeless youth in Canada

2:28:54That means that nearly one out of every three homeless young people in Canada

2:28:57Identify as queer as a lesbian the majority of my friends and my family have experienced homelessness

2:29:04As for refugees there is a disproportionate number of refugee claimants in emergency shelters

2:29:09The city of toronto recorded a 500 increase in refugee shelter use from 2021 to 2023

2:29:16This increase in refugee homelessness highlights the pressing need for a strong social safety net

2:29:22The center for justice and social compassion estimates that 45 percent of all people experiencing homelessness are disabled

2:29:29People living on odsp as i am do not receive any physical support to meet the poverty line

2:29:35Moreover, mayor kim guthrey takes home over 200 000 per year in his current position

2:29:40On average a person on odsp brings in $1,368 a month

2:29:46Annually a person on odsp can survive on $16,416

2:29:52Annually cam guthrey's conferences cost the taxpayer $15,589

2:29:58cam guthrey is trying to criminalize individuals who make annually what he spends at conferences and it gets worse

2:30:04When a person on odsp becomes homeless, they use they lose their shelter benefit

2:30:09Meaning the homeless individuals in guelph who are very likely to be odsp recipients see less money than cam guthrey's annual conference budget

2:30:16This public space bylaw is an oxymoron trying to regulate

2:30:20Who is allowed to exist in public under threat of criminalization is an indication of deep social failure

2:30:26Giving money to our police to write tickets that go unpaid

2:30:29Instead of investing in cooling heating centers affordable housing and food support is backwards and ineffective

2:30:35Never mind that guelph is the territory of the hodon shone and adwo rondach people who

2:30:41According to jesse jesse a thysole understand homelessness as the outcome of historically constructed and ongoing settler

2:30:49colonialism and racism

2:30:51What we have been doing relying on inadequate shelter shutting down the cts and criminalizing those experiencing the brunt of conservative policy is not working

2:30:59We must dream of a better possibility

2:31:02Instead of wasting money on tickets jail and trauma

2:31:04Let's invest in housing subsidies effective culturally focused social services and evidence-based practice

2:31:11There's no benefit to criminalizing a group that is destined to keep growing under the current order of things

2:31:17To close i'd like to read a quote from mayor cam guthrey's official twitter account on december 19th 2019

2:31:24Leveraging the homeless in guelph to try and score political points and take a job at anyone is a new low

2:31:29And i will call it out whenever i see it. Thank you

2:31:33Thank you sarah. Thank you for your perspectives. Is there any questions for sarah?

2:31:39Seeing none. Thank you very much

2:31:42Catherine nixon is up and then after Catherine is paul barson. I think i saw paul over. Yes paul welcome

2:31:49So Catherine you're up next

2:31:52And it's green so go right ahead

2:31:54Good evening. I stand before you today as someone who is deeply vested in this community

2:31:59With the background in social service work and years of volunteering in the downtown core

2:32:03I've witnessed firsthand the challenges faced by those struggling with precarious housing

2:32:07addiction and mental health issues

2:32:09I also help organize a youth led program your downtown guelph friends

2:32:13Working directly with individuals most affected by this public space bylaw

2:32:18This bylaw reflects our values and how we treat our most vulnerable neighbors

2:32:22Criminalizing those who are unhoused or substance dependent doesn't solve the underlying issue. It ignores them

2:32:28We are turning our backs on some of the most resilient members of our community

2:32:32I've spent countless hours in st. George's square next to safe consumption sites and visiting encampments since I was 15

2:32:39The stories used used to support this bylaw don't reflect the reality i've seen

2:32:44Contrary to what a delegate previously said these issues impact us all regardless of our ethnicity socioeconomic status

2:32:51gender sexual orientation and so on

2:32:54We regularly see people of all backgrounds not just white presenting people

2:32:58When looking at police data, guelph police reports show that the higher crime rates are in other areas of the city

2:33:04Not downtown yet. The same concern is absent there

2:33:08Highlighting the classism embedded in this bylaw which shields us from the site of our societal failures

2:33:14The sale of 90 cardin street exacerbated housing insecurity and our failure to implement a rent crap

2:33:20a rent a rent cap drives more

2:33:23people into precarious living situations

2:33:26The Ontario government's decision to close safe consumption sites coupled with this bylaw's penalties for public drug use

2:33:32forces us to ask

2:33:34What is the proposed solution? Is it to let people die because that's a message being sent

2:33:39Those who are unhoused rely on local services for survival in the downtown core

2:33:44And this bylaw deliberately targets that area where these essential services are concentrated

2:33:50Cutting off access and putting lives at risk

2:33:54Evidently transportation is a barrier

2:33:57These needs are not just a matter of convenience

2:33:59They are a matter of survival

2:34:02Passing this bylaw will likely lead to costly legal challenges wasting taxpayer money on defending a harmful and divisive law

2:34:09Instead we should invest those funds into real compassionate solutions

2:34:13Safe stable housing and access to health care

2:34:16in Ontario

2:34:185,000

2:34:20People experience homelessness start 230 500,000 people experience homelessness each year and the opioid crisis continues to devastate our communities

2:34:29These numbers are not just data points. They are our neighbors friends and family members

2:34:33Our community is unsafe not because of those who are unhoused

2:34:36But because we have failed to provide the necessary supports to people

2:34:41for people to live with dignity

2:34:43Penalizing individuals for circumstances often beyond their control does not protect our city. It perpetuates harm

2:34:50This bylaw is not a solution. It is a temporary response to deep systemic problems

2:34:56We must move towards real solutions more affordable housing enhanced harm reduction services and accessible mental health and addiction support

2:35:05We must invest in our society safety nets not dismantle them

2:35:09To the decision makers who support this bylaw with the utmost respect you are not protecting our community with this legislation

2:35:15You are harming it

2:35:17But it is not too late to change course

2:35:19Let us be the city that is remembered that chose

2:35:22compassion over condemnation and real solutions over short-sightedness

2:35:27As you reflect on this decision think of the people most affected by this bylaw

2:35:32Imagine the fear and pain of being treated as less than human

2:35:36Now imagine if that were you or someone you loved how would you want your community to respond? Thank you

2:35:43Great. Thank you Catherine for your delegation. Is there any quick okay?

2:35:47Councillor Caron has a question for you

2:35:49Thank you, and thank you Kate and the work that you and your your colleagues do downtown with the downtown friends

2:35:55one of the things you mentioned in your delegation is

2:35:59basic needs

2:36:01And that we're missing some pieces on the basic needs

2:36:05schedules

2:36:07And that's the reason why your

2:36:09organization

2:36:11why you personally

2:36:13Created those additional meals because there were gaps in service

2:36:17Can you just identify where those gaps are? Where are the service gaps?

2:36:23for day

2:36:24and a night shelter and meals

2:36:28Currently that that you see still have not been adequately addressed

2:36:32Thank you councillor and thank you so much for those kind words

2:36:35Yes, absolutely. I'd be more than happy to highlight where there are current gaps within programming with engulf

2:36:41So essentially if you are someone who is unhoused

2:36:44And you depend on the shelter systems and food programming for your survival

2:36:48Your day can look like this typically you were released at 8 a.m. Out of the shelter system

2:36:52And there's nowhere for you engulf to access breakfast programming

2:36:56Or really any kind of drop in programming up until 2 p.m. At this point at royal city mission

2:37:02So from 8 a.m. Till 2 p.m. There is nowhere to access a meal

2:37:06Royal city mission has had significant funding cuts. So they are able to provide a meal at 6 p.m. Daily

2:37:12So people are not eating often till 6 p.m

2:37:16We as an organization have stepped in on monday tuesdays and sundays to provide a meal at 2 p.m. On sundays

2:37:23and uh three p.m. On monday and tuesdays

2:37:26So people aren't eating up until either one of those services are in place

2:37:31Secondly, there is no drop in drop in at all on monday and tuesday

2:37:36So there is a total drop enclosure monday and tuesday with engulf

2:37:39Where people aren't able to access any any space because we operate outside

2:37:43So our meal programming is outdoors and people come to us outside

2:37:47So monday tuesday, there's nowhere to go the rest of the days

2:37:51You're waiting up until 2 p.m. For some reprieve

2:37:54So and then within nighttime programming

2:37:57I think it's important to recognize that there are limited shelter space contrary to what we've been hearing

2:38:02There are limited shelter spaces and often people are turned away

2:38:06And I know that because I've been on the receiving end of phone calls from people

2:38:09Who have said I couldn't get in tonight and it's cold. I don't know what to do

2:38:13So I know that the shelters are at capacity

2:38:16And then if you don't get into the shelters, there's nowhere for you to go

2:38:20There's no drop in programming at night

2:38:23That's it those limited shelter beds if you are if you don't make the cut

2:38:27That's it for you and it's really unfortunate because

2:38:30This is exacerbating the crisis

2:38:33People that don't have their needs met

2:38:36Of course, they're going to you know, they're going to be in crisis all the time

2:38:39It's just this basic common sense and it's data driven

2:38:41So it's really important that we recognize that there are gaps and when we're talking about a public space bylaw

2:38:46There's really nowhere for people to go because we haven't adequately funded the supports

2:38:50As a city as a

2:38:53Provincial and federal government. So I hope that answers your question. Yeah, that's really helpful. Thanks. Thank you

2:39:00I'm not seeing anything further. So thank you very much. Thank you

2:39:04Let's see here. Where are we here?

2:39:09Paul Paul's coming up. Paul Barton's coming up Michael Kennedy. Are you here? Michael Kennedy? Great. You are you are next in the wings

2:39:18Paul over to you. Thank you

2:39:20Thank you, mayor cam members of council. Thank you for allowing me to speak today

2:39:24I am here on a number of fronts first and the main reason I signed up to delegate is because I am a gis professional

2:39:30Sorry, I'm going to nerd out for a bit here

2:39:32That's geographic information systems and creating mapping to communicate municipal issues is what I do in my day job

2:39:38Naturally due to career pride. I was a little

2:39:41Disappointed when there was no mapping provided as an appendix to the bylaw identifying locations of these new permitted areas for encampment

2:39:49When a highly at risk group of individuals is being forced away from an area

2:39:53We deserve to know that our fellow citizens are moving towards something that provides them with access to their basic needs

2:40:00I want to thank councillors Goller and classon for responding to my concerns about this

2:40:04After they inform me that there was going to be mapping done internally

2:40:08And it would be shared in advance of the implementation of the bylaw. I thought okay. Good. I don't need to speak now

2:40:13But it's not the sharing of these maps that it's important. It's the creation of them

2:40:17Through an iterative process with informed stakeholders that is key

2:40:21My worry is that these maps will be presented and it will be too difficult to tell if the permitted areas won't meet the needs of the

2:40:27Individuals being relocated

2:40:29If is there someone not on staff not on council associated with a not-for-profit? We've probably seen a bunch of them already today

2:40:36That assists the unhoused that can be a part of this process to look at these maps with a critical eye and say yes

2:40:42These areas are safe close to downtown services have access to washrooms can adequately accommodate the unhoused while

2:40:49We wait for the next provincial government to start supporting municipalities again

2:40:53I would like to see an endorsement from those close to the situation that they have seen the maps and the available areas are

2:40:58appropriate

2:40:59This seems like it would be something very easy to achieve

2:41:02And if it has already been done then you should be leading with this

2:41:06The results of this bylaw are endorsed by xxx community group that would go a long way

2:41:10And my speech rating team would have had the week off

2:41:14Second I live downtown. I work downtown. I have raised two adult children downtown and I have two young children here

2:41:20I interact daily with many of the people downtown that are potentially being targeted by this bylaw

2:41:25Be it trading smiles giving loose change buying a coffee or just having a short conversation

2:41:30My interaction with these individuals at risk have been pleasant and respectable

2:41:34Of course, I had unpleasant unsafe experiences in the city

2:41:38But they have not been related to the encampments

2:41:42A gentleman yelling across the street going through a mental health crisis or a motorist driving through downtown trying to impress his buddy doing 80

2:41:49Or a group of aggressive young men after eight years at one of the many downtown establishments

2:41:54Unsafe experiences come from all walks of life and are almost certainly not as a result of the unhoused living intense

2:42:00And I certainly don't think that we need a no driving or a no clubbing bylaw to deal with these one-off situations

2:42:06Because of this experience, I don't think our politicians have framed this issue properly

2:42:11They ramp up the downtown is unsafe for the regular citizen because of the encampment rhetoric and leave out the potential that this is the safest place for the

2:42:17Unhoused citizen

2:42:19Likely you will be presented tonight with stories of bike thefts and car breakings and intimidating behavior and loitering, etc

2:42:25However, I caution against connecting all of these encounters with the encampments instead of the larger issues of poverty and mental health

2:42:31Crises that you are all deeply familiar with

2:42:34I believe the true nature of this issue is what I call the ew factor

2:42:38We have a perception that our spaces should look

2:42:41Like of what our spaces should look like and we don't want that tampered with whether it's the issue at hand

2:42:46The history books are filled with similar discussions of keep them out of our view focused on race accessibility

2:42:52socioeconomic status skateboarding

2:42:54We are the master gatekeepers at the doors of homogeneity

2:42:59Made me maybe that makes for a good box store plaza, but it doesn't make for a vibrant downtown

2:43:04I would suggest that a tent for someone addicted to hard drugs is no more harmful than the suit wearing weekend alcoholic being respectfully seated at a downtown patio

2:43:15Some drugs are okay, I guess

2:43:19Now i'm not an anarchist

2:43:20I believe that is perfectly reasonable to put up guardrails

2:43:23So we don't have to navigate every moment of civic life from scratch

2:43:26It is imperative to let experts weigh in to provide some quality starting points and that's where this gis mapping exercise is critical

2:43:33I'm not convinced that the people most in touch with the needs of the unhoused have seen these maps and have given their stamp of approval on them

2:43:40At least our elected officials haven't communicated that if indeed this has been done or will be done

2:43:47We need to know once you strip back the political theater that the needs of our most at-risk citizens are being considered properly

2:43:53and until I am convinced

2:43:56I am happy to see tents in st. George's square reminding me that this is an issue we need to keep top of mind

2:44:07To be clear, I would like to request that the mapping associated with this new by-law be shared

2:44:13and created with poverty support organizations throughout the brought by-law creation process and their collective endorsement be shared with the public

2:44:23Mayor Guthrie counselors and city staff

2:44:26I appreciate the work you have done on this even if I don't share all of your opinions on or

2:44:31Enthusiasm for this by-law quite yet best luck navigating this issue and again. Thank you for letting me speak

2:44:36Thank you very much Paul

2:44:38And if we could just have just if you don't mind just some just a more quiet in the audience as we continue to

2:44:44Engage and some of us have some hearing issues as well from an accessibility point of view

2:44:48So if we could just be respectful of that so paul just wait a second. I want to see if there is

2:44:54Any questions for you there is not thank you very much

2:45:00Michael you are in the wings come on down

2:45:03David Douglas are you here? I think I saw yes, David you're in the wings. Okay

2:45:08Michael welcome and you can go right ahead. Perfect

2:45:12So the reason I'm here is because I watched the council meeting in February and I didn't feel that the interests of downtown residents were being

2:45:21accurately

2:45:23represented

2:45:24I've been a downtown resident for the past 10 years and encampments are nothing new

2:45:30But what is new is the location of them and how visible they are now

2:45:34I think based on the delegations that have spoken homelessness is a complicated issue. The solutions are not easy

2:45:42It has nothing to do with the fact that tents should not be in st. George's square

2:45:48They shouldn't be beside the children's youth music center

2:45:51And they shouldn't be in other sensitive areas

2:45:54Every other golf family I've spoken to my neighbors on our street feels the same way I do

2:45:59We don't walk past st. George's square anymore

2:46:03We don't use trails or pathways that we used to do we used to walk on every single day for the past 10 years

2:46:09And I'm a business owner and my business has offices throughout Ontario and I would never relocate an office to downtown golf the way it is

2:46:16And

2:46:17Despite what other people may

2:46:20Have had or other experienced people have had my experience with encampments have not been good

2:46:25I've been

2:46:26yelled at I've been shadow punched

2:46:29I've been screamed at that I was going to be killed

2:46:31I was told that my leashed dog would be killed if she went near a tent

2:46:35My little girl who was four years old at the time had branches thrown at her

2:46:40I've personally witnessed several times. Sorry my calm is going to stop for one second and stop the time

2:46:45clerks

2:46:46Please don't interact like that. No one's done it to anybody else

2:46:50Prior to this is their lived experience

2:46:53Just as we listen to your lived experience prior to

2:46:56So let's not have any interaction between the audience and listening to the stories and to the delegations that are here

2:47:02Because that's respectful

2:47:04So we're going to start the time again. Please go back to

2:47:08I think you're at the your your dog part or something your leashed dog or something start from there and we'll start the time

2:47:14I was actually speaking about my little girl who was then four years old being attacked by a homeless person

2:47:20I've personally witnessed several encampments behind my house with open flames in the dead of summer when there were wildfires raging in

2:47:27Vancouver where I'm from and I had to call the fire department three times at these encampments

2:47:33My neighbors have found used needles

2:47:35I've never seen the news needles because I no longer go by these encampments

2:47:39And we get our cars broken into all the time including just last week and the culprit was found at the windham street encampment

2:47:47There was a news report earlier this year that one of the reasons people like to live in encampments is because shelters don't allow fighting with other residents

2:47:55And they don't allow drugs and if that's what's going on in these encampments

2:47:59That's reason enough to borrow them from our downtown public square

2:48:03Quite frankly our downtown is now embarrassing

2:48:06And these tents need to be dealt with because more and more continue to be pop to pop up

2:48:12And quite frankly i'm starting to think it's because the city has been way too lenient for far too long

2:48:17About letting people encroach wherever they want

2:48:21This by-law has been an issue for the past year

2:48:24And yet I've heard delegations say that if this hasn't been enough consultation

2:48:29The consultations have been ongoing and they're never ending

2:48:34And I moved from Toronto to Guelph because it was safe and I don't find Guelph safe anymore

2:48:39And that is why I want something to be done. Thank you

2:48:42Great. Thank you very much Michael for your presentation. Is there any follow-up at all?

2:48:47There isn't thank you very much again. Appreciate your time

2:48:50Uh, David Douglas is coming up and then donald hay is in the wings

2:48:58I think I'd like to just before david starts

2:49:00I'm just going to give everyone the heads up right now because we have a lot of delegations

2:49:05We are going to take a break at lin grist

2:49:08That is one two three four five six. That's seven more and then we are taking a break

2:49:14I'm just giving it everyone that heads up right now so that you can also judge if you're staying or going and then coming back

2:49:20Okay, so uh, david. Thank you for letting me jump in the the floor is your score ahead

2:49:25Okay

2:49:26Thank you very much. Mr. Mayor and members of council

2:49:30I'm speaking

2:49:32Not going to speak 20 of the details the fine grained details of the proposed bylaw itself

2:49:40My recommendations are twofold really one is that the city set aside one or maybe two dedicated sites

2:49:48for transitional accommodation

2:49:52Second that the city recoup all of guelph's public spaces for the sole use

2:49:58Of the community other than for housing

2:50:03The central challenge of that the municipality faces here. I think is one as proportionality

2:50:10In its response to the questions really that are leaked beyond the role and capacities of any local government

2:50:18This problem complex cannot be addressed with any realistic prospects of long-term progress at the level of ontarios

2:50:27emasculated

2:50:28municipalities

2:50:29There is simply a huge

2:50:32problem capacity gap here

2:50:35They don't fit

2:50:37Some problems are wicked problems. They don't easily lend themselves to tidy solutions

2:50:43And this certainly is one of them

2:50:45At best they might be managed

2:50:49The complex that is homelessness poverty mental health issues

2:50:55social marginalization

2:50:57and substance abuse and more

2:50:59Is a wicked problem. It requires multi-level

2:51:03public policy

2:51:05collaboration and informed intervention to find any reliable

2:51:10longer-term management pathways not solutions

2:51:14And we do not have this the province is once again missing in action

2:51:19It is therefore in fact part of the problem

2:51:22So how can the city of gulf do the minimum of harm here while making a modest contribution to alleviate

2:51:30Not mitigate

2:51:31Some aspects of the problem complex. That's the challenge before all of us

2:51:36And for the city there are two raw and exposed edges here

2:51:40One is made up of the claims from the diverse growing

2:51:44variously troubled and vulnerable new residents in gulf who are now encamped in our community

2:51:50And the second edge is made up of the claims of an offended threatened

2:51:56Disillusioned and certainly very concerned contingent of community residents

2:52:01And not unlike our recent experience with the rail railway strike

2:52:05All parties here have their basic rights their liberties and freedoms under our charter

2:52:12These rights and claims overlap and appear at least in part to compete with one another

2:52:18If one wins, maybe the other one loses. That's the challenge

2:52:22But we do have a growing body of relevant practical information and practice on how some communities are starting to address

2:52:30parts of this complex problem

2:52:32This is available to us and should assist the city and county move on this matter

2:52:39From places like new brunswick simcoe county, hamilton neighboring kitchens and many more

2:52:45And indeed from the association and municipalities itself where there's a valuable

2:52:50Clearinghouse for current and relevant initiatives here. So we're not starting from scratch

2:52:57So by identifying suitably

2:53:01Suitable city owned lands

2:53:04assembling or constructing small-scale subsidized accommodation providing basic on-site sanitary

2:53:11infrastructure

2:53:12Ensuring access to health and social services and meals programs and so on

2:53:18This could be done and would move us well

2:53:21Well within the capabilities and the resolve of the city county

2:53:26partnership that we can that we have here and this can be done. So let's move on this immediately

2:53:33We need to recoup the currently occupied public spaces for community residents two wrongs will never make a right

2:53:41Illegally occupying public parks or downtown public spaces riverlands and elsewhere

2:53:47constitutes a significant abridgment of the rights of gulf residents

2:53:52It is understandable how and why this has occurred this tragedy, but it's not acceptable

2:53:58With this provision of safe and appropriately equipped to come additional alternatives as i've suggested

2:54:04First as a transitional arrangement the city will ever responded in an equitable and sensitive manner to the very real plight of vulnerable and disadvantaged community

2:54:17So I think it can be done

2:54:19First of all

2:54:21We understand this is unfortunate that once again

2:54:23We are all the recipients of our problem complex that the provincial government has left with us

2:54:29But we can do it we can negotiate a balanced approach for all interests and all claims

2:54:36And we must try and do it together

2:54:38Thank you. Great. And thank you so much for your presentation. Is there any follow-up with David?

2:54:44Not seeing any again. Thank you very much. Thank you

2:54:48Donald hay and then uh, erin milley smith is erin here

2:54:55Okay, you're in the wings

2:54:59Welcome and you can start whenever you're ready

2:55:01Okay, ladies and gentlemen members of city council in the matter. I thank you for allowing me to

2:55:07Speak my peace

2:55:09I should have been dead a long time ago like many of my friends and thousands of fellow canadians who

2:55:15Who suffer from drug addiction if not if not for the treatment I received

2:55:20I am donny hay. I was a drug addict for 35 years. I've been clean for 15

2:55:26I

2:55:27I am eternally grateful to stone hedge wealth therapeutic community for giving me a new lease of life

2:55:33I can only wish that more people suffering from drug addiction had the same opportunity

2:55:38Here are some statistics at panesad picture of our city

2:55:42In 2023 as it was already said we lost 62 people to overdose deaths

2:55:4728 so far this year

2:55:52I have been to so many funerals that I've lost count

2:55:58And for every overdose victim there's a grieving family that will continue to grieve for the rest of their life

2:56:05So this is an emotional issue for me

2:56:09To suffer for the rest of their lives they are two victims of this drug pandemic

2:56:14On a more positive note the statistics out of alberta for 2024 are without question. So I lost my place

2:56:29and for every

2:56:31On a more positive note statistics for alberta

2:56:34for 2020 for 2024

2:56:41Are without question

2:56:44Absolutely positive since they adopted a treatment of treatment focus program to address the opioid crisis in their province

2:56:51The number of opioid overdose related deaths in 2023 were 2052

2:56:57In the first two months of 2024 they have reported 237 overdose deaths

2:57:02January and february this trend would forecast a drastic reduction in overdose deaths for 2024

2:57:07The national data is clear

2:57:09Treatment is folk treatment focus strategy does work the drug crisis had been growing exponentially for years

2:57:16It's a complex and systemic issue. There's no silver bullet issue. There's no silver bullet solution to this

2:57:25crisis situation as a community where supported treatment based

2:57:30Strategy that can be offered in the city of guelph

2:57:33I am a living testament the treatment does work my story is straightforward

2:57:37If I can overcome 35 years of drug addiction

2:57:41So can others

2:57:42I'm here to help share my experience and to serve as a testament to what is possible

2:57:47When we invest in treatment and give people a real chance at recovery

2:57:52And one other thing people should remember

2:57:54These people are loved

2:57:59their mothers their fathers their children

2:58:02And they deserve recovery just like anybody else, which is a human right

2:58:07So

2:58:09I'm absolutely to say thank you very much

2:58:11Thank you, donnie. Thank you for your story

2:58:15um

2:58:16We appreciate you. Is there any is there any follow-up at all for for donald

2:58:20Seeing none. Thank you very very much

2:58:23Oh, i'm sorry, uh councillor too. I didn't see you way over there

2:58:27Go ahead councillor too

2:58:29Thank you, mayor guthrie and to to you. Uh donnie. Thank you for sharing your story. Um

2:58:35I think it was a personal one that

2:58:37Really touches the heart of our community. So we just thank you for your advocacy. I just curious. Do you think part of treatment?

2:58:45uh ensures that our impact workers

2:58:48and

2:58:49folks on the ground

2:58:51Have the conditions to be able to engage with the folks

2:58:55living living rough

2:58:57Do you think that's part do you think our bylaw will would help with that?

2:59:03I I don't think so. I'd hope so, but I don't think so

2:59:07um the stigma around drug addiction is

2:59:11beyond

2:59:13I I I've been at this for six years advocacy

2:59:17And i've seen it go from bad to worse to ridiculous

2:59:21And like I said treatment's not a silver bullet. It's it's not but I think it's an option that should be available in guelph

2:59:30Um, I will give you a personal story. I lost my wife

2:59:33To fat no you're gonna have

2:59:36And I know

2:59:42I sit on both sides of the fence as an addict and as an advocate

2:59:46And for somebody who's considered collateral damage

2:59:51We can't have this anymore

2:59:54Provincial government federal government somebody's got to kick in some money

2:59:58Because it has to be comprehensive. There has to be no links broken

3:00:02and

3:00:04That's all I got to say. Thank you

3:00:13Yeah, if you could just uh to stay with us

3:00:15If you're comfortable, I got a couple more questions. I just want to make sure you're you're you're comfortable

3:00:20And thank you very much again. Did you have a follow-up counselor to and then counselor richardson?

3:00:25Yeah, just very quickly. I just wanted you to understand like where i'm coming from with this question

3:00:29I do because at the end of the day

3:00:32What we're talking about is this bylaw, which is very permissive and operational in nature

3:00:38and

3:00:39We're talking about a lot of individuals that want to help those that are in precarious situations, but

3:00:47there are very there there have been

3:00:49a growing amount of cases where

3:00:52There have been

3:00:54cases of it not being safe for individuals to engage with folks

3:00:59This bylaw is

3:01:00really meant

3:01:02What we're trying to do with this bylaw is

3:01:05Make sure that folks on the ground the impact workers the nurses

3:01:09can engage with these people

3:01:12And what while we wait for the supports from the feds and the province

3:01:17Like this is just what we're trying to deal with is make sure that there are bylaw

3:01:23And our police our impact workers have the capacity to engage safely

3:01:28Is that something that you would support in the interim? Oh, of course. Yes. Okay. Thank you now

3:01:33But yeah, feel free. Yeah, feel free continue

3:01:37You have the floor donald go ahead moving Richard

3:01:41Councillor Richardson have as a question after you speak like these people are beaten to begin with

3:01:47And when you're just relocating them you're just rearranging chairs on the titanic

3:01:51That's all you're doing

3:01:54And they need compassion they need love

3:01:58I'm I'm a recovery. I'm still an addict. I'm just at a different part

3:02:02And I truly believe that I don't think I'm the only one that's ever recovered

3:02:07But we need to see more because then when you recover you go back in and you give back

3:02:12So what you're doing you're strengthening it as the people are coming out. Is it for everybody? Absolutely not

3:02:19Some people are going to do it. Some people won't

3:02:22But the point is there has to be an option in this city where people can get better

3:02:27And I think we have the proper police we have the proper

3:02:30Social workers we have the proper support systems that can make this work

3:02:35But it has to be here

3:02:39Thank you councillor Richardson. Yes. Thank you donald

3:02:42I'm interested in your treatment focused strategy because I have

3:02:46Long been an advocate

3:02:49For the fact that we have no direct route

3:02:52From crisis to treatment. Yeah, and we're working in ICS working in silos right now housing is not you know

3:02:58Putting a roof over someone's head is not going to solve the problem

3:03:01Not not having a house and getting mental health supports is not going to solve the problem

3:03:05And just you know addiction treatments alone are not going to solve the problem

3:03:09Would you and in the essence of time would you be able to send me some of your

3:03:14I certainly can the treatment focused strategy. Oh, yes. I certainly would be very interested in seeing that

3:03:19Okay, thank you. Thank you

3:03:22And councillor Caron just has a follow-up to uh, donald. Yeah, thank you

3:03:25And because you're the first delegation that's kind of given us that personal story

3:03:29I would have asked some previous delegates, but I think it's more appropriate for you

3:03:33We talked a lot about um living with dignity

3:03:36Yes, and I wonder if you could help me define what living with dignity means. Is it is it about

3:03:43Where you live is it about how you live? Is it about having choices about empowerment?

3:03:48Could you could you help me understand what dignity means to you to you and when you were living

3:03:55The people that yeah the dignity I I interact with the people downtown and I show them the same respect that hopefully they show me

3:04:02I don't talk down to them. I don't

3:04:05belittle them I see me I understand where they're coming from I understand that the the crime says and

3:04:13Sometimes it's a lot easier just to get high than it is to actually put in the work for treatment

3:04:18But if it's run properly by the right people

3:04:21Success breeds success. It's like any business

3:04:25And I really truly believe that and I've listened to a lot of horror stories from mothers and fathers

3:04:31And they're left wondering why how this happened

3:04:34One woman I know

3:04:36Didn't even know her daughter was a drug addict until she got the call

3:04:41And then what do you do? So where's the services for that which could be comprehensive to have that in

3:04:47Where they can the families and the addict can interact in a constructive

3:04:53environment

3:04:55Where it's positive for everybody

3:04:59I know it sounds like a large

3:05:01But it can be done and it needs to be done here

3:05:06Um Ontario is bad. Canada is bad. I understand but I care about my own backyard

3:05:11And I'll take care of this first then I'll work on the rest of Ontario

3:05:15But we need something here more beyond it's not even a need. It's even beyond desperation

3:05:21But we have to give some of these people back some of their life

3:05:24Because some of the smartest people I know believe in our drug addicts

3:05:28They could be positive. They could be positive members of society and I contribute

3:05:34It's just they still have the opportunity and I think it's as as a society that we should give them the benefit

3:05:40of at least

3:05:42trying

3:05:43Because we're not trying neither are they

3:05:49Thanks, thank you councillor Caron

3:05:52And I'll send you that councillor Richardson and thank you donnie very much

3:05:59Uh, uran milley smith is up next and ron east. I think I saw you ron. Where are you?

3:06:07Yes, you're in the wings. Okay

3:06:10The microphone is green so go right ahead. Thank you and good evening

3:06:14I take hope from the fact that we are all in this room today because we all care deeply about finding a solution

3:06:20To these overlapping crises of poverty

3:06:23homelessness and addiction

3:06:25We all agree that no one should live in a tent on a sidewalk or in a park and we all want people with addictions to be healthy

3:06:31We all agree there are serious problems public drug use people using public spaces for shelter

3:06:37People in crisis behaving aggressively discarded needles

3:06:41sanitation issues and property crime

3:06:44Why then is this bylaw the only option on the table today at this emergency meeting?

3:06:50Why are we being presented with a false binary of cruelty or nothing?

3:06:55Quoting from the written delegation submitted by kathryn nixon of your downtown gulf friends

3:07:01Guelph could adopt a mosaic of initiatives showcasing what a progressive and caring community can achieve

3:07:07We should not be making headlines for condemning the victims of the housing crisis

3:07:12This bylaw will not make downtown safer by any definition

3:07:16Unhoused people will still be unhoused

3:07:18Addicted people will still be addicted and their services and communities will still be downtown

3:07:24There is insufficient mental health care addiction treatment

3:07:28supportive housing

3:07:29affordable and

3:07:31accessible apartments

3:07:33odsp and ow are punishingly insufficient

3:07:37If someone can't access the health care they need and literally can't afford to rent a place to live

3:07:43How do you expect them to remain sober or housed?

3:07:47If we want to address crime downtown

3:07:49Why are we here to discuss only this bylaw and not how our elected representatives should be fighting like hell to keep our safe

3:07:57Injection site both the ontario association of chiefs of police and actual police data

3:08:03Show that crime rates drop in neighborhoods with safe consumption sites

3:08:08This proposed bylaw will not improve safety

3:08:11This bylaw will not stop predatory landlords from abusing rent evictions and the overburden landlord tenant board

3:08:18Affordable housing stock is gone forever and low income tenants are left to fend for themselves in guelph

3:08:25Where the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment is over $2,000 a month

3:08:30Why are we not here today to pass an emergency?

3:08:33renaviction bylaw

3:08:35How many renovation orders will be filed between now and the next council meeting that we could prevent today?

3:08:42How will this public space bylaw help those who are unhoused due to unlivable odsp and ow rates

3:08:49Or seniors on fixed benefits who simply can't afford to house themselves at current market rates

3:08:56What this bylaw will do however is pull the city into a costly legal battle

3:09:02Why is there money for a legal battle and enforcement but not to fund royal city missions seven days a week?

3:09:09Something that would actually address the issue of providing the unhoused with a space where they are legally allowed to exist

3:09:17There are so many other options at our disposal to address our shared concerns about the harms caused by homelessness

3:09:25and addictions if you don't like seeing people urinating or defecating in public

3:09:30I don't either. Why aren't we here today to talk about providing porta potties and hand washing stations?

3:09:37Why is there money for a legal battle but not that?

3:09:40When students were peeing all over downtown we provided porta potties. Why can't we do it again?

3:09:46If you don't like finding needles in the park, I don't either. Why aren't we here today to talk about providing sharps disposals?

3:09:54Why is there money to fight this bylaw in court and enforce it but not for that?

3:10:00You don't like seeing garbage around in campments. I don't either

3:10:04Why aren't we here today to talk about providing encampment locations and sanitation services?

3:10:10Again, why is there money to fight this bylaw in court and why for enforcement but not this?

3:10:16This bylaw is already causing harm to the unhoused by associating victims of the housing crisis with addictions and criminal activity

3:10:25This stigmatizing rhetoric has been whipped up by some supporters of this bylaw

3:10:29And has already led to the creation of a grouping wealth

3:10:33Form to monitor and report on the people living in Norfolk manner

3:10:38I'm going to say that again

3:10:40Some wealthy people now feel empowered to take the law into their own hands and monitor and report on their low-income neighbors

3:10:49That's

3:10:50shocking to me

3:10:52This bylaw will only cause additional harm to marginalized communities

3:10:56It's harmful the rhetoric surrounding it is dangerous and it will not solve any of the problems. We are all here today to solve

3:11:04Thank you

3:11:06Thank you. Is there any questions for

3:11:10Seeing none. Thank you very much

3:11:12And ron east you are next is carline patterson here

3:11:19Yes, okay. You're in the wings currently

3:11:27And ron you've been here before so when you see the green light, it's all yours

3:11:34So mayor guthrie

3:11:36Councillors ladies and gentlemen

3:11:39Um, I'm delegating here this evening

3:11:42Against the proposed public space use bylaw

3:11:46I'm a bit disturbed that

3:11:51My reading of the bylaw

3:11:54As I understand it is very different from what was presented by staff here this evening

3:12:04This proposed bylaw

3:12:06In my view criminalizes the homeless

3:12:10And is both draconian

3:12:12And unenforceable as we've already heard

3:12:16It will pit the citizens of gulf against each other

3:12:20And demonize

3:12:22Our police force or whoever

3:12:25Is actually going to enforce this bylaw

3:12:31And I have a question who is actually going to enforce it

3:12:36No one wants to be homeless

3:12:38Everyone deserves a warm dry and safe place to live

3:12:45That's a human right

3:12:47No one wants to try to live in a tent

3:12:51During the winter

3:12:53No one wants to sleep rough

3:12:56No one wants to use a dormitory

3:12:59Where the few valuables they have

3:13:02Can be stolen while they sleep

3:13:05And they face the possibility of violence

3:13:11If one person freezes to death this winter

3:13:15As a result of this bylaw

3:13:18Their death will be a tragedy for all of us

3:13:26Homelessness is rough

3:13:29The word homeless has become a negative term

3:13:33Thanks to the media

3:13:34So I'd like to propose a change of terminology

3:13:39To reframe our discussion this evening

3:13:42The approximately 300 homeless people in gulf

3:13:46Should more accurately be referred to

3:13:50As refugees

3:13:54Internally displaced economic refugees

3:13:58The fact that we have between 240,000 and 300,000

3:14:05Economic refugees in Ontario

3:14:07In the richest province of a very wealthy country

3:14:12Is more than embarrassing and a testimonial to a government

3:14:17That has lost any semblance of morality

3:14:22It is a crime against our collective humanity

3:14:28Being homeless is a full-time job

3:14:32You lose your sense of the future

3:14:35Of time

3:14:37You need to concentrate on the here and now

3:14:41Where will you get your next meal?

3:14:43Where can you stay warm?

3:14:45Where can you sleep?

3:14:47Staying safe requires constant vigilance

3:14:51Safe from those who want you to do you harm

3:14:54And safe from the authorities who want you gone

3:14:58This by-law as it stands

3:15:01Will make life for the homeless much less safe

3:15:07Applying this draconian by-law on economic refugees

3:15:12Is universally condemned

3:15:15As a crime against our humanity

3:15:18And if you attempt to enforce it

3:15:21You will be photographed and documented

3:15:25And those photos will be circulated around the world

3:15:31The biggest crime of all in my view

3:15:35Has been limiting the property tax increase to under 4%

3:15:41In the middle of this homeless crisis

3:15:46You could have taken the steps to house

3:15:50Everyone

3:15:51But instead you've chosen to punish the homeless

3:15:55And do almost nothing

3:15:59Your mayor has introduced this by-law himself

3:16:03I sincerely hope you are not as a counsellor's a rubber stamp

3:16:11For this council

3:16:13And for his doing his bidding

3:16:18I hope that you

3:16:23That you cancel out this

3:16:25Mockery of a democratic process

3:16:30Please vote to reject it

3:16:33Thank you

3:16:35Thank you Ron. Is there any questions as a follow-up for Ron?

3:16:41Seeing none, thank you again for your delegation

3:16:44Carline Patterson's here and is Ann Phillips here

3:16:50Okay, you're in the wings Ann

3:16:53Carline thank you and go right ahead

3:16:56Good evening Mayor Guthrie and council

3:17:00I agree with the public space by-law use

3:17:05Regarding encampments within the city of Guelph

3:17:09I live close to Herb-Marcle Park and like many residents of the area

3:17:13I visit the park on a daily basis with my dog

3:17:17The situation allowing encampments along the river has forced all of us to stop using these areas

3:17:25Based on what we have all encountered in our daily walks

3:17:28Horrendous amounts of garbage scattered everywhere

3:17:31Needles feces dead animals fires

3:17:35People out enjoying a walk being allowed by some being followed by someone uttering death threats

3:17:41We are concerned for the safety of our children pets and each other

3:17:47I agree we need to have a by-law however

3:17:50I do not agree with encampments allowed in public parks the proximate proximity stated in proposed by-law referring to 10 meter

3:17:58distances from playgrounds and rivers

3:18:00Is inadequate

3:18:02The city of Guelph has vacant land the corner of London

3:18:06And Woolwich and Edinburgh the old jail many areas could be set up so that people could properly receive services and be provided with mental health support

3:18:16I would like to put forth that Guelph follow Waterloo Region

3:18:20They have taken a portion of the regionally owned property that will house individuals experiencing homelessness

3:18:27The site is being staffed 24 7 and managed by the working centre

3:18:32It includes support services and security

3:18:36Services provided include mental health and addiction support with a focus on providing private safe and inclusive

3:18:44accommodation for individuals experiencing homelessness

3:18:48Our parks and downtown core are for enjoyment for everyone people pets and wildlife

3:18:53We should not have anxiety or fear for our safety by going downtown or entering a park

3:19:00Yesterday I woke up to fire and police rushing past to Herb Markle Park

3:19:06Because propane tanks had been lit on fire once again and were exploding from an encampment along the river

3:19:13What would happen if this occurred 10 meters from a playground?

3:19:17What is this costing us the people who work hard and contribute to society?

3:19:23Thank you

3:19:26No questions

3:19:28No, we're good. Thank you very much for your your delegation and Phillips is here

3:19:35Come on down and and whenever you're ready go right ahead. Okay. Thank you mayor Guthrie and and councillors

3:19:45I work at Sangwin health center

3:19:47Sangwin provides health and social care for people who face barriers to accessing traditional supports

3:19:53including people who experience homelessness

3:19:56Those we support use substances and struggle with mental health challenges

3:20:00We offer outreach programming that includes physicians nurses social support and quite critical to our success

3:20:07Team members who have lived experience with homelessness and struggles with mental health and addictions

3:20:13I joined this group of people who are incredibly concerned by the proposed motion for the public space use by-law

3:20:19The concern is the barriers that are increased to critical services

3:20:24When people are dispersed when stigma grows when people's behaviors are managed by those without the insight and skills required

3:20:32We're seeking a collaborative approach

3:20:34That maximizes access to outreach health and social supports and provides alternatives to the shelter systems already in place

3:20:43a system that we've heard

3:20:45Does not have the capacity or holding the line until 2024 and then needing heavy investment

3:20:52Our concern is that the current by-law approach which is an attempt at creating more safe spaces for all

3:20:58will lead to less safe spaces for all

3:21:02As homelessness increases as supports to those who use drugs decrease such as the supervised consumption sites and

3:21:09alternative prescribing

3:21:11We can anticipate

3:21:13Increased drug poisoning increased escalated behaviors increased stigma around those with mental health and addictions and increased calls to paramedics and trips to emerge

3:21:23The conversation we're asking for

3:21:26Is about how to enhance access to the right services at the right time

3:21:31Not the punitive service when it is at a time of escalated tension

3:21:37I understand that this is a balancing act

3:21:39Between those who have housing and health and those who do not both sides have rights

3:21:45Sanguine health center does not believe this by-law will enhance the safety of anyone and in fact shifts the systems

3:21:53Shifts the system flaws of inadequate services to those with the least resources

3:21:58It also shifts the management of health and social services away from those with the skills to help

3:22:05I have heard tonight reference to funding being complex

3:22:08I've heard it said that the while we wait for supports from the the federal and provincial levels

3:22:16I do believe that there is a role for the municipality

3:22:21Sanguine health centers funding is is is a patchwork quilt of of funding and we are constantly advocating for funding from the province and we do receive it

3:22:31We can't plunk a physician who is funded through the province

3:22:36Into the middle of an encampment. We need that connection to the community. We need to be surrounded by our social support workers

3:22:44And and I feel like this is is the role for the the municipality to collaborate with us as we pull together this patchwork quilt of

3:22:52of funding

3:22:54So what we're asking is that you refrain from this by-law

3:22:58Um that could have costly impugnative

3:23:01results

3:23:02And in a timely way increase the capacity of those with the expertise in health housing and social supports need to create the safety we all seek

3:23:11Thank you

3:23:13Great. Thank you. I got two questions here. Uh, busatil and then ororque

3:23:18Thank you very much and through the mayor uh for your for your delegation

3:23:22And I I remember when sanguine came to the county social services committee to talk about, you know funding and services just

3:23:30Overwhelming your reach with what you have you talk about

3:23:35I I guess it's a similar question that I have for you that I did for guelph police services

3:23:40And I I think I know the answer you were talking about the management and the coordination and the collaboration of services

3:23:47Do you feel that sanguine is in a position to be kind of the handmaiden?

3:23:52That as as people are moving wherever they're going to expand and extend your services to

3:23:59other

3:24:00spaces

3:24:02Yes, I feel I feel that we are I feel that that that

3:24:05With with the resources we have a model of success

3:24:09And that's to to further that model. I think in in kitchens. We have a lot more programming

3:24:14That might be a model that we could look to we certainly have a

3:24:18Supportive health and housing initiative that is operating in in kitchens and um, and and so my answer would be yes

3:24:29Thank you councillor and over to councillor orc, please

3:24:32Um, thank you miss phillips. I just had a question for you around

3:24:37you said

3:24:38enacting the bylaw would add barriers to accessing critical services

3:24:42But I'm I'm just wondering so in my mind what the bylaw could do

3:24:48Is to say to somebody who is in a space where they they're too close to the river or they're

3:24:53They're too close to a rail line or something like that. You can't be here

3:24:56But you could be over here

3:24:58And you could be over here

3:25:0024 seven and nobody's going to bother you you are allowed to be here

3:25:05So at its best my understanding of the application of bylaw

3:25:09Actually helps guide people to a place where they will be

3:25:13Perhaps less stigmatized. So so how does a move like that?

3:25:17Right and we actually have among the most compassionate bylaw officers in the country

3:25:22Where we're not taking items if you go into shelter we store them, right? So so there really is some thought in humanity

3:25:31So how does something like that?

3:25:33A shift rather right

3:25:35How does that increase barriers to accessing services? They could be in the same park. We saw the map

3:25:41Um, how's that a barrier? Yeah, I I can see that as I read that the bylaw

3:25:46I can see the intent that is there and I can see that in a perfect world that what you describe is the way it would roll out

3:25:53I feel that um

3:25:55the the

3:25:56The people have referred to how quickly this is moving through

3:26:00I think it's placing this bylaw in front of that discussion

3:26:04Around what are the the other components and the other options for people that the having

3:26:11More of the wraparound supports and the social supports that we be more preventative

3:26:15um

3:26:16In place with the same urgency that this bylaw is being put into place

3:26:22That's what we're asking for so omega three

3:26:25Oh, uh, thank you. So so through america 3 to miss phillips

3:26:29So this is one piece right?

3:26:31But what would you agree like that there's a lot of work being done at the health and housing planning table that's that's still new

3:26:38At the basic needs subcommittees like do you

3:26:40Would you agree like this is one piece but that a lot of those other collaborations are taking place actually in an

3:26:46Unprecedented way in our community to break down the health and housing barriers

3:26:50I would agree that all of these conversations are important and all of these conversations need to happen

3:26:56Um, I feel some conversations are more resource than than others. I see an opportunity when our agency receives

3:27:04funding for a physician and not funding for the rest of the program to make it successful so we can align our services with

3:27:14Um, make it truly impactful. I see a disjointedness and that's the conversation. I'm looking for I appreciate that. Thank you

3:27:22Thank you. Great. Thank you very much for your presentation

3:27:29Uh, Lynn grist is going to be our last before a break

3:27:35And I'm just going to be up front right now. It's going to be a quick break

3:27:39It's going to be 15 minutes because we need to keep moving along. So

3:27:43We have 15 minute break after Lynn grist

3:28:17However

3:28:19right

3:28:20Welcome welcome then. Thank you. It's uh, the floor is all yours. Yeah, okay. So mayor Guthrie wealth councillor staff and fellow gualfights

3:28:30Thanks for letting me delegate on this matter

3:28:33I've lived in ward three for 14 years

3:28:37And I shop in downtown

3:28:39About two or three times a week

3:28:42As you can see I'm old and a bit frail

3:28:45But I want to give you my experience of the last 14 years because others have given theirs for me

3:28:53Downtown is walkable

3:28:56It's safe

3:28:58It has shops to meet most of my everyday needs

3:29:01And at the same time helps me to contribute to my desire to shop local and support local businesses

3:29:11I am acutely aware

3:29:14Of how difficult it was for local businesses during the pandemic

3:29:18And so helping to revitalize the downtown shopping area

3:29:23Is is really important for those local businesses

3:29:26Local businesses

3:29:28Simulate and support our local economy by keeping profits in the area

3:29:35I read the

3:29:37staff report for the public space bylaw and was surprised that there was not more planning on how to revitalize the downtown area

3:29:46Certainly the building of the new central public library will help to draw more people into the downtown

3:29:52And hopefully once the private sector starts to build apartments or condos to the north of the library

3:29:58There will be more downtown residents to support local trade

3:30:02Of course, they need to be affordable. Otherwise, we will fall into the trap that other

3:30:07Minisabales municipalities have been grappling with

3:30:10absentee landlords who have little or no interest in the economic health and future of our community beyond short-term returns

3:30:20of personal capital

3:30:23I had hoped that the gulf chamber of commerce had been giving some thought to how to

3:30:29Revitalize the downtown area. I did check their website

3:30:33And they do encourage the federal and provincial governments to step up

3:30:37But it really would have been helpful to get some local plans for local

3:30:42Revitalization from them. And I think it's most unfortunate that they lost that opportunity

3:30:47Yes, we absolutely have a problem in the downtown area of guave

3:30:53Businesses were devastated by the pandemic and although the federal government provided both loans some of which were forgivable

3:31:00It's been really difficult for small business to recover and honestly

3:31:05They need all the help they can get

3:31:07I'm not sure however

3:31:10That choosing to focus

3:31:12Only on the homeless as the root of the downtown revitalization problem is either useful or indeed accurate

3:31:23Guelph like many other communities

3:31:26Has a large number of homeless

3:31:29Figures are a moving target because they're hard to verify

3:31:34But it appears to range between two and three hundred at any given time and apparently rising

3:31:40With the 4.3 constrained operating operating budget of 2024

3:31:45There is less support for the care of the homeless by the NFPs and charities than there was in 2000

3:31:52and 2023 I would therefore ask council to consider

3:31:58Regrouping and instead to consider implementing the following

3:32:05Direct staff and all interested citizens

3:32:10To come up with a comprehensive plan and costing

3:32:14To help revitalize the downtown core and that this be a priority with staff

3:32:20And that there is enough funding from our taxes to actually get it done

3:32:25The second thing I would like to suggest is that we

3:32:29create a citizen led

3:32:31Made in guave plan on how to keep

3:32:35300 plus homeless people safe and warm and fed

3:32:40Over the fall and winter of 2025 and that we provide the taxes

3:32:45From our tax dollars to make it happen. Thank you so much for your consideration

3:32:52Thank you for coming down and and your delegation. Is there any follow-up?

3:32:57Seeing none. Thank you again Lynn. We appreciate it

3:33:00Thanks folks

3:33:01Okay, we are going to take a break at 7 32. We are coming back at 7 45

3:33:09Thank you very much

3:47:05This is your one minute warning everybody

3:51:01Okay, I'd like to call the meeting back to order then please and thank you very much for that quick break

3:51:07And we're going to start with uh

3:51:09Dennis

3:51:11way cater

3:51:13I'm sorry if I mispronounced your name, uh, Dennis

3:51:19And uh, Tony vetter is here as well in the wings. You're up next

3:51:26Dennis thank you very much for joining us and uh when the green light goes on you can go right ahead and just so you know

3:51:31We do have quorum. So we're okay for you to start. Thank you

3:51:41Good evening. Mayor Guthrie city councillors staff

3:51:45And audience members we come here today to discuss the public space use

3:51:51By-law to regulate the use of public space within the city of guelph

3:51:56The true issue is deeper than the use of public space. It's homelessness

3:52:00As these inhabitants are now everywhere

3:52:03Or they have nowhere to go and so they've been allowed to set up in parks and areas around the city

3:52:10There's no issue with rogue campers suddenly appearing one night and disappearing the next day without a trace

3:52:17This by-law relies on the definition of words used throughout to give government officials power over the public should they choose

3:52:25By using language these words have been

3:52:29Uh, or so these words can then be adjusted and altered in part one one at a later time if need be

3:52:36government officials

3:52:38Using language against the populace have been has been done before and we've seen it a few short years ago by our own federal government

3:52:46Using language while hurling insults the federal government

3:52:49And the sponsored media called what was a lawful peaceful protest and occupation

3:52:55In doing so the government was able to invoke powers it normally doesn't have to remove participants

3:53:01The supreme court later ruled the use of the emergency act unjust, but the damages were already done

3:53:07Illustrated in this by-law we have like part one one a the

3:53:12Appartenances which is basically just any structure

3:53:17There's there's no real outline as to what any of that could even be

3:53:22part one one e

3:53:23f

3:53:24e sorry part one one

3:53:27E f j k

3:53:29m and n basically decide defines everywhere within the city

3:53:33All words are capitalized and thus can be defined and or altered later in part one one

3:53:39One one e is a designated area which is outlined in three six three six definition basically anywhere in the city

3:53:47And section two of that is you cannot do a ract or occupy unauthorized structure

3:53:53Who is this intended for the homeless or the general populace?

3:53:58The phrase comes up throughout the by-law once again in section three one one b

3:54:03Uh three one is general restrictions one a there are already laws in existence for damage and vandalism

3:54:11B already touched on d. We have littering laws f egress to property where

3:54:17There this is vague and it does or can encompass a whole bunch of possibilities

3:54:23G is the same as f h to k

3:54:27Safe use of potential hazardous materials. There are agencies that have policies and procedures for those

3:54:33Three one two and three one two c general public space

3:54:39In this section is this section targeting the homeless living intense or can it then be later used under different circumstances

3:54:47Homeless living intense should be a thousand

3:54:50Meters from schools not ten

3:54:53Three two two a parks

3:54:56obstruct the safe use of park and enjoyment

3:54:58Uh an enjoyment of the park capital p by another person

3:55:05Very open-ended. What is safe? What does this does this include frisbee baseball soccer?

3:55:10This year two teachers at victory public school went a long-term disability due to concussions received from separate incidences by getting hit in the head

3:55:18From soccer balls by ten year olds playing as a result soccer was banned from the schoolyard. Will this be our parks?

3:55:26We're dealing with homelessness in the parks not park use

3:55:31Part four enforcement 4.2 carry out inspection with or without cause

3:55:38Using a hypothetical situation

3:55:39What if the mass populace was extremely displeased with the 42 percent tax rise over four years and decided to protest

3:55:46Their displeasure in front of city hall

3:55:4824 7 and instead of dealing with the unhappy populace the government decides to hurl insults while dragging their heels

3:55:55About a resolution so that they can use the public space use bylaw to remove protesters and continue their agenda

3:56:03If this government cared about

3:56:05Homelessness there's a massive parking lot out front of the police station downtown with an ambulance station right next door

3:56:12It could be made available

3:56:14As a place for people to reside

3:56:16There's lots of safety and protection from across the street. This is an immediate action that could take place

3:56:23The local government has enough control and power that need more accountability and oversight for their actions

3:56:30The public space use should not pass and the city does need a spot for the homeless to go and the police parking lot is a great spot to start

3:56:40Um, the public needs to come together and make it known that tents are no longer acceptable in the city

3:56:46And the parks need to return back to their natural state. Thank you

3:56:50Great. Thank you very much for your your delegation. Is there any questions at all as a follow-up for my colleagues? No

3:56:56No, there isn't thank you again

3:57:01Tony you're you're up next and

3:57:04Morgan dandy you are in the wings. So you're right in the front row there

3:57:07Uh, welcome and go right ahead

3:57:11Uh, your worship mayor and counselors. Thank you for letting me appear today

3:57:16Mr. All how you doing? Anyways, um, I want to talk a little bit about the experience in the downtown core right now

3:57:23When I go to my bank

3:57:25There's people using meth on the stairs

3:57:28It's almost like you're getting hit with secondhand smoke

3:57:32When I sit in my store, which has been here for roughly about 25 years

3:57:36And I've been down here for 25 years as a resident and a merchant

3:57:40I see people smoking meth on the bench out front

3:57:43And I know we have a situation where it can't be policed

3:57:46Because our police resources are finite and to try to you know, throw this through courts and all these kind of things

3:57:53Was just not even a feasible thing

3:57:56You know

3:57:57A couple years ago. I came home

3:57:59There was a young lady loading up my stuff in the garbage bags

3:58:04Why her

3:58:05partner was running my stuff to 90 carton street and stepping stone

3:58:11Now I blocked the door and the police responded quickly

3:58:14And the woman was arrested

3:58:15The gentleman that was working with her was found an hour later and he had a box cutter on him

3:58:21So what could have happened if I would have shown up and he was in my apartment with a box cutter?

3:58:26So there are scary issues down here

3:58:29And to tell you the truth, I've lived in the center of Amsterdam

3:58:33I've seen too many grateful dead concerts and I've hung out with a lot of drug addicts

3:58:37And the the patterns are always the same

3:58:40There's a certain number that can receive help

3:58:43And can go to rehab and hopefully have a successful life as a non-user

3:58:48There's the other percentage which

3:58:51Unfortunately, they have a sickness that that that is overtaking their lives

3:58:56And has to be dealt with in a different kind of manner be it housing

3:59:00Because there's a certain criminal aspect that's happening because of the drug use

3:59:05And to put it in our square is not the right thing

3:59:08Now i'm all for housing

3:59:10And

3:59:11How do I say this?

3:59:13I don't think there's an easy answer

3:59:15The gentleman before me actually spoke on what I was going to say, which is

3:59:20Let's create the real place for this to happen in the downtown core

3:59:24The police station parking lot is one

3:59:27The other is the farmers market

3:59:31That is a place for food distribution

3:59:33I know it's being run by 10c right now, but they're already involved in the food distribution business with charmers in the back

3:59:39And it's a way that we can keep it localized that fire

3:59:44Ems all the services are available to them

3:59:47And you know it it mitigates some of the problems in the downtown core

3:59:51You know if someone's using in a certain area in the downtown core, they shouldn't be they should be moved to the area where it's actually usable

3:59:58because

4:00:00small amount of

4:00:01Of use with small amounts of drugs on somebody

4:00:04You're not going to take out do anything for what's really going on

4:00:08So whatever the case is there has to be something done

4:00:12I support this that we have a bylaw that we can protect our our spaces

4:00:17But in the same way we have to create a space

4:00:20That's usable for this activity because unfortunately we cannot get rid of this activity

4:00:26Thank you very much

4:00:28Great. Thank you very much. Tony. Is there any questions at all?

4:00:33There isn't so thank you very much appreciate you

4:00:36Morgan dandy is coming up uh mars russell

4:00:40Is mars here?

4:00:43Is mars not here?

4:00:45Yeah, okay perfect. You're in the wings perfect

4:00:48And uh, Morgan welcome and it's over to you whenever you're ready

4:01:05vertically challenged with today marking the 61st anniversary of dr. Martin Luther king juniors

4:01:17I have a dream speech

4:01:19I am sad that I have to be here again to advocate for the most marginalized in our community

4:01:26On february 14th. I ask counsel to consider how the draft public space use bylaw

4:01:31Moves us in the direction of reconciliation

4:01:34I wondered how the draft public space use bylaw

4:01:38upheld

4:01:39The city territorial acknowledgement right at the beginning of each meeting

4:01:43And I implored counsel to reject the draft public space use bylaw

4:01:49Mayor counsel staff and fellow wall fights today. I ask

4:01:53What has substantially changed in the last six months?

4:01:58Other than having more people dealing with the loss of secure shelter every day and the new cao terra baker

4:02:05Has been chosen. I posit that nothing has substantially changed

4:02:10There's no funding from other levels of government to adequately and appropriately house those of us currently unhoused and precariously housed

4:02:18Our most vulnerable neighbors are facing yet another winter outside with access to fewer and fewer services

4:02:25To keep them alive and help them as they struggle to survive

4:02:29In reading social media posts by the mayor, I've felt a sense of impending doom

4:02:34For any and all of the street involved community members. I've come to know over the past two years

4:02:40The tone of the posts has been worrisome for me

4:02:45In that having an elected official stating what the mayor has in the way the mayor has

4:02:51Emboldens the less compassionate amongst us by having the appearance of legitimizing the stigma and associated harms

4:02:58Inflicted by further marginalizing people already living on the outer edge

4:03:04Guelph is not the only community dealing with the results of decades of government

4:03:11Disinterest and inaction

4:03:13inequitable wealth distribution

4:03:16Please do not let us be a test community in the courts by allowing this bylaw against human rights to pass as written

4:03:23If this bylaw is meant to only control the locations and number of tents permitted in the location

4:03:30Then I really don't understand the mayor's social media posts or the general media reports where guelph's mayor

4:03:36Has linked the revival of the draft public space use bylaw to anecdotal accounts of

4:03:42Individuals acting in an unlawful manner specifically citing open use of controlled or illegal substances

4:03:49Open use of illegal substances is already an offense under the law as written

4:03:54And as written the public space use bylaw does nothing more than the laws already on the books

4:04:01If this draft bylaw were to be passed, I don't understand how it could be enforced

4:04:06Even with the promised map how is one to determine where 10 meters from a boundary is or 30 meters from a watercourse

4:04:14How will boundaries be identified? There are just too many questions without adequate answers. This is all without even mentioning

4:04:22There's been no meaningful public engagement

4:04:27Since the deferral motion in february did not provide any direction to staff

4:04:32Given the withdrawal of the kingston challenge

4:04:36Today, please reject this hastily crafted work and provide the direction and framework staff

4:04:42Need to properly develop an action plan based upon public engagement and actual data

4:04:50Finally, I invite all of you to attend the drug poisoning awareness day event at st. George's square at noon tomorrow

4:04:59Come listen to the real stories from real people

4:05:03sharing their pain and triumphs

4:05:07Come hear some truth

4:05:12Great. Thank you very much for your perspectives. And is there any questions at all for morgan?

4:05:18Hearing and seeing none. Thank you very much for waiting

4:05:24Mars you are on your way down and jimmy mendoza is g. Okay, perfect

4:05:31Okay, no problem

4:05:34And both of you would have your uh five minutes anyways, so you you each so you can go right ahead

4:05:39Yep

4:05:45I debated coming up here and sharing some stories

4:05:48I considered speaking to all of you about the countless times I've been offered drugs downtown found pipes and needles on the sidewalk

4:05:54Saw drug use in broad daylight the times I've been harassed near the fountain

4:05:58Screamed out outside of local businesses therefore deterred from shopping

4:06:01The issue of sharing these specific stories would be that they are fiction

4:06:05I've experienced none of this in my near seven years of living in guelph

4:06:09I want to remind everyone how easily misinformation can be spread

4:06:12To be critical of the stories we hear and see online to be mindful of the things that we say and the language that we choose

4:06:18Especially when discussing our own community members and decisions that directly impact their livelihood

4:06:24Well being and safety. I'm hearing homelessness is a choice. I'm hearing community residents

4:06:29And we are not referring to our community residents that are in these tents

4:06:33Camp you mentioned spending time at the encampment when you go next tell joe that mars says hello ask him if you read the book that I lent him

4:06:41If you get brian a coffee know that he will say he likes two sugars

4:06:44But he will end up getting a third bring a sticker book if it's got stickers that are blue or purple

4:06:48I know a girl who is seven that will love them

4:06:51But maybe you know that

4:06:53Maybe you've heard the stories that I have heard the hardships that have left people without homes

4:06:58Job loss massive addiction at 90 carden disability following covid infections

4:07:03Many have stated to me that the pandemic was a breaking point and how many of us can relate to that

4:07:08To the pandemic of ending our lives

4:07:14I watched guelph suffer I suffered

4:07:16I watched small businesses close their doors and many were never given the chance to reopen

4:07:21Many of those who were able to reopen are still struggling to recover from the impact of lockdown

4:07:25I applaud those in my community who put their passions on the forefront of their businesses

4:07:29What I do not applaud is the continued scapegoating of my houseless neighbors as they are blamed

4:07:35And I think of factors that present me from shopping downtown. I think of the recession

4:07:39I like too many i'm unable to support small businesses the way I once could I would love to spend money on getting my hair done

4:07:45Buying fine yarn boutique new books etc. Unfortunately, I spend grocery trips budgeting to see if I can afford produce of the checker

4:07:54And over half my paychecks go towards my rent

4:07:57I comment on your instagram post camp you made about public drug use and wrote about the effectiveness and importance of a harm reduction approach

4:08:03In the issues you outlined. I was told by a committer to not expect my counselors to reinvent the wheel

4:08:08Harm reduction is not new we commit to it. We wear helmets on our bikes and seatbelts in our cars

4:08:13No one needs to reinvent any wheels to turn surrounding cities and see that the work is being done

4:08:18Viable solutions that do not lean into over policing at another group of people something we know is expensive

4:08:23This bylaw if passed will be cost ineffective

4:08:25Thus irresponsible as we struggle with a budget that is already stretched too thin

4:08:30None of us in this room are exempt from facing the very real threat of homelessness

4:08:33Too many of us live paycheck to paycheck knowing we are only ever steps away from being unable to make rent

4:08:38It is truly humbling to stand before a council of people making more money than I may ever see in my lifetime

4:08:43The council that gulf today reported taxpayers spent nearly one million dollars on last year

4:08:48I'm infuriated that the focus on public safety in my city starts with an anti-encampment bylaw

4:08:53Students are returning to attend school and too many of them are without residents

4:08:56Without access to stable permit housing how many of them risk up risk ending up in encampments themselves

4:09:01I stand I have to stand here following the closure of arch an organization that provided essential services for many including those

4:09:07Who use drugs in our community? I was one of five organizers at our fundraiser for arch in the art gallery in may how many of you attended

4:09:15Still morning arch we are witnessing the closure of gulf safe consumption site a provincial decision

4:09:19We know will cost lives. I would rather see a tent in my downtown core than witness an overdose or drug poisoning death

4:09:25There are safety issues within the city

4:09:27And these issues have deep tangled roots

4:09:29And if we do not start with the root of a problem any attempted solution is a band-aid on a bullet hole in this case a death sentence

4:09:36There is work to be done and I am tired of the people who should be propelling this work acting as if their hands are tied

4:09:41I am deeply disappointed that as I prepare for fall eventually winter with days and nights getting colder

4:09:46I am standing before a council of people

4:09:49And asking them to reconsider a bylaw that would result result intense being swept and people being displaced in a city

4:09:55Where too many shelters are without available beds

4:09:58To vote in favor of this bylaw is a great disservice to our community

4:10:01Financially irresponsible and will fail to address any of the issues that have led to the creation of the encampments downtown

4:10:07Thus providing no real solution how shameful it is that any of us have to be here today and for many of us again

4:10:14Great. Thank you

4:10:16I'll just I'll just see if there's any questions. Okay. Are there any questions at all for the delegate?

4:10:21There isn't so thank you very much

4:10:25Jamie uh, Mendoza is jimmy here. Yep. Okay

4:10:31And then Laura lie will uh, be joining us by video after so

4:10:36Jamie, uh, go right ahead

4:10:38Thank you

4:10:40Um after listening to some of our delegates speak about some of our most marginalized community members

4:10:46Um including some of the commentary that mayor camp guthrie has offered online

4:10:51I am reminded of the famous george orwell quote

4:10:55All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others

4:11:00I oppose this bylaw all people under housed or not are people first

4:11:05And deserve the dignity inherent to their humanity

4:11:09This bylaw takes that away

4:11:11Your memo from today on the city's direction and intention regarding last year's review and gap analysis on

4:11:18homelessness substance use and mental health services states

4:11:23quote

4:11:24The goal is to provide clarity on system roles and responsibilities to support an intentional and coordinated approach to planning

4:11:32As opposed to a fragmented and reactionary approach to these complex issues

4:11:36and quote

4:11:38Yet here we are

4:11:40One of the insights from this analysis provided to council was the concept of human rights based and housing first approaches

4:11:48When tackling housing related issues

4:11:51Quote these approaches among other things advocate for including the principles of non-discrimination

4:11:57inclusion

4:11:58participation and

4:11:59Accountability in developing responses to homelessness as well as prioritizing approaches that do not further contribute to stigma and or

4:12:08isolation and quote

4:12:11The bylaw and its current draft fails incredibly short on all these elements falls incredibly short on all these elements

4:12:18It is discriminatory

4:12:20non-inclusive

4:12:22lacks fulsome and meaningful participation

4:12:25And creates massive gaps in accountability

4:12:28This council has openly admitted that while it has begun to explore what meaningful and inclusive engagement might look like

4:12:36They have not met this metric

4:12:38So why are we here?

4:12:42This council has demonstrated they are not trustworthy

4:12:50Earlier I heard a council member ask a delegate a delegate if stigma will be reduced by relocating our under housed population

4:12:58per the bylaw to another location

4:13:02So I just want to clarify what stigma is

4:13:06It is created when people are othered

4:13:09And comes from a lack of understanding and fear

4:13:13This bylaw and the lack of community consultation engagement means this bylaw is inherently stigmatizing

4:13:22And it will create harm

4:13:24You do not solve a community problem by othering community members, which is exactly what this bylaw proposes to do

4:13:33Thank you

4:13:35Thank you very much. And is there any questions for jamie?

4:13:39There isn't thank you so much

4:13:42All right, uh, laura lyreuth is going to be joining us uh on video. We'll just wait for her to join us

4:13:54We can see you and we can hear you

4:13:58So you're good to go you go right ahead. Thank you. Thank you so much

4:14:04Hello, my name is laura lyreuth. I am the chair of the city of golf's accessibility advisory committee

4:14:09On february 20th of this year the accessibility advisory committee passed

4:14:13Some motions expressing our concerns with the last proposal for public space use bylaw

4:14:18Just to give some context on the timeline because you may notice this meeting happened after the bylaw discussion that happened at

4:14:23Council and typically you'll see our work at the aac happen before things reach council

4:14:28We were never made aware by the city that a bylaw was being crafted

4:14:31Which was really concerning to members of the aac who reached out to me and asked that I make sure the topic be included in our

4:14:37upcoming aac agenda for the meeting on the february 20th

4:14:41Since there's such incredibly large overlap between under housed and disabled individuals

4:14:45It made sense to include the aac in this discussion

4:14:48So we added it to the agenda and asked that representatives from the clerk's office attend

4:14:53At the time of this meeting council had just voted to defer this bylaw

4:14:56But aac members still wanted to express their opinions on the matter and also

4:15:00Request to be involved in this discussion moving forward since the subject that's so heavily impacts disabled and chronically ill community members in wealth

4:15:08So there were two motions for recommendations that were passed on this topic of public space use bylaws

4:15:13The first one reads the aac does not support the implementation of any bylaw or process that limits the use of public spaces by

4:15:22Individuals experiencing a lack of shelter

4:15:25Instead we urge the city to focus on supportive solutions that will create permanent shelter and are not reliant on

4:15:31Puminative measures evictions or the city determining which areas are permissible to create encampments

4:15:37There are already laws in place guiding behavior in public spaces and any further limitations imposed on under housed people

4:15:43Will create unnecessary and insurmountable barriers to accessibility in a community that experiences disability at a disproportionately

4:15:51High rate compared to other communities

4:15:54I think that's pretty straightforward

4:15:55But basically in discussions at the meeting members outlined some of the reasons we feel the aac needs to be included in this discussion

4:16:02They expressed concerns not just about the existence of this bylaw

4:16:06But also about specific portions of the bylaw that are in direct conflict with accessibility and the aoda

4:16:12Some parts of this bylaw would be impossible for certain disabled people to adhere to

4:16:17So i'm happy to answer any questions you have about those conversations, but just in the interest of time

4:16:21The second motion that uh was a recommendation that was passed at this meeting

4:16:26Was that the aac respectfully requests to be involved in engagement moving forward regarding any processes or bylaws that impact residents who are

4:16:34Unhoused or living in poverty

4:16:36Again, this motion came about because of the distinct overlap between the disabled and under housed communities

4:16:41And I understand that this is just a recommendation from the aac and that the city does not have to adhere to it

4:16:47However at this meeting city staff from the clerk's office did accept this recommendation and very clearly commit to adhering to it

4:16:54In fact, there was some discussion among our members whether we needed to even put it into a formal motion because

4:16:59City staff were so clear in their commitment to making sure we would be involved in any future discussions on this topic

4:17:05Before this bylaw would ever come back before council

4:17:08However, as you can see by the staff report that outlines the public engagement that was done that did not happen

4:17:14I don't want to risk

4:17:15Misrepresenting the city's position on this and since those meetings are recorded and publicly available. I don't have to

4:17:22I'm not going to paraphrase. I'm going to directly quote what was said to us at that meeting

4:17:26These quotes are snippets of a longer quote, which I do have but just in the interest of time. These are some of the key statements that were made

4:17:32Beginning at around three minutes and 30 seconds in the first quote the clerk that was at our meeting said

4:17:38The only reason this was presented to council without going to the aac for engagement

4:17:42And I know there were some questions about why that may have happened and that was strictly because of the timelines for completion of this work

4:17:49The clerk then went on to explain that in more detail before saying this is again a direct quote

4:17:54Council directed staff in the coming months before the bylaw potentially be brought back to go out and complete engagement

4:17:59consistent with our community engagement framework and our standard principles for community engagement which will

4:18:06explicitly include the accessibility advisory committee

4:18:09The clerk then went on to explain the timeline and scope of engagement that we could expect as aac members before saying this final direct quote

4:18:18So ultimately once that engagement with you has taken place

4:18:21Then and only then would an item be going back before city council formally from staff for a review on that topic

4:18:28I think you can agree. Sorry. That's the end of the quote

4:18:31I think you can agree that that's a pretty clear commitment from staff to explicitly include us in engagement before this bylaw would come back to you

4:18:37But as you can see by the staff report that did not happen

4:18:40We have literally not heard a single thing from this about the city about this from the city

4:18:45Since that meeting there were no emails no surveys

4:18:48No requests to join one of the many aac meetings since then

4:18:52And I know that for a fact because one of my responsibilities as chair of the aac is to field those staff requests and assist in crafting agendas for all aac meetings

4:19:00In fact earlier tonight staff mentioned attending our october aac meeting and i'm surprised to hear that because this is the first time hearing of it

4:19:07And while i'd welcome them to join any meeting

4:19:10Well, I'd welcome them to join any meeting where we can collaborate

4:19:12That doesn't really help because our next aac meeting doesn't happen until after the proposed date that this bylaw would be enacted

4:19:20And also I would like to gently challenge the assertion from staff that this is the first opportunity

4:19:25They've had to engage with us because there have been six months worth of aac meetings since this commitment was made to us that I just

4:19:31Quoted and none of those meetings were ones that staff requested to attend and talk to us about this

4:19:36And as and we've also as long as we've had the opportunity to vote on it as the aac

4:19:41It's not in common for us to work with staff in scheduling additional meetings to discuss specific topics as needed

4:19:47So i'm not blaming any specific staff members. I think that when our city clerks make a commitment to us

4:19:53At the aac they do intend to follow through and the clerk that I was quoting is someone whose track record in that regard makes me trust him implicitly

4:20:00Um, I don't think it was malicious that we were left out

4:20:02But I do know that we were promised a voice in this conversation and that promise is going unfulfilled

4:20:07I can't help but feel any commitment wealth claims to have toward equity and inclusion should be up for serious scrutiny

4:20:12If you pass a bylaw that directly affects us without hearing our input after promising us you would hear our input

4:20:18So I don't support this bylaw

4:20:20I think we're capable of more effective and compassionate solutions

4:20:23And as I previously read in our motion the aac agrees that this bylaw has no place in our city

4:20:29However, if there is going to be a bylaw or any other supportive solutions regarding the use of public spaces

4:20:34We were promised a seat that table

4:20:37City staff sat in a meeting full of marginalized people who volunteer our time and labor to accomplish equity in our city

4:20:43Some of whom have lived experience of homelessness

4:20:46And who were upset at being left out of a discussion that affects us so heavily

4:20:50And city staff assured us that they would directly engage us before this meeting ever happened

4:20:56And that's not what ended up happening, but you're still being asked to vote on this same bylaw again

4:21:01Whatever circumstances brought that about I think it's clear that the procedures consistent with the city of gulf's community engagement framework

4:21:07And principles haven't been followed here

4:21:09So I think passing a bylaw tonight that hasn't gone through those processes would be very irresponsible

4:21:14And I also think that going back on the commitments that have been made by the city to a marginalized community who fought so hard for a voice

4:21:20And were promised a voice would be unethical and wouldn't fall in line with the city's commitment to inclusion

4:21:25So tonight I'd like to ask you to please vote no to this bylaw

4:21:28And I also would like to ask you to stand by the city's commitment to the aac

4:21:33To explicitly engage with us on any bylaws or further processes regarding this issue

4:21:37Before they come to council and not after they've been enacted because this issue impacts our community too heavily for us to be ignored

4:21:44Thank you

4:21:46Great. Thank you

4:21:48If I could just ask uh

4:21:50If I could just ask everyone to not do that, I'd appreciate it. Thank you

4:21:55Is there any questions for the delegation at this time?

4:21:59No, okay. Oh, yes. Sorry. Councillor Caton. I just saw you go ahead

4:22:03Thank you very much

4:22:06Thank you very much chair root. Can you please elaborate on why it's so important that the aac review this bylaw?

4:22:15Yes, thank you. Um through you mayor Guthrie to councillor Caton

4:22:19If we look at the role that the aac

4:22:22Um

4:22:23Has it's part of our role is to remove barriers to accessibility in our city for all portions of the population and that certainly includes folks who are living downtown in encampments

4:22:32But realistically any piece of legislation

4:22:34That is going to restrict how members of the public are permitted to engage with public space should be run by the aac

4:22:41Because the disabled community is a significant portion of the public

4:22:44And sometimes we have more specific and less commonly considered needs when it comes to engaging with public spaces

4:22:50Um, I also view it as part of the role of the aac maybe like an unwritten part of our role

4:22:55But to protect the city from potential human rights complaints or aod a violations just as much as we want to protect

4:23:01The people who live here from having their rights violated

4:23:04So when we look at a proposed piece of legislation like this bylaw that

4:23:08Inherently has so many aod a and disability related human rights violations in it

4:23:13I think it makes sense for the aac to be consulted so that we can work in tandem with the city

4:23:18And make sure that you know, no legal recourse happens

4:23:22Um, based on the bylaw as it stands there are portions that would be impossible for some disabled people to adhere to and that violates people's rights under the aod a

4:23:30Which as you know is a provincial piece of legislation that supersedes any municipal bylaw that we have the power to write here tonight

4:23:37So that's something the aac always wants to chime in on and bring to the attention of the city when we can

4:23:43But the main reason that members were so frustrated that we were left out of the last conversation is that as I mentioned in my delegation, there's

4:23:51significant overlap between under housed and disabled communities

4:23:55Disabled people experience shelter insecurity and food insecurity at this proportionately high rates compared to other communities

4:24:02Statistics canada just released a report the other week about how disabled people are twice as likely to experience food insecurity as other community members. So

4:24:11You know last time I looked into it odsp was less than a third of minimum wage

4:24:15And I believe that that income gap has only increased since that time and then if you lose access to housing that lowers that amount even further so

4:24:23um another example of the reason that we want to be included in and the overlap between our communities is that um

4:24:30In the public discourse surrounding this bylaw, there's often been a lot of discussion around the topic of substance use

4:24:36And something that sometimes gets overlooked is the fact that substance use disorders and other mental or physical health conditions that may cause people to use substances are

4:24:46medical diagnoses

4:24:47Um, their illnesses, they're just like my ms. They are not moral or immoral for existing

4:24:53They just are and like every other disability and chronic illness

4:24:56They are deserving of consideration when we're talking about accessibility. So

4:25:00Any discussions that include substance use as this one so heavily has should involve the aac

4:25:06In the interest of time, I'm going to bring up just one more reason

4:25:09But I think that it's vital that the aac be included in the discussion

4:25:15Also, because anyone who ends up

4:25:17Losing access to housing that's a situation that puts your life at risk, right? And that can be especially true when you experience disability

4:25:25it is a very sad fact that

4:25:27um disabled people who end up without housing very frequently end up dying as a result and um

4:25:34Even just disabled people who are at risk of losing shelter

4:25:38If you look at the news, you'll see stories of disabled people who are applying for made because they say they're about to lose their housing and they know

4:25:45That them being unhoused while disabled or chronically ill presents too many barriers to survive in a humane way

4:25:51So a lack of accessibility for unhoused

4:25:54Disabled people directly results in the loss of lives and we have a responsibility to eliminate that problem

4:26:00And uh to the greatest extent that we can

4:26:02And so including the people on the aac who've been appointed by the city to consult on accessibility just makes sense

4:26:09I hope that answers

4:26:11It does. Thank you. And through the mayor. I just have one more question

4:26:15Um, is there anything else that you think was important at that meeting that you'd like to to share with us?

4:26:24I I think it just um

4:26:26Through you, uh, marica 3 2 counselor katin. I think just uh, mainly there was some discussion

4:26:32um

4:26:33from the clerk's office

4:26:35Around like the reason that this bylaw that we weren't included in the first place was because they were given only 11 days to write the last bylaw

4:26:43And there was just this really really lengthy and detailed commitment to like here's when you can expect us

4:26:48Expect us to come back to you and here are all the so I am really shocked that that did not happen

4:26:53And um, I think that members of the aac would have demanded we have a more fulsome discussion and pass

4:26:59more specific

4:27:01Motions if we knew that that brief encounter with staff was the only voice we were going to get to have because that that

4:27:08Motion the motions that I just read to you are from a meeting in on february 20th

4:27:12We haven't had a chance to discuss this again because the city hasn't given us that opportunity. So

4:27:17Thank you. Thank you very much

4:27:21Councillor Allt. Thank you very much. Mayor guthrie. It's rather a point of privilege

4:27:25um, uh, miz root's uh, uh, delegate delegation was very effective indeed and I appreciate it

4:27:31On the other hand, there isn't there's an equity piece that I'm wondering if it would be appropriate for us to hear from

4:27:37Uh, uh deputy cio clack as having been the lead on this or not. I leave it to you

4:27:42No, we're going to go through the delegations and we can save your questions till the end like we normally do

4:27:48There's no more questions loralie. So thank you very much. Thank you

4:27:52Uh, horine, uh, hassan is here. I think yes coming down

4:27:58Jason ashton is in the wings

4:28:13Hello city counselors. Um, first of all, I just want to say a big thank you to the last delegate for their share

4:28:19It's crucial to have the voices of the aac heard and considered before even entertaining such a bylaw

4:28:27Um, I too am opposed to this bylaw. I don't have anything new to say that hasn't already been shared

4:28:34So I will take this time to share some reminders

4:28:39First I'd like to remind counsel of the letter written to you by leila nifara the global director of the shift

4:28:46And the former united nation special repertoire on the rights housing

4:28:52This letter shared concerns with bylaws like this one and highlighted that developing a policy pathway for prohibiting

4:29:01The erection of encampments and facilitating encampment evictions from

4:29:06City and county lands within the downtown is not in keeping with the right to housing approach

4:29:13second reminder

4:29:16On october 17th

4:29:18Guelph city council unanimously passed a motion that the city of guelph adopted a human rights based approach to housing

4:29:26Including a housing first philosophy to align with the national housing strategy

4:29:31And this bylaw would not be consistent with the human rights based approach to housing

4:29:39Third reminder

4:29:41You will be sued for this

4:29:44And guelphites do not want their municipal tax dollars to be spent on legal challenges

4:29:50Especially when that money should be going towards the affordable housing reserve

4:29:56We need real dignified solutions for all not harmful bylaws like this one

4:30:02The last point i'd like to make today is that it is absolutely shocking that you are

4:30:08Even considering passing something that was developed in such little time and with no meaningful consultation

4:30:15With those mostly impacted

4:30:17Passing this bylaw

4:30:19Completely circumvents the city's standard process and engagement

4:30:25It sets a dangerous precedent for policy development at the city of guelph and undermines the integrity of your own commitments

4:30:33and good governance

4:30:36It is also in bad faith and bad governance to have people engage on the same bylaw twice

4:30:43We've already shown our overwhelming community to this bylaw

4:30:48It's unfortunate. We're here again

4:30:52And with that I'd like to say thank you so much for wasting everyone's time

4:30:59Thank you. If you could not do that as we move through the delegations again

4:31:02I'd appreciate it because we have differences of opinion in the room

4:31:05I just want to have a safe space for those opinions to be shared. So I appreciate that and I guess there's no questions

4:31:12Nope, okay

4:31:15Jason ashton you are next

4:31:17Then we have

4:31:19Matthew burrows. Oh, I hope I said that right

4:31:23Okay, you're in the wings. Jason. Welcome. Go right ahead

4:31:31Good evening, mayor. Got three counselors community members

4:31:35I am jay snatched down one of the founding partners of the scotline group of companies

4:31:39We are a homegrown business built here in the city of guelph for the last 33 years

4:31:44Our head office is still here today in the downtown in the downtown core

4:31:48We employ a thousand people including over 350 in the downtown core

4:31:53I am here today in support of the implementation of the public's base use bylaw

4:31:58As a business owner and operator, I understand that sometimes we have to make decisions that do not please everyone

4:32:04It would seem that counsel are faced with that situation here today

4:32:08But also and importantly for me as an employer operator and an investor in the downtown

4:32:13I have a commitment to my staff my partners my tenants to delegate here to share our perspective

4:32:19Now a little bit about who we are so my message is not taken out of context

4:32:25I will not pretend to have all the answers on how to fix the housing crisis

4:32:28But as an organization we invest heavily to be a part of the solutions

4:32:32Investing millions in homelessness mental health and food security

4:32:37Most notably as a housing provider

4:32:38We have internally created a tenant relief program called rise reach impact support elevate

4:32:45This program helps tenants that fall upon hard times

4:32:48Whether fleeing abuse unexpected job loss injury or any number of reasons

4:32:53To help them get through a rough patch and stay in their homes

4:32:57Saving upward of 500 tenants since its launch in 2018

4:33:02We work with dozens of organizations many of them have been speaking here today from kindle to cmha

4:33:08To hope house to royal city mission and dozens and dozens more

4:33:13We are major contributors landowners and drivers of the 32 unit permanent supportive housing build

4:33:20Project that you just saw finished at ten shelled the old christen

4:33:24We have built a community hub in fergus serving thousands of youth every month

4:33:30We are invited often to participate on panels and in workshops both provincially and federally on housing solutions

4:33:37As an organization we recognize our responsibility to give back to the communities in which we operate

4:33:42We believe that strong communities are simply good for everyone and they're good for business

4:33:48Now our perspective on encampments in the downtown core

4:33:51We at our office have a front row seat to what goes on in the public space encampment in the area in and around the downtown fountain

4:33:59We get to watch daily as people bathe through the laundry in the fountain congregate and hoards engage in open drug use

4:34:05heckling crowding and general intimidation of people passing by

4:34:10Intentionally or unintentionally there's intimidation

4:34:15We fail to see the role that encampments in our downtown core can play in any solution for homelessness

4:34:20Other than to put on display the extent of the problem in which case that outcome has been clearly achieved

4:34:28We are also achieving some other outcomes

4:34:30Deterring business deterring investment and driving people in business further away from the downtown

4:34:37Our staff are faced daily with difficult situations

4:34:40Simply doing banking or grabbing lunch or heading to a meeting becomes risky. It becomes challenging

4:34:47We have had staff chased and accosted over several blocks

4:34:50Who ultimately went to seek refuge in a local store but was denied access by the owners?

4:34:56This reaction by my measure is despicable

4:34:59But maybe it is a sign of where things are at. It is just safely. It is just simply safer to close the door

4:35:06I would suggest that allowing encampments in the downtown core is a pressure cooker of a situation

4:35:11Whereas only it is only a matter of time before very bad things will happen

4:35:15There are many things as a city that are out of our control, but this situation of encampments is totally within our control

4:35:24So as an operator, I'm here today to simply say that I believe there is a solution for homelessness

4:35:30But encampments in the downtown core is not one of them

4:35:33As counselors and decision makers, I ask that you put time and resources into solutions

4:35:39But start with this bylaw

4:35:41This is a complex issue with complex solutions

4:35:44So perhaps we need to work with those that know best the local service providers

4:35:49As mentioned earlier, skyline operates in dozens of communities across canada

4:35:54And I can say with certainty that I'd be hard pressed to find a community with better resources than what we have here in our own backyard

4:36:03So often over the years guelph has been a model for programs at work. I hope we can be a model for this situation too

4:36:10The current downtown situation regarding encampments does not at all seem sustainable or logical

4:36:16Investment in downtown will surely suffer if we continue down this road vacancy will be rampant

4:36:21We will become one of those failed downtown plans

4:36:24Now it is not lost on me the burden of making tough decisions

4:36:29Decisions that we all know will not be in favor by everyone

4:36:33When making these types of decisions, we must look ahead and ask

4:36:36What will things look like in one three five ten years if we continue down this path?

4:36:42I I sorry, I I you're going your last set in this case. I'm almost done. Okay, just 15 seconds. I gotta stop it after that

4:36:49okay

4:36:51um

4:36:52We are very engaged in an invested organization

4:36:55But our optimist isn't as waned as we seem to be losing the one basic thing that is fundamental to our business

4:37:00A clean safe and welcoming place to operate as an employer with 350 employees

4:37:05If I was looking for a new office space today, I would not be looking here

4:37:10In this situation

4:37:12I believe that it isn't an and or an or

4:37:16I believe that we need the bylaw

4:37:18And we need a better plan

4:37:21Thank you

4:37:22Okay, thank you, and I will just ask to see if there's any questions to you at all

4:37:27Okay, uh councillor Chew has a question

4:37:31Thank you through you mr. Mayor uh jason. Thank you for sharing some of the programs that

4:37:36Skyline offers. Um, I'm just I'm here by the way

4:37:42Just so you know

4:37:44I'm just curious, uh

4:37:46Obviously you guys operate across the country and if you want the answer right now

4:37:50I'd like to have more information later, but I've noticed that vernin. They actually have a public

4:37:56Space bylaw as well since 2011 and you guys also operate the rise program in vernin

4:38:02I'm just curious if you have any information on that off hand from your experience and knowledge

4:38:07I have general stats on the rise program and how many we people how many people we help in a given month

4:38:13We

4:38:14Squirrel away about 220 thousand dollars a year

4:38:17For the rise program to help people in need when they they reach difficult times

4:38:21I can't speak specifically to vernin because I don't have the details

4:38:26But uh these situations are brought to us by our building managers

4:38:29We manage approximately 20 000 suites nationally

4:38:33So we've we've got a pulse on what's going on out there

4:38:36We clearly know the situation when it comes to homelessness. We see it at our properties

4:38:40We try very hard to

4:38:42To keep people housed where we can until they become a danger or a safety hazard to the other tenants within the buildings

4:38:49but uh

4:38:50The rise program

4:38:52You'd like you should probably know has been emulated by other owners and managers in the real estate space

4:38:57And landlords by and large get a large wrap. I hear lots of talk about renovations, etc

4:39:03but

4:39:04all of the operators I know

4:39:06are

4:39:07Investing heavily in helping this situation and finding ways to help their tenants when they come upon hard times

4:39:14Yeah, thank you. And if you could send me some information down the road, I'd be appreciated

4:39:19I'd be happy to meet with you and go through what it looks like and and why it's good for business and the community

4:39:25Great seeing nothing further. Thank you Jason. Appreciate your time. Thank you

4:39:30Matthew you are here. Thank you

4:39:33Uh, Jeff Wilson. I think I saw you. Yep, right in the front row. Thanks Jeff for being here. You're in the wings

4:39:39Uh, Matthew go right ahead

4:39:41Awesome. Thank you

4:39:43Well, my name is matt. I have been a member of the gulf community for about four years now

4:39:49Um, and for the past year or so I've been pretty largely involved with your downtown. Well friends

4:39:56A lot of those lovely people are here today

4:39:58Uh, we're a local organization that provides some pop-up meal distribution

4:40:03As as kate was talking about earlier closing those gaps in existing programs

4:40:08Uh to food and secure people in the downtown area

4:40:11and uh throughout the last year the days I work with these folks is

4:40:16Become something I really look forward to

4:40:18Um, I look forward to the conversations and the small updates with the members of my community

4:40:23The benefit from programs like these

4:40:26And I look forward to being able to share a meal with the unhoused members of our community live downtown

4:40:31These the members of the community that will be so grossly affected and endangered

4:40:36By their opposed public space use bylaw

4:40:39Although I observed that the rights of the impoverished often fall on deaf ears

4:40:42Must be reiterated again and again

4:40:45That forcibly relocating people away from the city center or removing their shelters

4:40:49But it's the most vulnerable gulf constituents at extreme risk

4:40:53Especially as we start to have colder and colder weather getting into the fall and winter

4:40:58It is very easily understandable how this proposal may endanger the life of your constituents

4:41:04By separating the encampment population from their downtown's supports like community food

4:41:09And hope house and the mission and all these organizations

4:41:14And I question how the counselors feel this will reflect on the reputation of yourselves as lawmakers

4:41:20And the city of gulf as a whole

4:41:23I'm disgusted by the fact that we are spending all evening today

4:41:27In this meeting discussing if those without a stable shelter deserve to occupy our public spaces

4:41:33Rather than discussing actual short and long-term solutions like converting part of the wilson street parkade

4:41:39Into temporary shelter and investing in social housing

4:41:44Those supporting this need to be told again and again that you are contributing to the injury or death of the most vulnerable and gulf

4:41:50How would you live with yourself if you heard that someone evicted under the spyla or had their unattended items confiscated?

4:41:57Dive this winter from exposure as a result of being excluded from public land

4:42:03Now discussion of the houseless community unfortunately always brings forward a lot of hate

4:42:09Much of which we've heard spoken tonight

4:42:11Now this surely is not helped by the mayor's nonsensical tirades on social media

4:42:16We hear a lot of discussions about how those in st. George's square and elsewhere are using our public spaces incorrectly

4:42:22I've heard complaints about folks sleeping on benches

4:42:26That I guess could instead be sat briefly on in passing

4:42:30but I mean

4:42:32What does that say about you if you complain about your neighbor whose only place to sleep is a bench

4:42:37To argue that they should be sleeping on the ground out of sight

4:42:42It seems to me that what is being discussed here is not how public land is managed

4:42:47But who the land belongs to

4:42:50it appears

4:42:52That some people believe public land should be owned solely by those with the wealth

4:42:57And security that makes them able to scoff at those sleeping in a tent on concrete

4:43:02I think I heard someone say tonight that the spaces belong to the people who

4:43:07meaningfully contribute to the economy or something of that effect

4:43:11Um, and bothered me a lot because I thought it was it was public land and not just for the wealthy few that like to

4:43:19shop downtown

4:43:21And we've also heard a lot of discussion about drugs being used in public

4:43:25Now personally I've spent a lot of time in the green spaces of wealth in the time that I've lived here and I I haven't witnessed any

4:43:31public drug use in the parks

4:43:34um, and you know what a few weeks ago and the mayor went on another

4:43:38rant about public drug use the

4:43:40interviewers went to riverside park and they couldn't find anyone to

4:43:44Agree with him

4:43:46But regardless if you are concerned about public drug use in parks then the most preposterous thing you can do is to separate people from the

4:43:54downtown public space

4:43:56If you already think drug use in parks is a problem in what world will that be helped?

4:44:01By attempting to scatter the people reliant on the down relied on the resources downtown

4:44:07Like the safe injections site away from the downtown area just scattering them into the parks

4:44:13It's absurd that removing people from their support is the actual logic of this town

4:44:17If it weren't sickly immoral it would be laughable

4:44:20Now the last time this proposal was discussed it was established that the gulf legal clinic would move forward with a lawsuit

4:44:26I see it as insanity that the city may be willing to spend so much of its already tight budget on a legal battle

4:44:31And additionally on the bylaw resources, which would be required to enforce such an intrusive law

4:44:36I don't think well constituents would like their tax dollars to be spent on a human rights lawsuit

4:44:42On the side opposing human rights. Thank you

4:44:46Thank you, matthew or matt. Um, just before you go just want to make sure there's no questions for you just one second

4:44:51Oh, you can keep walking there isn't I just want to make sure okay. Thank you very much

4:44:55Jeff wilson you're next

4:44:57And coming right up. Thank you and then peanut and marfisi from

4:45:02From where you you are right here. Thank you. You're in the wings

4:45:07Jeff welcome green light is on you have your five minutes go right ahead great. Thanks. Thanks very much

4:45:13My name is Jeff wilson

4:45:15I'm an epidemiologist

4:45:17And I'm going to be talking today about solutions something we've heard a lot of allusion to the need for solutions

4:45:24That's that's what I do

4:45:29There is a solution to this to this homelessness

4:45:32Problem what what we're experiencing gulf wellington and it may not have been clear to people

4:45:38Until now, but what we have

4:45:41Is an epidemic of homelessness we have an outbreak of homelessness

4:45:47once you see that

4:45:49Everything becomes much simpler

4:45:52Because outbreaks are things that we've dealt with many many many times before very successfully

4:46:03I've uh, I've had about 33 years experience in outbreak response including the walkerton outbreak probably one of the most famous outbreaks

4:46:13in canada, which was very successfully managed under a

4:46:18Very well established and well known

4:46:21set of principles

4:46:23I also worked with the public health use of canada doing that for 18 years and I was a prophet gulf at epidemiology

4:46:30For about 33 years doing the same thing

4:46:35How do we resolve the outbreak of homelessness in wealth wellington?

4:46:39I should point when you call it a wicked problem, which it is

4:46:43It seems insurmountable. Well walkerton was a wicked problem

4:46:48Once you realize it's an outbreak you can start using a very well established algorithm to fix it

4:46:56So to solve this outbreak in wealth what we need to do

4:47:00Is institute well established

4:47:03outbreak response

4:47:05Best practices we're not doing that yet

4:47:08We're doing a number of things kind of consistent with that

4:47:13But they tend to be kind of piecemeal and a lot of them are reactive

4:47:18As people have kind of alluded to in this

4:47:23Outbreak response is kind of complicated

4:47:29But it can be understood by anyone

4:47:32And so what I did was I

4:47:35I create a little thing I call the pillars of outbreak response and there are four pillars

4:47:40This worked in walkerton. It worked in ebola. It worked in legionnaires disease all sorts of highly complicated outbreak situations

4:47:50Pillar one is building the proper leadership teams

4:47:54They have to be very inclusive across the whole community and bring in all the right expertise

4:48:00The second one is creating a proper data framework

4:48:03We have bits of data we're working on

4:48:06And I understand there are lots of data buried in people's files

4:48:10But we don't have a proper data framework. So we can't identify in wealth wellington

4:48:16What are the actual specific causes of this so we can fix them those we call the interventions

4:48:23Third is interventions. They need to be based on the data

4:48:28Not on

4:48:30Poles although poles can be part of it. Obviously you want to have a united community

4:48:36But you need data to find out what's actually causing

4:48:39Homelessness and how to fix it

4:48:42And they should focus a big part should be on prevention

4:48:45Obviously in the short term you have to kind of mop up some of the problems

4:48:50But we need to soon be getting on to how to prevent people

4:48:54From getting into a homeless situation

4:48:57A lot of that has to do with poverty mental illness and so on all of those are fundamentally fixable

4:49:07I I'd uploaded a document that councils should have it's called the pillars of outbreak response

4:49:13All of this is described in detail in this

4:49:16This is takes like a a textbook about that thick on outbreak response and puts it into about three pages

4:49:22I think you'll find it helpful

4:49:25With that

4:49:27This will may seem strange to to council members

4:49:32In an outbreak like walkerton

4:49:34It's actually not the role of the elected officials to try

4:49:39And and manage the outbreak or solve it

4:49:45Outbreak response requires a very specific set of skills

4:49:48What the the role of council is to work together with the community advocate for best practices

4:49:55And connect the outbreak leadership team to the right people and resources

4:49:59There are lots of resources available from the province and the federal government that if we get our act together

4:50:05Under a proper outbreak response protocol we'll get this fixed and we will be an actual model community

4:50:12For solving this across canada

4:50:15My only my final thing would be for the citizens of wealth. So sorry

4:50:19Sorry, jeff just just 10 seconds. Yeah, i'm sorry. Please do the same thing

4:50:24Everybody is hurting we need to work together

4:50:28And support the council

4:50:30In in advocating for best practice. We'll be great. Thank you. Great. Thank you jeff. Thanks so much your delegation

4:50:36Just one second to see if there's a question councillor Caron has one

4:50:40Thank you and thank you for your delegation

4:50:42I like this is a bit of a different approach than we've heard so far and as a specialist in this area

4:50:48When an outbreak occurs

4:50:50say

4:50:51Ebola monkeypox, whatever, right?

4:50:54In a municipality

4:50:57Not nationally or provincially in a municipality

4:51:01How do we declare an outbreak?

4:51:04formally

4:51:05In order to access provincial and federal response

4:51:09Very good question

4:51:11So what what happens normally you're i'm sure you're aware

4:51:16Most most outbreaks that are recognized

4:51:19Provincially and federally are infectious disease outbreaks with some which are caused by environmental toxins for the

4:51:26The majority are are infectious

4:51:31I've talked to the people in the public health agency of canada about this issue

4:51:36The former head of outbreak response and the current head of outbreak response

4:51:40Their response was

4:51:42That's a really interesting idea

4:51:45To manage this

4:51:47As an outbreak so they hadn't really thought of it when I when I told you know, I talked about this. He said that makes absolute sense

4:51:53It's an outbreak

4:51:55And so to my understanding for this kind of outbreak we don't have

4:52:01Uh necessarily a regulatory or or kind of a convention for doing this

4:52:05We're going to have to now take this to the provincial level

4:52:08So that means cure and more and people like that and start discussing them

4:52:12But we we have the federal the the federal public health agency of canada, which over you know normally does

4:52:18Pulls all the province provinces together

4:52:20They get this and they want to be part of it. They're just recognizing it's a little bit innovative and I've just been saying

4:52:27Well wealth is very innovative

4:52:30Interesting

4:52:31Second question is is as an epidemiologist you're both a scientist and a policy maker and

4:52:37We're policy makers here and we're trying to make a policy

4:52:41If we take off

4:52:43The layer of context that this is about

4:52:48homelessness

4:52:50And just look at it from a policy perspective about the use of public space

4:52:55Is the policy

4:52:57Do you support the policy?

4:52:59But you don't support the context

4:53:02You mean the policy the policy of this specific bylaw you mean? Yeah the use of

4:53:07Bylaw to regulate the use of public space and take all the other context away from it

4:53:13So

4:53:14And it's it's a complicated question obviously, but my my sense is this um, so as a as a professional and and

4:53:23Having been in situations where you have to understand how to do this because there are people are dying like in waggerton, right?

4:53:30My sense is

4:53:32We there's a balance between

4:53:35Acting quickly. This is true of waggerton as well, right?

4:53:38We're not going to wait 10 weeks to find out whether it's the water or not

4:53:43There's a balance between that

4:53:46And and actually getting it right in terms of the data and the policy and bringing the community together because it's very

4:53:54It's no good having the right answer

4:53:56If half the community doesn't believe it or it doesn't like it. It simply won't work, right? And i'm not saying even which half

4:54:04So my sense would be

4:54:08I don't think ultimately having encampments in downtown gwealth

4:54:13Is sustainable or coherent and that that

4:54:17Comes also from working with homeless people and talking with homeless people, right?

4:54:23On the other hand

4:54:25Obviously we need a way to have we need to get people in that situation into treatment

4:54:33And and other

4:54:35You know other modalities

4:54:40So I would I would say

4:54:42Let's

4:54:45And it's a it's a difficult call, right? It's a really difficult call

4:54:48I think we need generally the policy should be

4:54:51Let's all come together or you know

4:54:54The key people come together including people from both sides of the of the situation from the business owners, for example

4:55:01And from advocates for the homeless, you know primarily bring them together and then let's say, okay

4:55:07I would bring the the people who are the we call them early adopter

4:55:12Collaborators the people from both sides who are most likely to be able to understand the other position. That's critical

4:55:20Bring them together and let's say, okay

4:55:23What can we do in the short term where everybody wins? It may not be perfect

4:55:28But but we can do it. We know that we've done it because when there was 600 000 dollars

4:55:34Uh people who are living in the camits downtown as far as I can tell

4:55:40quite willingly moved to

4:55:43To you know other accommodation, but the but the solution wasn't coherent because it wasn't financially coherent

4:55:49So I'd be saying let's bring those people to get together and say in the short term

4:55:53How can we negotiate the uh, you know the different views on this?

4:55:58get move

4:56:00Rapidly enough for the business people so they can see

4:56:04light on the end of the at the end of the tunnel

4:56:06And have a way that we can get the these folks into proper treatment and then as part of that

4:56:12Start laying out a much more coherent plan

4:56:16Where we're actually looking at primary prevention better housing and that so it's it's it's not an instant answer

4:56:23But I think it's kind of what do you do in the short term and it's always about bringing the players together if that helps

4:56:31Great and seeing nothing further. Thank you very much. Thanks so much

4:56:35Pina is up next and then uh, richard overland

4:56:39Richard are you here? Yes, you're in the wings

4:56:49Thank you. Uh go right ahead

4:56:51Good evening, mr. Mayor and city councils

4:56:55I want to start off with the stabbing two weeks ago that happened in front of the encampment in front of the post office

4:57:03with blood all in front of my salon

4:57:05And I had to calm down my girls the whole day. We did call by-law

4:57:11They came immediately and they cleaned up as much as as well as they could

4:57:16The amount of negative comments received on a daily occurrence from our community members

4:57:21That they will not be returning to our downtown because they do not feel safe within campment area is astounding

4:57:28It is heartbreaking to hear gas say they want to come downtown

4:57:32Support our local economy, but can't anymore because they fear for their safety

4:57:38First truth our downtown is in a state of crisis

4:57:42Second truth the encampments are not safe for anyone

4:57:45It is not safe for children wanting to play youth wanting to visit a restaurant

4:57:50elderly wanting to go shopping and the homeless themselves

4:57:54Third truth the open space by-law will bring relief to the businesses and to our community

4:57:59Both on which are severely suffering

4:58:02The businesses have put up with the encampment for several months

4:58:06The end the situation has continued to deteriorate. It is deteriorating

4:58:10rapidly people who work downtown come to make an honest living and are subject to such horrible activities on a daily basis

4:58:18It is disgusting unfair and embarrassing

4:58:22Passing this bill is the first step for us as a community to move forward

4:58:26Have the ability to deal with this crisis head-on. We simply cannot afford to shy away from this difficult situation anymore

4:58:34Thank you for your time and your consideration and support

4:58:38Thank you. Pina. Is there any questions for the delegate?

4:58:43Seeing none and thank you for uh, thank you for your time

4:58:47Richard Overland is next and then we have a

4:58:51Maya Halfordy who will be joining us by the phone

4:58:58Welcome and go right ahead

4:59:02Marigot 3 council

4:59:04Some of you have seen me before most of you have

4:59:08I am we celebrated my 19th anniversary july 1st downtown business

4:59:14I live close enough to downtown that a real estate agent would say I did live downtown

4:59:18In my house that I own I love downtown. I love Guelph

4:59:25I have a huge soft spot for our people that need

4:59:30I am a supporter of the food bank. I'm a supporter of welcoming streets. I've done but I'm not without sympathy

4:59:39I pay a huge burden

4:59:41Of taxes in the city and I'm not saying that my taxes get me anything special

4:59:46I'm lucky that my business downtown is one of the most more successful ones

4:59:53I I am I'm blessed with that

4:59:57I talk to my neighbors every single day

5:00:00They're scared. They're scared. They're worried

5:00:04They're their their customers are feeling unsafe. My customers are feeling unsafe

5:00:08It's not that I don't want the homeless to be home. Absolutely. I do

5:00:12Absolutely they need and

5:00:15We as a city and as a council and as a mayor we can do more and we should do more

5:00:21But the business center of downtown

5:00:24Isn't the place for them like to house them

5:00:28It's going to destroy our economic center. We're going to end up with empty stores downtown

5:00:35The money that we raised from those taxes is going to be there to help anybody

5:00:40All right, we need we need to protect our downtown

5:00:44You know, I heard a lot of people tonight talk

5:00:47About you know, it's amazing. Actually, you know, you think we were talking about two different things going on

5:00:53Right. We're gonna get here. Some people speak

5:00:58I asked the question

5:01:01Is there any place

5:01:03In anyone's mind that would be inappropriate

5:01:07For an encampment

5:01:09Is there any place is there is there no place that should be considered inappropriate?

5:01:15Well, I think you're all gonna you're all thinking of one now that might be inappropriate

5:01:20And if you can think of one that was inappropriate, we need a bylaw

5:01:23To define which ones are and which ones aren't

5:01:26You know, I love the fact that the bylaw doesn't have punishments in it

5:01:32Because I don't want to punish the most vulnerable people. I know there's no fines. There's no you know, it's just

5:01:38This is the definition of well where we can be like we're not trying. I don't want us to punish anybody. I don't want that

5:01:45But we definitely need

5:01:47An idea of what is the appropriate space

5:01:50For these and is it is there no inappropriate space?

5:01:54I think I think you have to all agree that there is some places that would be

5:01:58Really inappropriate

5:02:00And I would say that the downtown central business district

5:02:04Is one

5:02:07Thank you for your time. Thank you. Thank you. Richard. Is there any questions for Richard at this time?

5:02:13Seeing none, thank you very much for your delegation

5:02:16Maya, how ferdy is going to join us by telephone through you, mr. Mayor

5:02:21My apologies. We haven't been able to get a hold of the delegate by telephone

5:02:24So we'll keep trying throughout the meeting. But as of right now we can move on to the next one. Okay, Derek Rutherford is our next one then

5:02:31And is Matthew Mazzotti here?

5:02:36So sorry, I got to get my glasses on

5:02:38Okay, thank you. We will need you and the wings. Okay

5:02:49Welcome and uh, the floor is all yours there when you are ready. Go ahead

5:02:54Dear members of the city council on our marikam guthary

5:02:57I'm here to represent my property and business in downtown guave

5:03:01I would like to my to express my support for the proposed public safety bylaw aimed at addressing the pressing issues

5:03:09facing downtown core

5:03:11The current situation has become untenable with the increasing instances

5:03:16Of open-air drug use sex trafficking prostitution violence drug trafficking

5:03:21That are deeply affecting our businesses community members and the employees

5:03:26We need to act now

5:03:29We cannot destroy an entire sector of businesses that have invested every hard earned cent into their livelihood

5:03:35And pay the taxes to support the people that obviously do not care about the mental health

5:03:40Of the business owners employees and community that they are affecting

5:03:45Since when does one group's mental health out trump another?

5:03:49It is crucial to acknowledge that the impact these issues have on mental health of those who live and work in our city

5:03:56The visible structures struggles with addiction and mental illness create

5:04:01Create an environment of fear and instability whether real or perceived it deters visitors and harms local businesses

5:04:11While we recognize that everyone deserves a place to live the downtown area is not suitable or designed to support such activities to

5:04:19persist unchecked

5:04:21People grappling with addictions require access to rehabilitation services and those facing mental health challenges need appropriate therapy and support

5:04:30It is essential that we prioritize these needs while also ensuring a safe and welcoming environment for other for our community

5:04:37The downtown core is vital to the identity identity and I don't know why I'm saying something like the economy of guave

5:04:44But as currently in distress immediate action is needed to restore safety and dignity to our streets

5:04:50I urge the council to adopt the bylaw and take the necessary steps to revitalize our downtown area

5:04:55For the benefit of all residents and businesses

5:04:58Before I wrap up I would also like to call out individual community members that like to write bad reviews

5:05:04On local businesses that come and share their opinions instead of communicating with them to discuss their feelings

5:05:09Seems a little hypocritical and one-sided

5:05:12Thank you for considering this matter

5:05:15Seriously together we can work towards a safer healthier guave

5:05:19Thank you very much for your perspectives derrick. Is there any questions at all?

5:05:23for derrick

5:05:25Seeing none. Thank you very much

5:05:28Um, have we have we got would you guys just tell me when you get a hold?

5:05:33Yeah, okay. I'll just keep moving along then

5:05:36Uh, matthew you said you were here. Oh, you are here. Sorry. I was looking up there still

5:05:42Welcome and is Tamara Owen here as well

5:05:46Okay, you're you're in the wings. Thank you. So go right ahead

5:05:51Thank you very much and thank you for providing space for everyone to speak their mind mayor

5:05:57Um, I had a speech ready

5:06:00Uh, I'm not going to say it

5:06:03And I'm going to go off the cuff, which I'm sure you all love to hear

5:06:07Um

5:06:09And I'm not going to say it because uh, I've just been watching and listening tonight and

5:06:15A man was up here earlier and I think he said

5:06:19Most of what I want to say in a way that I could probably not say as well and that man was donald hay

5:06:26um

5:06:29Just to remind counsel and and

5:06:32People who are here may not have been here donald hay

5:06:35stood and spoke about his past

5:06:41Problems of drug addiction and how he's managed to get out of them

5:06:46And uh, he spoke also emotionally about some of the people he's lost along the way

5:06:52um

5:06:55He's here today though. He was here tonight. He was speaking and he

5:07:01I ran out to ask him one question and that was how is your life today? And he said I wouldn't trade it for the world

5:07:10So

5:07:13I have a question and maybe a challenge for the council and the people here and maybe the whole city

5:07:20And maybe beyond how do we make more donald hay's?

5:07:28And maybe that's a question that we should look into our own hearts every single one of us

5:07:33Um

5:07:34As to how we answer because on both sides of this

5:07:38bylaw

5:07:40I think we can all agree that we want fewer people in tents and we want more donald hay's

5:07:48um, he

5:07:50Said a few words about how he got there and and that was I believe and I'm going to paraphrase here

5:07:58A combination of the compassion of others and his own will

5:08:02Um

5:08:05And I think

5:08:07The what is clear the what is clear what we want to do is make more donald hay's

5:08:12It's the how that is so very complex here

5:08:16And about all the fusses about I suppose

5:08:20and I think councillor ritchardson asked

5:08:23Him for maybe some of the building blocks. Maybe there's a formula there

5:08:28Maybe there are some pieces that we can put together access to ID services so that people can get health services and a health card

5:08:38You know there was another another man here speaking about the rise program where he was giving temporary access to safe housing

5:08:48You know, I think we need to do that hard work

5:08:52Um

5:08:54And then he had a dialogue with councillor chou in which he basically admitted this bylaw is

5:09:01No solution at all to homelessness and it's not it's a bylaw about public space

5:09:06it's

5:09:08Going to have partial effect at best on homelessness. So why bother?

5:09:14and honestly

5:09:16I couldn't care less if we make up more donald hay's

5:09:20Whether or not we pass this bylaw because it's not about that. It's about public space

5:09:25and a few people said that

5:09:28What's going on in our public space detracts from the tax base and that's true. I believe that's true

5:09:33Some people highlighted problems resulting directly and indirectly from what's going on in our public space and that's true

5:09:40I've seen it myself. I live in the same neighborhood where a propane tank exploded

5:09:45um

5:09:47So

5:09:49Why bother with the bylaw? I think I wanted to add one personal note to this and my perspective on

5:09:59um

5:10:01My personal contribution who am I on no one? I'm not with an organization. I just live here. Um

5:10:08I consider it my privilege

5:10:11My privilege and I'm used that word deliberately my privilege to contribute through taxes

5:10:18uh

5:10:19To our shared public space that is for everyone

5:10:24everyone in the city

5:10:26and

5:10:27Part of the reason I think I do so

5:10:30Part of this bylaw is to protect that public space

5:10:34Because when we take someone who's currently in a tent and turn them into donald hay

5:10:39That they'll be able to contribute to the same thing

5:10:42Thank you

5:10:44Great, and thank you very much for your delegation. Is there any follow-up at all?

5:10:49Seeing none. Thank you again for waiting around in your presentation

5:10:53Um

5:10:54Tamara. Yes, you're coming down. Is nadine here

5:10:59Is nadine here? Okay, great. You are you're up next. Okay

5:11:06And go right ahead. Hi. Good evening everyone

5:11:09It's been a long night. Um

5:11:12I did try to cut mine down a bit because I'm starting to feel the

5:11:16the time

5:11:18ticking away and

5:11:19Our lives as well

5:11:22Um, I love this city. I mean I was born and raised in guelph on mittell street and then I worked here and retired here

5:11:31And I've seen the change recently

5:11:34Um, so and I'm feeling concerned about where it's going

5:11:39It's my understanding that this proposed bylaw seeks to balance the real needs of people

5:11:44experiencing homelessness

5:11:46With the need to make our public spaces safe for all members of our community

5:11:51public spaces

5:11:53Are where community come together when we leave our homes and we meet each other

5:11:59The proposed bylaw has that difficult but necessary task of threading that needle

5:12:04To ensure that our spaces are accessible to all residents of guelph

5:12:10I live close to her barclay park and I know you've heard the the name of this park many times already

5:12:17Um, you may not know if you don't regularly walk there as some of us do

5:12:23That there are quite a few tents along the river beside the park as well as goldy mill

5:12:28um

5:12:29and and generally those

5:12:32Folk they

5:12:33Everything is fine. You know, there's there hasn't been

5:12:37too much

5:12:38Action going on but parents who want to bring their children to the playground at herb marco park

5:12:45Have had to leave at times because of the behaviors of some individuals living in the encampments

5:12:51behaviors like swearing screaming and other rational actions by people who are in obvious distress

5:12:59And definitely need lots more assistance

5:13:03Additionally these

5:13:06encampments accumulate and leave behind waste

5:13:09Um discarded needles human feces parts of stolen bicycles

5:13:14furniture piles of clothing that kind of thing these remains

5:13:19Are intimidating to people who previously and sort of enjoyed those green spaces

5:13:26Of that the parks department works so hard to maintain

5:13:31Dog owners are no longer comfortable walking their dogs through the parks by the river

5:13:36An on leash neighborhood puppy has consumed drugs off the ground

5:13:41resulting in severe illness and hundreds of dollars in vet bills

5:13:45And really no one wants our children or cities wildlife to suffer

5:13:51a similar fate

5:13:52And I can see that coming, you know

5:13:56On the topic of wildlife dead ducks have been found in tents

5:14:02Raccoon found belly up outside of a tent along the river

5:14:06The circumstances of the deaths of these animals are unknown but really alarming

5:14:12Um in that where they were located

5:14:16Community members have taken the initiative to clean up garbage and have called authorities about various concerns

5:14:23Firefighters and police have been called to the area on numerous occasions

5:14:29The humane society has also been contacted when dead wildlife was discovered

5:14:35And I can only see this getting worse

5:14:38We understand that there is a very real crisis in our community and that all people deserve safe housing

5:14:46I have no doubt that as a city is creative

5:14:50Progressive and kind as ours

5:14:53Can we can improve on this bylaw with the goal of wealth being the safe and wonderful community?

5:14:58It has always been and as it was when I grew up

5:15:02Safe use of our parks is a part of that

5:15:05Thank you

5:15:09Great and thank you. Thank you for waiting for your delegation. Is there any follow-up for

5:15:14Tamara

5:15:16There isn't and thank you very much for your time. Uh nadine nadine graham is coming up next

5:15:22And is uh andrew buar here?

5:15:26Is andrew here?

5:15:30No

5:15:32Okay, um, how about brie woods?

5:15:36Okay, brie you're good to be in the wings. Okay

5:15:39So nadine thank you for coming over to you

5:15:43I'm not really sure how to put into words all the things I need to

5:15:46First off. I am in favor of the bylaw. Mostly. I'm in favor of a bylaw. That's actually upheld

5:15:53By everyone because currently the amount of bylaws being broken daily with nobody held to accountability is mind boggling

5:15:59But I am not here to stand here and list that off

5:16:02However today, I do come here to share my views on what we are losing if nothing is done

5:16:07I have lived in the cardigan street in dufferin street neighborhood for 36 years now and

5:16:13In the last few months it has been totally heartbreaking to see what has happened to our area

5:16:18We have had people come

5:16:20We have had people come and live along the river as long as I can remember my entire life. It's just how it is

5:16:26There's nothing wrong with that. I know that's not good for the people

5:16:29But nobody has ever done anything to try to remove them

5:16:32None of us in the area

5:16:35Want to unless they have felt threatened and that has happened now

5:16:40The disrespect for the area is unmatched and I feel this will have very large scale consequences if we do not do something about it now

5:16:48Environmental mental health and safe sanitary health are all at risk if we allow this continue as it is

5:16:54I do not like feeling as if I am a villain for being upset the place I have known and loved my entire life is being destroyed

5:17:01Or that just because I am fortunate to have a roof over my head. I am a bad person

5:17:06Even though mental health has had an impact on my entire life

5:17:11Growing up being bullied and not fitting in the majority of my childhood was spent at that river in that park because I had nowhere else to be

5:17:17And nobody to fit in with

5:17:19It gave me sanctuary and it showed me so much beauty

5:17:22I learned photography and I spent countless hours down there watching the wildlife

5:17:27Photographing nature. These are all still talents I use today and run a business by

5:17:33We are home to some amazing animals that use the river for home and a good food source

5:17:37Great blue herons kingfisher river mink are all creatures. I have watched hunt down there many times

5:17:43But not so much anymore

5:17:45Have you seen how many dead crayfish and fish are laying along the shores of our river?

5:17:49And the lack of duck and fish in the water this year

5:17:52I have watched people in the encampment in the herb marco area do their laundry in the river with tide

5:17:58I have called bylaw and nothing has been done

5:18:02This is not okay. We are killing the waters in which in turn is going to have an impact on all the other animals that count on it

5:18:09I myself hit my mental low rock bottom in 2018. I will not go into details

5:18:14But during this time I was given chickens to help me out

5:18:18This was one of the best mental health escapes I have ever had

5:18:22Those girls were spoiled in love by myself and all of my neighbors

5:18:25Last month while I was at an appointment during the day

5:18:29I came home and found them all dead

5:18:32There was a small hole in the door and it is my fault. I know however

5:18:36It was led to believe that it was by a mink

5:18:39Why after all of these years have these mink decided that they need to come up into our neighborhood to start looking for food

5:18:47The river is dead. There is no food for them. They need to find it

5:18:53Their natural food sources go

5:18:56Now the space that I held dear on my property has been soiled and destroyed in a very traumatic way that I will never unsee

5:19:04If I grew up in a neighborhood now that I did

5:19:07I would not survive and I would be one of the ones that you are fighting to try to help now

5:19:13There is no more safe escape

5:19:16The people in the encampments have taken away the locals mental escape and its pure disrespect

5:19:21to the public

5:19:23For 13 years I have walked my dog at least once a day along the trails along

5:19:28Herb Markle Park in Goldie Mill and I am being made to feel as if now we are the wrong ones

5:19:33The people that choose to start to live down there have put their tents directly on the trails

5:19:38They leave station sanitary products all over anything that they use for trash is thrown everywhere

5:19:44They defecate in and around the area

5:19:47They leave things like needles and things on the trail. They barricade it to try to keep us out

5:19:52They are chopping down things and moving it and making it a scary area

5:19:56Why is this happening now?

5:19:59They've also been bringing large breed unleash dogs down to chase walkers away. There have been multiple propane tank explosions

5:20:07fires and just this Tuesday morning it happened again

5:20:11They keep setting up their

5:20:14I have openly seen drug deals and everything happened in that park. So why is this okay? Just because they are intense

5:20:22Respect works both ways

5:20:25I work odd hour shifts and over the nighttime when I'm walking my dog at 3 a.m. The things that I see are unmatched

5:20:32I have called in ods that have saved lives. I have called in porta potty fires that have been started by people down there for no reason

5:20:39There's a lot of unneeded emergency services being used and if they had proper house and space

5:20:45Proper places to go and services to be used. This may not occur

5:20:51Great. Thank you. Thank you very much. And we understand that was difficult for you, but you did a great job. Thank you very much

5:20:57Is there any uh, is there any questions as a follow-up for this delegate?

5:21:01No, thank you very much for your time

5:21:06Andrew

5:21:08Andrew

5:21:10Andrew Bure here

5:21:12Did I already say that name? I think it did. Sorry guys

5:21:15Bre woods. I'm sorry. Bre woods. My apologies, Bre

5:21:20Uh, and then tanya gebert tanya. Are you here? Oh, okay. I have it on my pages in person

5:21:30Online. Okay. Perfect. So we'll go to tanya online after you break right ahead

5:21:43So thanks everybody here for making space for um

5:21:47everybody to be heard

5:21:49Please know that the people that

5:21:54Have gone through things that are pro this bylaw. I'm not trying to negate the things that you have seen and gone through

5:22:01I personally am against

5:22:04passing this bylaw

5:22:06I too

5:22:08Born in perry sound out of an error. I think

5:22:12But otherwise I've lived in golf my entire life

5:22:15I am a well into my 40s

5:22:17I grew up on woolwood street and often walked the river

5:22:21And took pathways around people living down there with my mom when I was five going to the wicker shop

5:22:27And cross from where the youth music center is now

5:22:30Anywho I've written some things

5:22:33um

5:22:34We all innately cause harm

5:22:37To ourselves and to the world around us the vast majority of us in most urban settings

5:22:42Do this without there being a direct sight line to the violence and destruction

5:22:46We cause individually and collectively

5:22:50Some of this is ignored in the name of building our own successful futures and legacies the things we buy the choices

5:22:56We make the trips we we take

5:22:58um the people we target with a bylaw such as this

5:23:02To move along from public spaces their stresses their pain cannot be kept behind closed doors

5:23:11They have little to call their own

5:23:13And they have no places just to go and be there's no rest. There's no sleep. There's no naps that are restorative

5:23:20The majority majority of us get to go home and deal with our lives privately

5:23:24I know seeing folks struggle is hard and disturbing

5:23:29um

5:23:31In alarming but putting it out of view doesn't actually make it better or safer

5:23:36It actually causes further harm and keeps people really unsettled

5:23:39Have you at the table that being staff counselors

5:23:46The chair have you discussed the social determinants of health that affect us all

5:23:52Have you as a group and individually done any learning about our own personal biases and our biases collectively in the roles that we lead in community

5:24:00I think that is a very big step that we all need to take

5:24:03Regularly because our biases and histories change

5:24:07Um if it wasn't for my personal

5:24:10birth lottery and all the supports that have come with it

5:24:14And and if that didn't exist for me even three or four of the things that I count on day to day

5:24:21I absolutely could be without home and deeply and negatively affected by addiction

5:24:25However, I have space in my life to reflect make changes to my diet my sleep

5:24:31I have people to talk to and talk out things

5:24:34I can change how I spend my time the folks that we're talking about today about displacing

5:24:41They have very little support

5:24:43Not money that they can trust and they're living in survival mode

5:24:48And they don't have space to even actually sleep or rest like a canna. I really love a good nap and a snack

5:24:54And like I need it and without it if I miss

5:24:59Good restorative sleep for a couple of days. I am no one to be around

5:25:03These people their their stuff is compounding and absolutely

5:25:07They are stressed and we see it and sometimes that feels like it's violence, but it's it's it's not it's just

5:25:14That's our view of maybe some of this is that's going on not that there isn't violence in community

5:25:19There's all kinds of violence. Anyhow

5:25:22um

5:25:24So and people who use drugs

5:25:28They some of them use drugs to keep on all that they have to accomplish in a day

5:25:32Some of them have to walk to the food bank. They have to walk downtown. They have to go keep an appointment over here

5:25:37They have to do all kinds of things

5:25:39Um, they use them to stay alert enough to protect themselves

5:25:44To handle handle their compounded trauma and some need drugs simply to stay well

5:25:49The patios and parking lots and spaces that spill into our sidewalks

5:25:54That we accept because businesses are trying their hardest to survive. We accept that we made allowances

5:26:00We met in here. We were like cool. Let's let everybody have patios. It's struggling to survive

5:26:06And we accept that I hate them, but I never sat up against and opposed them because

5:26:12Maybe they were better good for the community as a whole. Oh didn't get through half of it and I read it home

5:26:17It took two minutes. Um

5:26:21so

5:26:22those patios at night late at night they become

5:26:27Huge bottlenecks you can't get through them. It's all kinds of stuff. I'll email you guys the rest of this

5:26:33There's there's a lot and like skyline, I rent a three bedroom house for like six

5:26:39So I just want to know, you know, anyway, there's a lot we could all do

5:26:43Yeah, thank you

5:26:46This is a lot more. It's okay. It's totally fine. Thank you for thank you for coming down. It's totally fine

5:26:51Let me just see if there's a question for you

5:26:53There isn't but yes email us. Okay. Thank you very much

5:26:58um

5:27:00Now you said clerks tanya is online

5:27:04Yes, uh by audio or video as well

5:27:07video, okay

5:27:12Yep tanya. It's mayor guthrie. I've been told by clerks. You just need to turn your video on

5:27:22There we are

5:27:23And um, can you just unmute for us just to make sure we can hear you?

5:27:30Yes, we can hear you just speak up a little bit for us, but we can both see and hear you so you go right ahead

5:27:35okay, um

5:27:37mayor guthrie councillors staff

5:27:40um

5:27:41and citizens

5:27:43of guelph

5:27:45Uh, it was my understanding

5:27:47That there would be a new report today, but I don't believe that there is a new report

5:27:53I feel like I'm in the exact same meeting as I was in

5:27:57last february six months ago

5:28:00What is new tonight? Um

5:28:03My understanding of the bylaw is is a bit clearer

5:28:07Um, it is meant to define where one might set up a tent for one night or for an indefinite number of nights

5:28:16That's my understanding

5:28:18I'm also hearing from other delegates that downtown encampments are unsustainable

5:28:25I don't think it's an unreasonable thing to see. Sorry. Let me start again

5:28:31It isn't unreasonable

5:28:33to see a through line from an increase in downtown encampments

5:28:38to businesses struggling and maybe closing and also businesses not coming to guelph in the first place to downtown

5:28:46meaning fewer tax dollars that will be used

5:28:50uh to fund

5:28:52an 8 a.m to 8 p.m

5:28:54day service

5:28:57That we were told municipals would fund typically by by the delegate from the chc

5:29:06So we've got to keep that in mind healthy downtown those tax dollars will be used to help

5:29:12um

5:29:13How help those in need

5:29:17I'm also shocked to hear that the aac hasn't been in this loop since february

5:29:24Now I've gone back and forth on this bylaw

5:29:26over the past week and even during this very meeting

5:29:31Okay, comes down to this for me

5:29:34If it is true

5:29:36That the wording of this bylaw is vague enough to be applied outside of its intended use

5:29:42Which to be clear is to define where one might set up a tent overnight

5:29:48or

5:29:49indefinitely

5:29:50Then I think it is best to err on the side of caution and not pass this bylaw

5:29:57Come back to the table with a better one. Thank you

5:30:02Thank thank you tanya and thank you for joining us virtually. Is there any questions as a follow-up?

5:30:09There isn't thank you tanya. Have a good night appreciate you

5:30:15Stephanie clandening. Are you here Stephanie? Yes, you are come on up

5:30:20And is uh neil foote here?

5:30:24Okay, you're in the wings neil

5:30:26Stephanie go right ahead. Thank you very much for joining us. Thank you

5:30:31My name is Stephanie clandening and I am a lawyer as well as the executive director of the legal clinic of gulf and wellington county

5:30:37The clinic attended here in february to delegate on this same bylaw and i'm not here today to rehash the clinic's opposition

5:30:43Which was clearly expressed in which we stand by today. I'm here for another reason

5:30:48I'm here to provide some insight

5:30:51Hopefully on the state of the law on encampments and charter challenges

5:30:55Now I only have a very limited amount of time to do this

5:30:57So this is going to have to be a whirlwind tour to recap the state of the law and explain how if passed

5:31:03This bylaw will not only be challenged

5:31:05But it will be at a significant expense to the city and its taxpayers and ultimately it will fail

5:31:12So let's start our tour off going back in time in 2008 the city of victoria versus adams

5:31:17The city tries to enforce a public space use bylaw against an encampment that is set up in a park

5:31:22The city launches a civil injunction proceeding and they are completely shut down at court

5:31:28The judge declares that the bylaw is of no force and effect as it applies to the homeless

5:31:32It is a complete waste of time and money, but they decide what the heck we've already come this far

5:31:37Let's keep going so they appeal the decision

5:31:40Peel is slightly refined. However, unsurprisingly it also fails

5:31:45This case is important because it really is the catalyst for all of the cases that followed

5:31:50It is the first time the right to shelter is so clearly articulated by the courts

5:31:55So what happens next?

5:31:56Well, we get a whole slew of other cases that start popping up across the country that really allows the courts to expand on what the right to shelter

5:32:03Truly means because this is how the common law operates

5:32:07Not only do these decisions become binding on future litigants

5:32:12But the state of the law continues to evolve as each case introduces new variables

5:32:16So let's head back to Ontario now and see how this has played out a little bit closer to home

5:32:20Waterloo 2023

5:32:22We don't need to spend a whole lot of time here because this is the case you most certainly are probably familiar with

5:32:27We all know waterloo lost at great expense

5:32:31We all know that this decision further refined the consideration of what truly accessible shelter means

5:32:36A definition that gulf would currently not be able to meet

5:32:39But there are some other really interesting points that came out of this decision

5:32:42Including the concepts of over breath and gross disproportionality in looking at how we analyze principles of fundamental justice

5:32:50Next up we make our way over to Belleville park in Kingston

5:32:53another encampment bylaw another charter challenge

5:32:57another loss for municipality

5:32:59The court followed the waterloo precedent and said no the bylaw was simply overly broad

5:33:04Grossly disproportionate and could not be reasonably justified

5:33:08Now you might look at your proposed bylaw and say to yourselves well our situation is different

5:33:13Our bylaw is highly permissive. I'm here to tell you that you would be wrong

5:33:20Using a mechanism that quasi criminalizes the unhoused and most marginalized people in our community is overly broad

5:33:28That's not my subjective opinion. That's the law

5:33:32Now let's end our tour over in Hamilton

5:33:352020 encampment evictions are being enforced in Hamilton under a bylaw that prohibit tents or structures on city property

5:33:41An injunction was filed with the matter settled with the creation of the very first encampment protocol

5:33:46Then in august 2021 this protocol is suddenly revoked and the city resumes enforcement

5:33:51This is what triggered a second round of litigation including an application alleging a section 7 as well as a section 15 charter violation

5:33:59This application is set to be heard on october 16th and 17th

5:34:03Let me say that again

5:34:05This application and the subsequent decision which will be binding on other municipalities

5:34:10Including gulf is set to be heard less than three weeks from today

5:34:16And four major organizations have now sought intervener status

5:34:20So what are we doing here?

5:34:22In february this council determined it should put this issue aside until the kingston appeal was resolved

5:34:27You rightfully recognized that the uncertainty the appeal had created should be resolved before gulf waited any further in

5:34:35The appeal was withdrawn, but the hamilton litigation was not from a legal perspective

5:34:39The current state of the law literally could not be any worse for you right now from a purely strategic perspective

5:34:46Why hold the matter down for kingston? But proceed when hamilton is less than three weeks away

5:34:51The charter is the supreme law of canada put simply gulf is not above the law

5:34:57You as hard as you might try you cannot legislate your way around it

5:35:01There is no bylaw that you can draft that will give you the cover you are seeking

5:35:05So throw your hat in this ring if you want

5:35:08When this bylaw is challenged the litigants won't be limited to just declaratory relief a charter remedy can also include monetary damages

5:35:15Leap costs not to mention the negative media attention you'll get right across the country and resulting damage

5:35:20This will do to the reputation of this city

5:35:22You can add to the growing body of case law that continues to confirm that these measures

5:35:27Are unconstitutional you can accrue a mountain of legal costs in the process of doing so

5:35:31And become yet another city with a judgment that had violated the charter rights of its most vulnerable community members

5:35:37Would you like me to start up our finish?

5:35:39How much longer did you have I have about one paragraph?

5:35:41Um, I'll give you 10. I'll give you like 10 seconds to get the best part

5:35:45All right

5:35:45Yeah, or you can be the city that focuses efforts and resources on outreach and support

5:35:50The city that engaged with the unhoused community and their service providers to work towards upstream solutions

5:35:55The city that truly adopted a human rights-based approach to housing this city slogan is making a difference

5:36:00Well, I think it's time to find out what kind of difference are we going to be known for

5:36:05Great. Thank you very much, Stephanie

5:36:08Is there uh

5:36:11And just a caution around legal matters that are being discussed uh councillor

5:36:16Caron and clausen

5:36:18Yeah, no, I'm very cognizant. Thank you for the reminder though

5:36:22uh

5:36:23so

5:36:24A by-law regulating the use of public space

5:36:28though, I I did a little bit of work and my colleague

5:36:31Um, councillor Chew sent me some other examples of municipalities that have public space use by-laws

5:36:38That have been in effect for years like early 2000s

5:36:42It's it's not uncommon for a municipality to have a by-law regulating the use of public space

5:36:50I think what I heard you say and it's more for clarification than anything not for a legal opinion is

5:36:56That it's the enforcement. It's the enactment. It's how that by-law is used

5:37:02That is your biggest concern or is it that a by-law just exists

5:37:07Well, I think that generally when we think about whether or not litigation would be

5:37:11Actually commenced we'd probably be looking looking at how is that by-law being enforced?

5:37:15So yes, we practically on the ground we'd probably be expecting some kind of enforcement

5:37:18However, just because a by-law exists in a different municipality and has not been challenged

5:37:23Doesn't mean that that's because that by-law is valid

5:37:26There's a lot of different reasons why that by-law might not be challenged

5:37:28And it's very difficult to compare each municipality and sometimes honestly the reason might be that just no one has started the challenge yet

5:37:39Again, I'm just going to gently warn as the chair. Please be

5:37:43Extremely cautious here

5:37:45councillor Klassen

5:37:49Yes, thank you and and please stop me if this is out of line

5:37:53My question has to do you you mentioned

5:37:56litigation with the city of victoria

5:38:00and

5:38:01My understanding is that the city of victoria actually has the public space use by-law that came into effect in

5:38:062021 and so i'm not sure if if the litigation that you mentoring precedes their implementation of their by-law

5:38:14Or i'm not sure the order of events. I'm just wondering if you could speak a little bit to that

5:38:19The the case that I was referring to was in 2008 in victoria and there's obviously been a lot of evolution since that time

5:38:26The point that I was trying to make in bringing up the adams case is because it was that time that we really saw the courts really

5:38:33Really articulate this concept of the right to shelter

5:38:36And it was really this case that kind of like I said in the speech that it kind of created this catalyst for all of these other

5:38:42Court cases to follow and as we have progressed through the line of case law

5:38:47We see how the courts have kind of refined that concept and they started to take this idea of well

5:38:52We now know we have this right to shelter. Well, what does that actually mean?

5:38:55Let's break it down and start to go a little bit deeper and you see that in waterloo

5:38:59Waterloo said okay. Well, we've got the right to shelter provided there are

5:39:04Shelter spaces well then we got to take a look and say well are there accessible

5:39:09Shelter spaces and what does it actually mean to be truly accessible?

5:39:12I think what i'm trying to say is well first of all in terms of answering your question

5:39:15Yes, that was 2008 and I was talking about it in terms of the right to shelter

5:39:19But since that time we really have seen an evolution of the case law and it has not been in favor of a by-law by any stretch

5:39:29Okay, thank you for that. So just just for clarification then

5:39:33Both can exist so so litigation can exist for the right to shelter and people can have their right to shelter

5:39:39And we can have spaces for people to shelter

5:39:42But public space use by-laws can also exist in spaces where there has been litigation around the right to shelter

5:39:48I'm sorry. I'm not sure I understand your question

5:39:51So basically I'm saying in 2008. Yes, there was litigation, but in 2021 a by-law was passed

5:39:58So both can be true

5:40:00Possibly, I mean, I think you'd have to look at the variables in each case

5:40:04Um, I think that you know in terms of what it is true. It is true. Sorry. It passed in 2021

5:40:09Right, but you'd have to look at the variables that are playing out on the ground in each municipality, right?

5:40:13So when we look at whether or not a by-law is going to be able to withstand a charter challenge

5:40:17You have to look at the current state of the supports that are in play in that municipality

5:40:22We've got to look at how many shelter beds are available

5:40:24We've got to look at so many different pieces that it's not as easy to say

5:40:28Well, yes, you have a by-law and it's not going to be constitutional or no, you don't it's not that clean

5:40:34I can tell you that by-laws in general

5:40:38have been viewed by the courts as

5:40:42Being overly broad so Waterloo did that

5:40:45So if you actually take a look and you know, we all know Waterloo because of you know, what does accessible shelter mean?

5:40:50All of that concept that's that's very you know, everyone

5:40:52I think is well versed in this at that point

5:40:54But what Waterloo did and what justice valente really spoke about in that case is they said

5:40:59When we look at the principle of fundamental justice, which is part of this analysis

5:41:05We actually have to look at whether or not a law is overly broad and grossly

5:41:09Disproportionate and so what the court said the court said well, let's take a look at what overly broad actually means

5:41:15and overly broad according to the judge means that we take a look at the objective of

5:41:22The by-law so in this case and in most of these cases it is for competing uses for municipal property

5:41:28To not be used for these types of purposes and then we look at how has that

5:41:35objective been

5:41:38Achieved or how is that objective?

5:41:40How are they attempting to achieve that objective and generally speaking the courts have said that when a

5:41:44municipality exercises a by-law to achieve that objective that almost

5:41:49I mean every time that I've seen it come up so far

5:41:51We are looking at quasi criminalization and when we look at quasi criminalization

5:41:55That's when we get into the realm of something that's being declared to be overly broad. So the problem isn't necessarily

5:42:01Let's give you one more second to finish your sentence and I'm going to go back to the council. Okay. The problem isn't necessarily

5:42:07You know the contents of the by-law sometimes it's just the fact that a by-law exists at all

5:42:12Councillor Klassen did that answer your question or do you want to follow up or

5:42:17My question answered prior to the piece of a waterloo by-law. Thank you

5:42:23Okay, are you finished then? Yes. Thanks. Okay. Thank you. Is there anything further?

5:42:30No, okay. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you very much

5:42:35and

5:42:36Neil foot Neil is coming here

5:42:40Is dean martin here

5:42:42All right, dean you're in the wings

5:42:54Neil welcome and thank you for waiting the floor is yours go right ahead

5:42:58Um, I'm going to go off script for a few minutes. Um

5:43:01There's been a lot of comments made tonight and uh, I feel

5:43:05Personally, I feel an apology needs to be made to a lot of the unsheltered people

5:43:10Uh, because too many or be there's been too much focus on drug abuse

5:43:14Indecency in the downtown core or anywhere within the parks

5:43:18That's not the case with all all the people that are unsheltered

5:43:22There's a myriad of reasons why they're unsheltered and uh, I think there's been too much focus on that aspect of it

5:43:29To me, it's not right

5:43:30on the other hand, we've also referred to the people who are opposed to uh

5:43:35Them the unselfish being in parks as being they're wealthy the taxpayers

5:43:40It is a two-sided coin. We uh, we have to realize that it doesn't do any good to stand apart

5:43:46And try to oppose each other. We're not getting a solution that way

5:43:49But I do apologize for how I see a large group of people in here that I don't see all the drug users

5:43:56They're young people in our community that need a hand up possibly

5:44:01I don't know whether this is a good bylaw or not. I don't know whether it'll serve the purposes

5:44:06There's a few details that I do not like

5:44:09um

5:44:11I know the city has to have a bylaw and be able to have enough shelters for people before they can control or remove them from parks

5:44:18I don't know. I've heard both sides of the story here that we do have enough shelters that we don't have enough shelters

5:44:23I don't really know what the reality is or what the truth is about that. That's something I think the city needs to establish

5:44:32I feel that uh, the city needs to

5:44:35In my opinion, the city needs to put a end date on this bylaw

5:44:39To prove that they're committed to finding solutions to permanent housing

5:44:44If they would put an end date on this bylaw then that would require that in the number of years

5:44:48They would have to readdress this as a new bylaw

5:44:51Explain why they haven't met the mandate to to have enough public housing for our uncheltered people

5:44:57They would have to have the same input as we do now with this bylaw

5:45:01This bylaw should have a cap an end date and then you have to go through this process again explain why we did not succeed

5:45:08The services that the that are needed have not been provided and I think we need to

5:45:15I think we're short on how we're assisting the people that really need the help

5:45:19But my details that I think need to be clarified

5:45:22I have lived in the downtown core since 1988

5:45:26Uh, we bought our house down by Goldie mill and our kids grew up in an area where they could play along the river

5:45:31Play in Goldie mill park without any worries at all. That's not the case anymore

5:45:36Again, we've walked through that park. I've been confronted and yelled out by people

5:45:41And I heard somebody earlier making this comment and I heard a comment in behind saying prove it

5:45:47That's what I was saying before we don't need to take sides. Let's just find a solution

5:45:50I can prove it because I was there. I know what happened to me and it's not all the time

5:45:56But having that happen to you once makes you feel uncomfortable and scared to go to the park

5:46:01So people don't take their children to that park anymore

5:46:04Adults won't even go there on their own in a lot of cases. So it is frightening for people to walk through and face those situations

5:46:10To me, we say that you need a 10 meter

5:46:13buffer zone between encampments and uh, children's play or that's not sufficient

5:46:18Nowhere near significant enough. It needs to be a bigger buffer zone between where the parks and the park play spaces and encampments

5:46:26We need parks for all the citizens in the good world for mental health for physical health for a lot of different reasons

5:46:32So our design concerns encampments are taking some of our park space away in a time when we're having increasing density of housing

5:46:40Fewer and fewer people have a backyard where the children can play. They need these parks

5:46:45Not only some of the parks are being taken

5:46:47People are afraid to use what's left over

5:46:50So I think we this needs to be a bylaw that really restricts the amount of area if this goes through

5:46:59The bylaw also mentions green spaces riverfronts

5:47:03I think we need to be really careful. The city has spent a lot of time and effort in designating

5:47:08sensitive areas along the river banks

5:47:10I've been through the gold email area and there's a lot of tents in the forested area along the river. They've destroyed the forest

5:47:16It's not just the river that's important. It's the buffer zone around it as well

5:47:21So I think we need to have a larger

5:47:23setback when it comes to these green belt areas

5:47:27Um, because they are being destroyed city has spent a lot of time and effort in creating these green belts and buffers

5:47:34Uh, like I say, I don't know if this bylaw makes things better for the

5:47:38unhoused or people who have inadequate housing

5:47:41um

5:47:42That's beyond me. We've heard both sides of the coin from a lot of experts

5:47:46But I do feel there's some things that need to be cleaned up on it. Thank you

5:47:51Thank you for your time and your delegation. Is there a question for this delegate?

5:47:55There is not thank you again

5:47:58Dean you're in the wings come on down and is nick uh here nick uh valgov

5:48:04Is nick here?

5:48:06Okay, great. You're in the wings

5:48:09Dean the mic is on for you. Uh, so go right ahead whenever you're ready

5:48:14caving council mayor

5:48:16constituents

5:48:18staff

5:48:20It doesn't matter which side of the coin people are on in this city right now

5:48:25We have a common goal something has to be done about the encampments

5:48:30But let's say

5:48:32Where some of these problems come from

5:48:34This is from a news article for every summer 2019

5:48:38I have failed as mayor as leader in the last four years in regards to this issue

5:48:45Guthrie says friday

5:48:47This is an issue that has to be solved

5:48:49We cannot be a community if we're leaving people behind we cannot do it Guthrie said

5:48:56No longer can I

5:48:58Say it's their problem. It's a provincial government's problem. It's a federal government's problem

5:49:04And year goes by

5:49:06Another year goes by another year goes by

5:49:11And the same people aren't getting help

5:49:15There have been people that are dying in our city

5:49:18We must set up and I will we must step up. I will not

5:49:23fail as a leader

5:49:25Of this city in the next four years

5:49:30These are my goals and I am no longer and going to use the crutch or the excuse. It's somebody else's problem

5:49:36It's our problem

5:49:39It's not going to take i'm not going to take it anymore to be honest

5:49:452019

5:49:48So our mayor acknowledged that he began failing the homeless in 2014

5:49:52Here we are now

5:49:552024

5:49:5710 years later

5:49:59And what do we have?

5:50:01A proposed bylaw that he has rushed through not once but twice that hasn't had the proper attention

5:50:09Even though there's been multiple surveys

5:50:13Three-day symposium

5:50:16We're still brushing things through

5:50:18The only is open to possible

5:50:20constitutional law infringement

5:50:23Failing the homeless

5:50:30Has led to this situation

5:50:33Failing the homeless has led to

5:50:38Failing the downtown core

5:50:40Plain and simple

5:50:43And people talk about accountability

5:50:45I'm angry

5:50:49The homeless are angry

5:50:51Downtown core is angry

5:50:53February when this first got pushed through

5:50:59You were given legal advice to defer until

5:51:02The kink's decision

5:51:03Merrick got three

5:51:05Chose to vote against deferment

5:51:10Here we are again

5:51:13Wasting people's times

5:51:16Wasting taxpayer dollars

5:51:20For something that's not going to solve the problem

5:51:23Because what this bylaw is intended to do

5:51:26Specifically it's to remove tents from downtown gulf

5:51:31It will not remove the presence

5:51:34of

5:51:35The homeless because their supports are down there

5:51:39It'll remove them for short periods of time as they travel from encampment to downtown and back

5:51:48They will still be there

5:51:50They have a right to be there because that's where their supports are

5:51:54So you're not going to get around the problem of

5:52:00They're down there 24 hours you're not going to get around the problem of

5:52:04Outbursts you're not going to get around the problem of open drug use

5:52:09Or all the other issues that the downtown core is

5:52:14Is is losing business because and it's not because of their situation

5:52:22It's because things have been taken priority

5:52:27between

5:52:29the

5:52:30rec center

5:52:3338 million million dollars for 13 kilometers of

5:52:38bike lanes

5:52:4068 million dollars

5:52:42For a library libraries a little bit different situation because of asbestos and stuff it has to be replaced

5:52:48Price tags too high especially when it's being taken from things that can help this situation

5:52:57That's simple facts

5:52:59That is almost a quarter

5:53:01billion dollars

5:53:02on those three projects

5:53:08there is

5:53:10a different the only difference between

5:53:12homelessness

5:53:14And helplessness is a single letter

5:53:19This by-law is going to also fail the entire city

5:53:24With the legal ramifications that is introducing

5:53:28Okay, thank thank you dean for your delegation and your opinions and let me see if there's any questions for you

5:53:35Nope, none at all. Thank you so much for your time

5:53:38Nick Valkoff is here. Yep is Ella Elliott here

5:53:45You're in the wings. Okay. Thank you

5:53:49Nick thank you for coming

5:53:56Okay, there we there we go

5:54:01If we could just do the delegation that would be great. You have the five minutes. Yeah, I'm about to thank you

5:54:05You're welcome. I am standing here today to oppose the by-law being presented

5:54:09The same by-law that was presented on valentine's day a whole two seasons later no longer in wind chill our neighbors now at risk of heat exhaustion

5:54:18Temperatures will drop again soon enough people will die at the end of the day. That's really all I have to say

5:54:24Consider the lives at risk

5:54:26I'm confused as to why we're here because you stayed in your memo that there is no new staff report

5:54:31You claim that you would practice meaningful engagement with the houseless community that is affected by the by-law

5:54:36And that it was likely to take four or five months

5:54:39You also claimed that you were unable to do this due to time constraint

5:54:42Yet here we stand not four or five but six months later and what has changed

5:54:46We waited to see what would happen in kingston mere weeks later

5:54:49It was tabled and if it was denied in kingston on the basis of it being unlawful

5:54:53Why are we proposing it again with no changes and I ask again?

5:54:56Why is the urgency with the by-law and not in investing in supportive resources?

5:55:01I'm tired. I wish I didn't have to be here

5:55:04I wish that everyone behind me didn't have to be here again

5:55:06And yet I will choose to do it over and over again because there are individuals even more exhausted than I

5:55:11Because lives are at stake

5:55:13On valentine's day. We were here for what nearly 12 hours

5:55:16You know, we wouldn't have to keep doing this if you proposed an actually viable by-law. So I will begin the same way

5:55:22I began last time

5:55:24My name is nick and I've lived worked and volunteered in and around the downtown area for six years now since I was 18

5:55:29I have never seen this many encampments in the area and see it as a sign of a much larger issue

5:55:34Than what is being addressed by the by-law being presented here today

5:55:38I strongly believe that the encampments should be permitted to remain as they are until safe housing is accessed by the individuals who need it

5:55:44It is my belief that resources should be allocated by need

5:55:47My reduced access to this space does not put my life at risk

5:55:50But the lives of the individuals who are using the space depend on it

5:55:55Recreational activity should not be prioritized over a safe place to sleep

5:55:58I think people need a reminder on the difference between feeling unsafe and being unsafe

5:56:03You may feel unsafe when you see someone in distress, but that person may not be in safety

5:56:08You are not protecting public use spaces if you are not letting a significant portion of the public use it as they need to

5:56:15When you propose moving tents out of downtown, you are not only removing the material necessities of life

5:56:20But also equally important social connections

5:56:22friendship and community

5:56:24I don't think most people in general would agree to being isolated from everything and everyone they know let alone individuals who struggle to meet

5:56:30Their basic needs because of systemic injustice

5:56:33I myself work paycheck to paycheck and often wonder if I will end up unable to pay my rent

5:56:38I am trans and my parents do not support me and I know that this is a real possibility

5:56:43The only reason I don't feel afraid is because I know I would be supported by my community members and friends

5:56:48Connection keeps us alive and there's plenty of research that upholds the fact that quality of life decreases significantly

5:56:53When we are not in and supported by community

5:56:57I carry a card from the gulf community health center in my wallet in case I ever need to access emergency hotlines

5:57:02There was one instance where I saw a woman in a storefront walkway keeling over

5:57:05So I brought her a sandwich and some juice and asked her what else she might need for me

5:57:09She asked if I knew of any shelters

5:57:10So I mentioned stepping stone gulf wellington women in crisis and I asked her if those were places that she could trust

5:57:15She said no

5:57:17I'm not a social worker

5:57:18But I think that one could infer pretty quickly several valid reasons why no might be the answer

5:57:22If you cannot you haven't done your research. You've also heard a few of them today

5:57:26I ended up having to wish her well and leave because she already knew of the only two options

5:57:30I could suggest

5:57:31I feel like I keep hearing people talking about the vast resources that are available and aren't being accepted

5:57:36It's clearly not enough and I'm begging you to expand your meaning of what it means to put in effort

5:57:41I've also gotten the opportunity to assist the sanguine community health ban with bike repair

5:57:44Every interaction I had in these instances was kind and I was surrounded by laughter almost the whole time

5:57:50When a by-law like this is proposed it is hard for me to believe that those in support of it have ever really known the

5:57:55Meaning of community like really deeply known what it's like and what kind of lows it can get you through and what it means to stand by

5:58:01Your friends and neighbors

5:58:03I don't understand why delegators representing non-for-profit organizations that support our houses neighbors have had to make you aware of certain

5:58:10Services today

5:58:11This seems like work that could have been done on your part or over the past six months to better understand the individuals most impacted by this by-law

5:58:19I could have spent my five minutes and tell you how you're criminalizing individuals for a systemic crisis that you could make choices to improve

5:58:25I could stand up here and talk about how you say that you support and care for the homeless population

5:58:29Yet you perpetuate stigma for drug use without acknowledging that the two issues are intertwined

5:58:34And that addiction is not only an illness but a symptom of a much larger issue

5:58:38I think everyone that has spoken before me today and on february 14th has voiced this clearly and the fact that this meeting is

5:58:43Happening in tandem with the closure of safe injection sites all across ontario says it all to me

5:58:48Raise minimum wage reduce cost of living put a cap on how many rentals someone can own and profit off of we want more safe consumption sites

5:58:54Portapotty's sharps disposal

5:58:55Reallocate resources address how many vacant homes there are in Guelph

5:58:59There are plenty of amazing grassroots services to invest in rather than spending money relocating people and handing out fines that won't get paid

5:59:09Thank you. Thank you any questions at all

5:59:12There is none. Okay. Um, and we have

5:59:16Is it Ella coming up next?

5:59:19Ella Elliott and then charles nash you're in the wings

5:59:24Yes, I am a lot. Sorry. Yep. Go ahead. Sorry. I've been living in ward five

5:59:30For 22 years now in the same house right along the river

5:59:34My first ever job was at the boat house scooping ice cream when I was 14

5:59:38And I would take those paychecks and go downtown

5:59:42My friends and I went to the clothing stores and tried on all the items that we very freshly fit into

5:59:49We had a little routine of doing that and going to erics retreat getting iced coffee

5:59:53And we always felt so welcomed by the employees at those stores, which looking back

6:00:01We didn't really appreciate it at the time

6:00:03But a bunch of 14 year old girls actually being respected in these stores

6:00:08Or we clearly could not afford to buy a whole wardrobe was really lovely. They're really good memories

6:00:14Of spending time downtown with my friends as a youth

6:00:18Uh right at that time my parents bought kayaks. We live really close to the river and we wanted to be able to enjoy

6:00:24that area more

6:00:26And uh one time when one of my friends that I perused the downtown area with was over

6:00:32I got a phone call from my mom and she told me that um, they were going to be out a lot longer than originally intended

6:00:39Because they had found a body in the river

6:00:42Which I didn't really grasp at first so she had to very explicitly tell me that they had found

6:00:48decomposed human remains while kayaking

6:00:52Those remains would turn out to be the body of kody tomsen who was 24 years old when he died

6:01:00Between the time that my parents found kody and now a lot of things have changed in my life

6:01:06Most notably, I've developed a lot of new health problems

6:01:09Which have really impacted the way that I can move through this world and work even in the capacity that I did as a teenager

6:01:17Um, I have watched a lot of my friends that I went through French immersion with since kindergarten

6:01:23um fall into the tumultuous cycle that is

6:01:27Drug addiction, um, but also homelessness a lot of overlap there as we've heard this evening

6:01:33um, and I've watched some, um

6:01:36acquaintances of mine struggle with losing their loved ones from drug poisoning

6:01:43um, there's not

6:01:45A lot that separates kody and I really at this point. I've been thinking about you know, like my family

6:01:52My family's finances the support that I got as a kid

6:01:56um, you know my work ethic whatever my personal morals are but um in

6:02:02volunteering with kathryn nixon with your downtown guelph friends and being uh in contact with the folks that are going to be

6:02:09targeted by this bylaw

6:02:11It has become even more clear to me that there is nothing that separates myself from them other than

6:02:18pure luck

6:02:19Which is a really really uncomfortable reality for myself

6:02:23And I think everyone in this room to grasp because it means that no matter how hard we work

6:02:28No matter how morally or otherwise superior we are the only thing that separates us

6:02:34From the people that will be affected by this bylaw is luck

6:02:39I turned 24 earlier this month and so I've been thinking about this a lot

6:02:46um

6:02:48Every single dollar that we spend

6:02:52Discussing this bylaw and hopefully not enforcing it but possibly

6:02:57Every single one of those dollars is a dollar that could be spent

6:03:01Actually solving the root causes we've heard from so many people here today that have been working in the community

6:03:08For longer than I have even been alive. They are providing actual solutions that we could be investing in

6:03:15But we are choosing to prioritize the comfort of the people that shop downtown

6:03:21over the lives

6:03:23Of people on the street and that is despicable to me

6:03:30I feel like everything that I really wanted to say has already been covered in much more detail

6:03:36By the people that have spoken before me

6:03:39I really just want to stress the fact

6:03:44That we are prioritizing the feeling of comfort

6:03:49over the actual physical comfort and safety of folks on the street

6:03:57The encampment that kodi's body was found near

6:04:01Was in what is going to be a fully permissible space

6:04:06Which means that he was not near any community resources at the time of his passing

6:04:11And as a

6:04:13Direct result of that we lost a life

6:04:17We lost a really young life and that is going to continue to happen if we let this pass

6:04:24And again that is revolting to me. We are spending money

6:04:29criminalizing these people instead of helping them

6:04:33Thank you very thank you very much for your your opinions too and let me just see if there's

6:04:39A follow-up for you. Is there any questions at all?

6:04:42There isn't thank you again for waiting around appreciate it. Oh, just go the other way there. There you go

6:04:47We only have two more

6:04:49Charles Nash from the downtown wealth business association

6:04:52And then we have kevin pollock and so

6:04:56Charles over to you

6:04:59May or gut three council staff fellow delegates and the community at large my name is charles nash and i'm here on behalf of the dgba

6:05:08Which as most of you know represents the 400 plus businesses in the downtown core

6:05:14The dgba supports this by-law as the business environment in our core has become untenable

6:05:20Having said that the dgba is not without sympathy to the housing crisis that we all share and witness every day

6:05:28Last year we raised as an association and donated 29 000 to the gulf community and housing foundation

6:05:35Which is helping to address this crisis

6:05:39I would like to spend a couple of minutes addressing by-laws and as it was stated at the beginning of the evening

6:05:45We have many too many to mention

6:05:49I'd like to use the example of a noise by-law

6:05:52I personally love to crank my music and listen to it loud and I have the right to do that

6:05:58But I don't have the right to do that per the noise by-law

6:06:01That prevents me from doing so in a way that infringes on my neighbor's right to enjoy the comfort of their own home

6:06:08The same principles should apply to encampments

6:06:12While there is a right to encampments it shouldn't infringe upon the employees

6:06:17business owners and community at large to use their downtown and their place of business

6:06:24In an environment that is safe respectful and able to flourish

6:06:29Encampments and the behavior that comes with them takes away those rights for thousands

6:06:35of people being able to do so

6:06:38Property standard by-laws

6:06:41We have property standard by-laws that address rush garbage litter debris

6:06:47Animal excrement and I would suggest human excrement, which we have plenty of in our downtown core now

6:06:53It also addresses dilapidated buildings and dilapidated structures

6:06:58I'm quite uncertain that the encampment that we currently have in our downtown core

6:07:03Does not comply or live up to our property standards by-laws

6:07:07Zoning by-laws

6:07:10We have several zoning by-laws. We have them for where residential

6:07:15Habitation can occur commercial use can occur industrial use to

6:07:20occur

6:07:22As a resident, I'm not permitted to open up a business in my home and run a business out of my garage or my shop for obvious reasons

6:07:31The same applies to I can't build a house in a commercial or an industrial zone

6:07:37Area it is only reasonable that encampments

6:07:42Have designated areas

6:07:44And by-laws that are applicable to them

6:07:48It is consistent with the zoning by-laws that we have

6:07:52As you know, the dgba's main purpose through the municipal act, which was enabled

6:07:56By our council many moons ago

6:08:00His main purpose is to beautify and promote the designated bia, which is our downtown core

6:08:07The dgba has added programming and intends on adding additional programming in the coming years

6:08:14With the hope of introducing and reintroducing thousands in our local community who have forgotten

6:08:20Or are not aware of what we have to offer downtown

6:08:25Hopefully it is with our hope that that positive experience will entice in the return on their own time and time again and support our local stores and shops

6:08:34Most of these efforts will and are being negated by the current environment we are experiencing in our downtown

6:08:42Coupled with that the city is about to embark on a major infrastructure project commencing in a short 18 months from now

6:08:50Of which significant monies and resources

6:08:53To rebuild our infrastructure and beautify our downtown are going to be allocated

6:08:58Same applies those efforts and those monies spent to do that will be negated

6:09:04By the current environment we have in our downtown core

6:09:08Political will it's our hope that council has the political will to pass this by-law

6:09:17It is without a question that we have heard from

6:09:21Hundreds of businesses who have heard from thousands of your constituents

6:09:25That you have

6:09:28Or you sorry you don't have the vast majority of support of the community

6:09:32You have the super majority support of the of the community as a whole

6:09:37Finally, I would like delegates to know that I have learned from their delegations tonight. Thank you

6:09:43What I would like them to know and understand is that failure to provide an environment for business to prosper will only lead to more unemployment

6:09:51loss of wages which in turn leads to more vulnerable people

6:09:56A lack of tax base results in even less funding for social programs to help these individuals

6:10:04Okay, thank you very much and councillor Busuttil has a question for you

6:10:09Through the mayor, thank you very much for your delegation. Mr. Nash. Um, can you help me? I'm trying to

6:10:16Understand from your perspective when you look at the by-law

6:10:20What is your expectation of what october 1st would look like what what how has what has changed?

6:10:28You know create a movie for me. October 1st happens. This is what I expect to see

6:10:34Well, I I expect the the downtown to not have the blighted situation that it has

6:10:40That's preventing businesses from being able to flourish and prosper

6:10:45You know, there's a great misconception that if you're in business, you're rich and you're making a lot of money

6:10:50The vast majority of our downtown merchants are very small mom and pop shops who make a very modest wage

6:10:57and if we when you take in the

6:11:00Income that they make and divide that by the hours a lot of them are actually probably

6:11:04sustaining a living making less than minimum wage

6:11:09They are struggling

6:11:10They are hearing from their clients every day and every week that

6:11:15Their clients aren't going to return

6:11:17because of the blight that is

6:11:19in our current downtown

6:11:21And this puts everybody

6:11:23Including those employees who have a lost their jobs because of it

6:11:28Or have less hours to work because the employer has less business and can't afford to have them there

6:11:34That puts everybody in a vulnerable space and only adds to the problem

6:11:39Business needs a place to be an environment to be able to flourish

6:11:44Thank you. So just through the mayor if you could just expand a bit you mentioned blight removed

6:11:49So how do you see the bylaw doing that?

6:11:53Well, it removes the encampment from a place that it shouldn't be

6:11:56You can't have an encampment in a business environment and expect business to to flourish

6:12:05Thank you. And we're not saying we don't need or we shouldn't have encampments

6:12:09We're just saying that like everything else with our zoning bylaws, they need to be in an appropriate place

6:12:15That doesn't affect the rights of the rest of the community

6:12:20Thank you

6:12:22Seeing nothing further. Thank you very much for your presentation. And last we have is kevin public

6:12:29Who's coming up to the microphone right now? I knew I should have put my name in earlier

6:12:37All right, kevin, I'll turn the mic over to you. You're you're you're bringing us home here. So

6:12:42You got your five minutes go ahead. Good evening, mr. Mayor chair and city council

6:12:47We have heard throughout the evening from those both in favor and opposed to this bylaw

6:12:51At times these have been passionate and emotional at other times calm and rational

6:12:56Opinions that you as our elected officials must take into consideration when debating and deciding on whether this proposal is passed

6:13:03I'm not going to add much to what has already been said but allow me to say this

6:13:08Guelph is an extremely caring city and the passage of this bylaw does not and will not change that

6:13:15When I was chair of the dgba

6:13:16I had the privilege of sitting at the same table with representatives of every social agency city officials law and health service providers

6:13:24Who had bearing an influence on the issues that we face?

6:13:28What I heard was the constant desire to create clear solutions to the ongoing crises that is faced by our vulnerable citizens

6:13:35Today and every day from some of the wealthiest corporations

6:13:39We've already heard about to some of the poorest individual citizens in this city

6:13:43Time resources and even millions of dollars is dedicated to addressing the myriad of issues that all that our vulnerable population has

6:13:52This will not stop

6:13:55However, every single citizen of gulf regardless of social or economic status

6:14:00Is expected to live under the laws and bylaws that govern us

6:14:05This proposed bylaw is not as some would suggest

6:14:08Targeting a particular group of people

6:14:11It is instead a bylaw which is seeking to fill a void that up to this point has has existed

6:14:17As it pertains to one specific area and that is public spaces

6:14:23I say this not to diminish the circumstances that many of those who live in these encampments find themselves in

6:14:30It is lamentable that we have gotten to the place

6:14:33To this place as a society and that we need to pass these types of laws

6:14:39However, it has become clearly evident that the absence of any rules or regulations is contributing to an environment

6:14:46That generally speaking is having a profound negative impact in our city

6:14:52In the 13th century going back a bit an intellectual scholar named thomas equinas

6:14:58Wrote extensively on the concept of law and he was able to summarize everything into a short

6:15:04succinct all-encompassing statement

6:15:07Law he wrote

6:15:09Is an ordinance of reason for the common good

6:15:12And is made by him or by those

6:15:16Who has care for the community

6:15:19After more than seven centuries this statement has been it continues to be one of the core concepts

6:15:25That has undergirded the drafting crafting and deliberation of laws by laws and regulations

6:15:31This profound quote by equinas encapsulates the essence and significance of law in society

6:15:38It suggests that laws are not arbitrary rules imposed on individuals

6:15:42But rather carefully crafted measures designed to benefit and protect the greater community

6:15:47Instead of relying on emotional arguments, it sets as its primary purpose the common good

6:15:55And not personal biases or personal or political agendas

6:15:59Secondly, it is the responsibility of those who are involved to do this with the care of the community in mind

6:16:07It's on this precept that I urge you to deliberate and decide and I believe that well not perfect

6:16:13This bylaw meets those conditions

6:16:17Lastly

6:16:18Though the prevalence of encampments and tents has proliferated throughout the city and most obviously the flashpoint in st. Georgia square

6:16:25As someone who both lives and works in downtown and owns the business

6:16:29I have both observed and dialogue with my customers the and uh

6:16:35That represent a broad section of the citizens who live in our city those who work downtown

6:16:40And the visitors both from out of town and abroad

6:16:43There are two constants

6:16:45One without equivocation is compassion for the circumstances that are most vulnerable citizens live in

6:16:52The second is that it is completely unacceptable to have what is going on in the square to continue

6:16:58In the absence of this bylaw the center of our downtown will continue to be a place of open drug use

6:17:04Open drug dealing

6:17:07Open sex trade activity

6:17:09Abuse and destruction of public property

6:17:11damage to private property

6:17:13physical altercations

6:17:15Verbal abuse of the general public and the continued decline of a critical economic and civic resource

6:17:22Instead of our downtown being a place of pride that can be enjoyed by all it has become increasingly a place to be avoided

6:17:29In short it is reflecting the general chaos that the society falls into when there's an absence of leadership

6:17:36And when there's an absence of roles and structures

6:17:39Structures designed for the common good

6:17:42our I got three sentences

6:17:44Our downtown is not a healthy environment and the continued unregulated

6:17:49Uncontrolled use of this one vibrant place

6:17:53Is simply exacerbating what is already a tenuous environment

6:17:57So I leave you our elective representatives to answer the following

6:18:02With the basis of the care of the community

6:18:05Will the common good of our city be served in a beneficial way through the approval of this motion?

6:18:10Or is the status quo the preferred option?

6:18:13Thank you

6:18:15Thank you very much. And is there any follow-up questions at all?

6:18:20Yes, uh councillor or work go right ahead

6:18:23Uh, thanks mega three three to the delegate

6:18:26I am concerned a bit that people believe that um, the public space use by-law

6:18:35Will will sort of magically solve a challenge that we're facing

6:18:40So the by-law will allow

6:18:43Five tents or or clusters of five in public spaces

6:18:50Do you believe that will be an improvement over the current situation?

6:18:54So it's it's not a full solution. It is saying in some instances you can be you can't be here

6:19:00But you could be here and you could actually be here sort of and nobody's going to bother you, right?

6:19:05So do you think this is an improvement over the current situation?

6:19:08As I reflect in my comments, I do not believe this is a perfect by-law

6:19:13Um, this is a step in the right direction

6:19:16I also don't believe that this by-law is a panacea that's going to solve all the Ailes downtown Guelph or our trails or our public parks

6:19:25Um, I do believe that we have to take some measures

6:19:29And I believe this by-law is a step in the right direction

6:19:32But I also exhort as others have

6:19:35Before me to make sure that this is just simply the first step

6:19:40That you continue to work at addressing and dealing with the issues that we deal with as a society

6:19:47And as a community that we have here in Guelph

6:19:51Thank you

6:19:52Seeing nothing further. Thank you again very much Kevin

6:20:00All right with that. Um, those are our delegations. I'd like to say thank you

6:20:05to everyone that did express their opinions. That's what the table was set for

6:20:11And overall I actually thought it went very well. So thank you very much for everyone kind of working together to hear each other out

6:20:18With that it's back to council. Uh before we go any further

6:20:22I would wondering if um, someone would be willing to move the recommendation from staff on the report

6:20:30Councillor Richardson

6:20:31And Councillor Goller will second

6:20:34With that, um, is there any questions, um at all?

6:20:38I do recall that we kind of stopped a little bit at the beginning when we were asking some questions to councillor

6:20:45Councillor you're a councillor now Colleen

6:20:50You don't want that job, um

6:20:52To our deputy CAO Colleen Cockbush and um, also I know councillor Allt

6:20:56I think wanted to have a moment in reference to

6:21:01The chair of the ACC to respond as well

6:21:04So maybe we could start with that one question and then I will go back to councillor Allt to see if there's anything further

6:21:10To start us off

6:21:12It was a point of personal privilege and I was hoping it's and I'm just not done talking yet

6:21:17Fair enough. Thank you fair enough. Yep. Appreciate that

6:21:20And after after that, um, I just wanted to make sure that everyone knew about the time

6:21:26That we have in front of us and so if we can make sure that we're getting our who what why when

6:21:31I would as quickly as possible

6:21:33And also our own timing that we have allotted to

6:21:36Make a decision any comments that we might have as well. So

6:21:40councillor Allt let's let

6:21:42CAO deputy CAO

6:21:44Clockwish respond and then the floor is yours

6:21:47Thank you and through the mayor. So I thank you for the opportunity to provide some clarity

6:21:51And so we did try through the memo that we attached to the agenda to provide a bit of a sort of timeline on the engagement activities

6:21:58in some specific reference to our

6:22:02The engagement with the aac so I did want to first clarify that

6:22:07The information as chair root shared is entirely accurate the conversation that our clerk had with the aac at the time was correct

6:22:15Following the february 14th meeting the intention at that time was that if the by-law was coming back at a later date

6:22:22Once we had the ruling from kinkston that there was the intention to

6:22:27To have that engagement with the aac

6:22:30But after that time as the info report stated on I believe it was early april

6:22:36Staff paused all work on the by-law once we had found out that that appeal in kinkston had been withdrawn

6:22:43And so staff did no further work on this by-law or on this matter

6:22:47And that included pausing any of those engagement activities

6:22:51And so while I can appreciate that six months felt like a long time

6:22:54We did pause all engagement activities directly as the city including with the aac

6:22:59There was a number of other engagement activities going on in the community which we mentioned in the report specifically the county's

6:23:05housing symposium and then the setting up of their health and housing

6:23:09Planning tables and all of that is mentioned in the report

6:23:14When the special meeting was called and that date was announced on july 31st and obviously we're here tonight

6:23:19That was a very short time period and we did not have the opportunity to do any re-engagement

6:23:24Either with the aac or or any sort of public engagement process due to a short timeline of this meeting being called

6:23:31As we mentioned and I did want to clarify my earlier comments and and and to chair root. I'm just correct what I had said

6:23:37Um, the conversation that was had yesterday was with our staff liaison at which I asked if we could appear on the october

6:23:45Aac agenda because that is the next available meeting. My apologies. That had not yet been conveyed to chair root

6:23:51I clarified that over the break. So that message had not yet been uh translated along to chair root

6:23:58And so our request is that uh that we attend at the next available aac meeting which is in october

6:24:04Obviously, uh, depending what happens tonight the bylaw may well be passed

6:24:09But our intention is certainly I think for mr. Godfrey and I to meet with the aac

6:24:14And really have a good dialogue with them about the education campaign the communication and how we operationalize this to make sure that we are

6:24:23Keeping forefront the experiences of those for whom um, their their experience as an unsheltered individual is made that much more complex by their

6:24:32Accessibility needs. So I hope that perhaps may help

6:24:39Thank you. That was a very good use of a point of personal privilege. Thank you

6:24:44Is there any other questions than at this time before we go to the vote at all?

6:24:51No, okay, then I will

6:24:55Okay, uh

6:24:57counselor

6:24:58Guller and then I'll go to council Richardson and I'll start making my way around. Okay, just go ahead. Uh, councillor Goller

6:25:04And I guess uh, sorry everybody

6:25:06It has been a little while my apologies

6:25:09um

6:25:10So we're going to comments now. Is that what you're doing councillor Goller?

6:25:15No, your worship question of clarification

6:25:17That's fine. Okay. Go ahead and then what I'm going to ask is that uh, if you have a question

6:25:23But then that's all you needed if you want to take the same time to have a quick comment

6:25:27Then I'll do questions and comments at the same time. Okay

6:25:30And then if there's any amendments, that's always free for anybody to do if there's any additional motions

6:25:36That's always free for anyone to do but right now. It's on the floor. It's just the staff recommendation. Okay

6:25:41Councillor Goller to you questions and or comments and then to council Richardson

6:25:47Thank you your worship

6:25:49through you to to staff

6:25:51um, I would like some clarification

6:25:53with regards to the

6:25:56um

6:25:57The actual availability of shelter spaces

6:26:00We've we've heard from many community members that they're concerned that

6:26:05We do not have enough shelter spaces for everyone

6:26:08And I believe we have heard from wellington county repeatedly that we do in fact have

6:26:13Enough shelters. So if we could just have that clarification as of today

6:26:17When someone goes to a shelter, are they turned away?

6:26:21And has anyone been turned away as far as we're aware this year?

6:26:27Uh through the mayor uh with apologies councillor Goller that is information that louisa artuso was here to answer

6:26:33And I don't want to speak on her behalf

6:26:39So i'm not sure that I can accurately answer that question

6:26:42That is that is information that as our social services provider that is information that the county of wellington

6:26:48Um would typically provide to council

6:26:54Okay, okay. I I appreciate that. Um, and I think this is where through your worship

6:27:01We have the uh

6:27:03The challenge in communication because I do believe that the county reports to the city on these matters

6:27:08Do they not through the social services committee and have they not provided that information through social services committee meetings?

6:27:20So maybe maybe I'll just jump in just to try to just to try to help a little bit and by all means, uh

6:27:26You know jump in yourself councillor Goller

6:27:29You know that that number can fluctuate literally every day

6:27:33So to answer your question directly is the uh joint social services committee given those types of reports or numbers