(Today’s Northumberland photo of Mayor Lucas Cleveland in his office with a mural from the Art Gallery of Northumberland. Each time a new display will be in the art gallery, a piece of art will also be displayed in the Mayor’s office)
In a in-depth interview, Cobourg Mayor Lucas Cleveland spoke with Today’s Northumberland about his role as a County councillor and other issues concerning Cobourg.
The in-depth video interview took place on Saturday, August 3, 2024 at the Mayor’s office in Victoria Hall.
Cleveland said he’s been receiving “hundreds of calls from residents” and wanted to clear up “misinformation circulating on social media” concerning the towns decision to “walk away from the agreement,” with 310 Division Street.
Cleveland stated he is speaking only as Mayor of the Town of Cobourg during the interview and not as a councillor with Northumberland County.
“I was elected by the people of Cobourg first and foremost. However, because of the rules and regional set up of where we all live, I was then appointed to the County of Northumberland.”
The County of Northumberland has seven members from the municipalities around Northumberland County who each have one vote.
“I am required to sit at the County of Northumberland council and when I sit in that chair, I have a legal duty to make decisions at that table that are in the best interest of all of Northumberland County and not necessarily Cobourg.”
So even though the citizens of Cobourg elected Cleveland to, “fix the issues that have been plaguing our community for over a decade,” the “system” in Northumberland, “is showing it’s major flaws.”
“This broken ineffective regional system that we work in mandates and ensures that when I as Mayor of Cobourg sit as County councillor I am not legally allowed to make decisions that are in the best interest of Cobourg if it is not also in the best interest of the County as a whole.”
Bluntly stated, Cleveland states, “I can not legally advocate for Cobourg residents, the very people who elected me to sit at that table if in doing so I am going against the best interest of the County.”
“How crazy is this?”
“I must vote and make decisions that are in the best interest of the 80,000 residents of Northumberland County even when I believe that in doing so, it will now negatively effect the 20,000 residents of Cobourg.”
Cleveland states that if it ever was proven he made a decision at the County level that served Cobourg residents, but negatively impacted the County, he could be in violation of the Code of Conduct held by Mayor’s of Northumberland at the County level.
He could also face professional and monetary penalties.
“I am already facing major backlash and professional difficulties with that level of government just for asking the basic questions Cobourg residents want me to ask as County Council meetings.”
During his campaign for the Mayor’s position, Cleveland promised, “total transparency.”
“So after my first two years, I have come to believe that the reason Cobourg has, and continues to face so many issues that maybe our neighbours do not, is because of a failure of how our regional government is actually set-up.”
Cleveland once again stated that Cobourg is a lower-tier government and is not responsible for the delivery of social services.
“The Town of Cobourg is not responsible for social programs in any way, shape or form. In Northumberland County all social service decisions, policies, hiring, efforts, funding, all the successes and all the failures are that level of government.”
So as Mayor of Cobourg along with Councillors, “are not responsible for the numerous decisions of the past 20-years at the County Council table to locate a majority of all social services in Cobourg.”
“Cobourg did not turn Transition House into a low barrier shelter. Cobourg did not decide to only open the only available shelter services in just Cobourg. Cobourg did not make the decision to purchase 310 Division Street, nor did they decide to close three separate social programs in order to put them into one building in the downtown core hoping for the best. Cobourg isn’t tasked or funded or mandated to create affordable housing. Cobourg Council is not responsible for the failure of our legal and justice systems and cannot bring about bail reform.”
“Cobourg is not responsible for the failure of our Federal government to keep our communities safe.
Cobourg is not responsible for the lack of affordable housing in the region. Cobourg is not responsible for the fact we can not legally enforce our bylaws at Brookside until it is turned over to private owners.
Cobourg is not responsible for the clearly failing and controversial approach to the drug epidemic, the Canadian housing shortage, the ever increasing rents, or any of the very serious complex issues we as Canadians are experiencing across our County.”
Cleveland stated that he’s not passing the buck, they are just the facts and as Mayor he’s just as frustrated as the citizens of Cobourg.
Moving here eight years ago and watching the community “suffer” is what made him want to run for Mayor.
“It’s why I remain steadfast in my commitment to do what I can as Mayor to improve this community and return it to the “Feel Good Town,” it once was.”
The Town of Cobourg is a $30 million dollar organization within Northumberland County and is responsible for many issues.
“I believe that as Mayor my primary responsibility is ensuring the safety and well being of all residents of Cobourg.”
When Cleveland was elected he heard from citizens they wanted change.
Safer streets, a thriving downtown, more industry and more grant money.
“We wanted a more responsible staff, better communications, more fiscal restraint and for major projects to get moving.”
Cleveland said he will be sharing more on the success stories of the Town at the halfway mark of his term in October.
But as it stands now, “95% of the reasons people are frustrated, angry, scared and upset are either directly or indirectly related to the services being provided by the County of Northumberland within our community.”
“I personally believe that if we are going to seriously address the major issues facing the residents of Cobourg, then we need to start as a community and have conversations about the future of Cobourg and its relationship within Northumberland County.”
Cleveland said the he voted to “walk away” from an agreement between Cobourg and Northumberland County regarding 310 Division Street because he fully supports the ECE (Emergency Care Establishment) bylaw.
The bylaw was implemented on March 28, 2024 and provides a means of immediate, temporary accommodation and assistance for a short-term period, generally less than one week, for the majority of residents. It carries a number of stipulations that must be enforced.
“So anything in any way, shape or form that is jeopardizing that by-law needed to be stopped.
Remember, the Town of Cobourg does not in any way control, mandate, program or deliver social services, nor de we have any intention or desire to do so as a lower tier.”
“Cobourg is not tasked with affordable housing, emergency shelter services, drug treatment options or mental health services.”
“There is absolutely no way we (Cobourg) can influence, direct or control how social services are delivered nor can we change the policies driving these services.”
“The only thing Cobourg Council can do is to continue advocating to the County to listen to the needs of all lived experiences in Cobourg and ensure that we protect the integrity and clear intentions of the ECE bylaw.”
“Now is the time for all residents of Cobourg to join Cobourg Council and I in advocating to the County of Northumberland to listen to the lived experience of all the residents of Cobourg.”
Cleveland said that Northumberland County has made promises and commitments to the residents of Cobourg.
“Now is the time to deliver on those.”
The agreement that Cobourg walked away from had no way of enforcing those promises or agreements should their be failures or mistakes on the part of the County.
“This agreement wasn’t going to address the low barrier controversy, this agreement would not magically stop all other communities from being able to send some of their most vulnerable individuals to Cobourg where we have the majority of social services.”
So instead of duplicating the efforts, Cleveland has put his faith in the ECE bylaw, “and have clearly asked that the County Council ensure that County policies and practices actually lives up to the promises and commitments made to the people of Cobourg.”
Having said that, Cleveland adamantly states that he supports the workers, the Executive Director and the Board of Transition House along with the “incredible work” of Cornerstone, their Executive Director along with their Board and staff.
“These are incredibly talented and dedicated individuals who show up day-in and day-out and give their all for our most vulnerable.”
But Cleveland also has a number of questions.
“Should most social services be located in one community throughout the County?
Would it not be easier to manage if each community in Northumberland had a small little shelter?
Is it really the best practice to locate a warming room in the same building as people recovering from addiction and severely traumatized individuals?
Is it a good idea to take all sorts of individuals across a diverse and large region, all with a complex variety of issues and expect a single nonprofit to be able to successfully manage that in one building?
Should we not be focusing on drug treatment facilities and not normalizing and accepting poor decisions?
Is it not possible that Cornerstone has been so welcomed by the community because they are focused, funded and working on solving issues for just one particular group of vulnerable individuals whereas Transition House has been tasked with addressing all sorts of vulnerable individuals as a one stop shop?”
Cleveland says he’d rather go deep with one solution rather than wide and lose perspective.
“Is it really Transition Houses’ legally mandated responsibility or is there a level of government that’s responsible for the delivery of social services. It’s not Transition House that receives millions of dollars of funding from the provincial government.”
Ike Nwibe, the Executive Director (of Transition House), the new Board and staff are doing an incredible job. In the last six months we’ve seen a major improvement.”
But added, “it doesn’t negate all the problems in the past or the ones we still have.”
“Is it the responsibility of Transition House or is it the mandated responsibility of the County whose fault it is for the failures of Transition House if we are noticing those?”
This coming week is the one year anniversary of the encampment being setup along the west beach.
The sale of Brookside, Cleveland states, “the sale is imminent.”
And Cobourg has a zero encampment policy, “that continues to be enforced.”
“We also know that Cobourg is not held to the Waterloo ruling that is meant for upper tier governments responsible for the delivery of social services. We know we’re not held to that ruling like the County could have been.”
Since the time the encampment was setup at the Cobourg beach, Cleveland has been advocating for the Encampment Response Plan, trying to refocus prioritizing affordable housing and social services, advocating for drug treatment options, advocating to re-look at the budget.
“Why is we’re hiring 39 employees, but we’re not taking care of our most vulnerable 40 that are just down the street (Brookside encampment).”
Cleveland has been questioning after the County received $2.9 million from the province for an encampment response, along with sitting on over $130 million in reserves, “why we can’t seem to provide the help for the 20-40 individuals that they will require that they will accept it.”
“Once Brookside is no longer in the hands of the province, then our bylaws will be applied just as they would be to any other private land owner in this community.”
Cleveland said he’s been asking the same questions at the County level, and the reply he gets is “310 is the answer.”
Today’s Northumberland posed the question if people either refuse to go to 310 Division Street or if the amount of people exceed the number allowed.
“We can’t force individuals to receive help. I’m not a social policy expert nor do I have the solutions that are required for the complex social issues that are changing by the month.”
“The reality right now is, this is our country right now.”
Speaking straightforward, Cleveland said, “Cobourg has a very limited influence bandwidth in terms of social service delivery to influence and direct what we can do in this community.”
“I believe the best way to protect the safety and security of our Cobourg community was to ensure the integrity of the ECE bylaw and to ask the County to live up to the commitment and promises they’ve made to this community.”
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
