(Today’s Northumberland file photo)
Premier Doug Ford released a statement on Thursday, December 5, 2024 concerning encampments.
The statement came as a result of a number of from Mayors from across Ontario sending their concerns of encampments.
Premier Ford directed the letter to Mayor’s of Barrie, Brampton, Brantford, Cambridge, Chatham-Ken, Oshawa, Oakville, Clarington, Pickering, St. Catharines, Sudbury and Windsor.
The Premier said, “Mayors from across Ontario have asked for our help to deal with homeless encampments that are taking over public spaces and making their communities unsafe. I agree. Enough is enough. Today, I let them know that we will be stepping up with new measures to protect communities and clear out encampments while getting people the help they need.”
Dear Mayors:
Thank you for your recent letter outlining the serious challenges communities across Ontario are facing when it comes to homeless encampments and their impact on community safety.
Our government shares your concerns about the need to keep our children, families and communities safe.
That’s why we are acting to put an end to the public disorder, drug use and trafficking and loss of public space that have resulted from the widespread growth in encampments. These are serious problems that are impacting communities across Ontario, with people rightly demanding action.
Enough is enough.
Solving the homelessness crisis starts with more treatment beds and places to call home.
Ontario is making unprecedented investments in mental health, addiction recovery and homelessness prevention services, including nearly $700 million annually through our provincial homelessness prevention programs to ensure we can provide more roofs over the heads of people experiencing homelessness. More recently, our government announced $378 million to create 19 Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hubs, which will add up to 375 highly supportive housing units, in addition to addiction recovery and treatment beds and other services to help people facing homelessness and addiction.
There is an urgent need to do more and I am thrilled that you have shown considerable leadership in putting forward concrete and actionable solutions. Ontario is finalizing the details of new initiatives, including enhanced legislative powers, that will be responsive to your requests. I want to be clear: Our government will be there to support municipalities in restoring public order in your communities every step of the way.
The new legislation and supporting initiatives will achieve the outcomes all of us agree
are necessary in order to protect public safety and dismantle encampments, including
• Greater service manager accountability and alignment with provincial and local priorities.
• Additional funding to create more capacity in our shelter systems, supported by the new accountability measures to ensure these funds support dismantling encampments.
• Explicitly and unequivocally prohibiting the use of illicit drugs in public, with new tools and authorities to help police enforce this prohibition.
• Enhanced penalties for people who deliberately and continually break the law.
• New approaches to treatment and rehabilitation that prioritize pathways to recovery over incarceration in the cases of minor and non-violent drug-related crimes.
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
