By Cecilia Nasmith/Today’s Northumberland
Cobourg council has passed an amendment to its Emergency Care Establishment bylaw to provide that the town will issue no more than two licenses at any given time.
Cornerstone Family Violence Prevention Centre holds one of those licenses for its shelter. But when licensing was granted to Northumberland County’s shelter at 310 Division St. (the operation of which was contracted out to Transition House, which at the time operated around the corner at 10 Chapel St.), the town required them to obtain two licenses. That made a total of three town-issued licenses.
On behalf of the shelter, Alison Lester represented the Transition House board of directors who, along with the Citizens Liaison Committee, were represented in the gallery.
Lester wanted to express concern about the limits contemplated in the bylaw amendment before council.
Lester’s point was that the county owns the building and Transition House is the party contracted to operate it – and when they applied for their license last November, they were told they would require two licenses.
As licenses must be required annually, they worry about the scenario that awaits them – potentially being told Cornerstone Family Violence Prevention Centre already has one so only one more is available.
“We have to reapply every year – in November, we will come to apply and the town will say, ‘We already have Cornerstone. We only have one more.’ Transition House will have to shut its doors,” she explained.
“We’re hoping this is an oversight, and the town is not deliberately trying to create conditions that will keep Transition House from operating.”
Mayor Lucas Cleveland insisted there wasn’t a problem, citing Municipal Clerk Brent Larmer’s April 15 letter “explaining there is no issue, because the Town of Cobourg considers the county and Transition House as one, despite having to apply for two. This concern you have is really negligible.”
“We actually have two licenses with different license numbers. I’m not sure what interpretation leads the town to now say, after insisting we receive two licenses, ‘No, it’s just one license,’” Lester enquired.
Both Cleveland and Councillor Adam Bureau criticized the county for setting up only one shelter, when it is used by homeless individuals from all over Northumberland, away from their loved ones.
“The vast majority of people who are using the services of 310 Division St. come from the Cobourg area – we have stats on that,” Lester said.
“Of the users from Northumberland County, 72% come from Cobourg.”
Cleveland insisted, out of the entirety of the group, more than 50% were not from Cobourg.
“It’s 55% from Cobourg,” Lester said.
“So almost half are not,” Cleveland said.
“But the majority are – we have to focus our services where there’s the greatest need,” Lester said.
At any rate, she noted, someone who loses the shelter at 310 Division is hardly likely to pick up and move to Brighton or Campbellford when the services he or she relies upon are in Cobourg. What is more likely is that the person will remain on the streets or join an encampment.
“It all comes down to the idea of meeting people where they are,” Lester said
“Let’s make it easier for people to access services.”
Looking ahead, she continued, “If the bylaw is being interpreted in a different way, then we would appreciate having something in writing so we can rely on that and know the rules are not going to be changed when it comes time to renew our license in November.”
Councillor Brian Darling asked for clarification on why two licenses were required for 310 Division St., and Larmer pointed out that Transition House at that time was operating at 10 Chapel St. When operations were consolidated at 310 Division, he said, the Chapel Street license was revoked – so, in effect, two shelter locations now operate with two licenses.
“So we have not had a conversation to provide that clarification to Transition House,” Larmer said, adding that appropriate notification will go out to both 310 Division St. and the Cornerstone shelter upon passage of the amendment – which took place shortly thereafter.
