A Cobourg woman and says she has no where else to go – so she and her boyfriend have been sleeping in Victoria Park for the last few days.
Today’s Northumberland first met Lara Robertson (53-years-old) and her boyfriend Dave Scott (47-years-old) in September 2024.
Robertson had been living in Niagara Falls for the last six years, but returned home to see her doctor.
Robertson has chronic health problems including neurosurgery, back surgery, Cushing’s (Syndrome), and diabetes.
Robertson, Scott and their two dogs had been living at various locations in and around Cobourg since arriving including an abandoned building in Centreton along with a tent outside the Salvation Army on Division Street.
For the last while the couple had been living at 310 Division Street along with their dogs until they were removed.
“I have to admit – things weren’t the greatest there.”
In a previous interview Roberston calls staff at Transition House, “glorified babysitters.”
But admitted on Sunday, May 11, 2025, “we did mess up. We showed emotional outbursts. Which apparently is not acceptable.”
Robertson said she was told that Scott was going to collect his belongings because he wanted to break up with her. When he was going to collect his belonging, she wasn’t allowed to speak with him.
“I got upset – I admit it. I probably said what I shouldn’t have.”
“I said if he doesn’t come down and take care of the dogs I’ll kill him.”
After she went to sleep in her room, she said staff woke her up and removed her from the building.
“I got hoofed out.”
That was over a week ago. Since then, they’ve been living outdoors staying where they had previously in Cobourg and for the last few days in Victoria Park just south of King Street.
At this point Robertson doesn’t know for how long she’s been banned from Transition House.
They are going to look into seeing if they can stay at the camp ground in Victoria Park, but if that doesn’t work they’ll be living in Victoria Park.
Municipal by-law has stopped by because people are complaining they’ve set up tents in the park, but Robertson said they haven’t and won’t.
“We’re sleeping on top of one, but we’ve never set up a tent. We’re laying in the open space, hoping we can figure something out for Monday.”
If nothing positive happens on Monday, Robertson said, “we’ll be doing the homeless circuit and getting chased off every few days.”
Robertson said she understands people judge them when they see them in the park, but added, “where else am I going to go?”
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
