As Mayor I am proud of the policy decision and strong leadership that the Cobourg Council have shown in drafting and enacting the ECE By-Law. I will continue to stand behind its intention and purpose. The ECE By-Law was developed to protect our most vulnerable in our community and our residents. The By-law was written to uphold minimum health and safety standards based on accepted provincial regulations and standards.
If you have listened to the Northumberland County Council and Cobourg Council meetings, you will know that I have been very open with my stance that the quality of life including the safety and security of Cobourg residents has and must be always be my first priority.
It is a basic human right to feel safe and be safe. I’ll say it again – the standards within the Town of Cobourg’s ECE By-Law are there to support the safety of our most vulnerable population, our residents and our community at large. The regulations are not onerous or unreasonable, they are appropriate and necessary because the way these services have been delivered in the past are not acceptable.
Major cities and regions like Toronto enacted a set of standards for all its shelters, more than 20 years ago recognizing this need. Cobourg, like many other communities, large and small, are facing a housing and homelessness crisis. The Town of Cobourg is limited in what it can do about housing, and social services but enacting a By-law to ensure the safety and care for our most vulnerable is within our purview.
To state it another way, the Town of Cobourg passed the ECE By-law to ensure that those individuals that find themselves in crisis and require emergency care can reasonably expect that shelters will live up to clearly identified standards of service for its residents. I will not accept an argument for lower standards just to make it easier for those who are entrusted with their care. I do not think that doing the right thing is too much to ask. Instead, the Town of Cobourg will continue to take the steps necessary to look out for vulnerable individuals seeking ECE services by requiring that ECE providers meet reasonable standards in service provision. These standards, in turn, may have the additional benefit of improving the well-being of all Cobourg residents.
The time to continue debating the appropriateness of the ECE bylaw has long since passed – there has been enough of that. It’s time to come together to ensure that we can care for our most vulnerable and that our most vulnerable are not asked to shelter in unsafe conditions just because it is less expensive. Individuals who find themselves in crisis and require emergency care should be able to reasonably expect that shelters will live up to clearly identified standards of service. Our community members at large deserves to know and feel confident that organizations operating in our community are following appropriate regulations.
The Town of Cobourg is committed to do what we can to ensuring that vulnerable individuals seeking ECE services are sheltered in safe facilities. That’s why we are at the table with all levels of government collaborating to address this challenge in Cobourg.
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
