Death of second homeless man in N.S. in last two weeks leads to calls for change
Police in Kentville say body of Bobby Hiltz, 52, was found in local park
A community advocate in Annapolis Valley says the death of Bobby Hiltz, 52, the second homeless man to die in the area in two weeks, highlights the need for more mental health and addiction resources.
According to a statement from Kentville police, Hiltz was found dead on Wednesday morning in a park known as Miner's Marsh.
A week earlier, on Nov. 26, another man was found dead outside a fishing tent in Windsor, N.S., according to the RCMP. He has been identified as William Walsh, who was in his 50s.
John Andrew, the chair of Valley Connect Outreach Association, described Hiltz as gentle and polite, especially around children.
"There were issues around addiction and mental health, sometimes there was some fear, some paranoia that was seemingly worsening, and he could sometimes challenge you," Andrew said.
"He became unhoused this fall and so we took him in. He was actually our very first guest this shelter season."
Andrew said Hiltz's paranoia created difficulties in group living situations like the local emergency shelter. He said shelter staff eventually made the decision to ask him to leave.
The shelter maintained contact with Hiltz in an effort to ensure he was as safe and warm as possible, he said.
Andrew said the shelter has hosted 35 people over the last six weeks, which is more than the previous year.
Michelle Hiltz, Bobby Hiltz's sister, said her brother was a good person, but his mental health and addiction problems got in the way of his relationships with others.
She said he lost his home 18 months ago and has been living in a tent since the end of May.
Her own housing situation limited her ability to help her brother. She and others tried to support him with food and shelter when possible.
She said she wanted to raise awareness to the plight of people who were homeless and struggling with mental health and addiction.
"I never dreamed that my brother would be a statistic of a homeless person dying in a tent all by himself," a tearful Hiltz said.
"Bobby and I had a rough childhood and we only had each other, and the drugs just made him different. But he loved everybody. Everybody loved him."
Andrew said with two people already dead and winter just beginning he's worried about how much worse it may get.
He said the Annapolis Valley is a rural region and yet the number of people seeking assistance has nearly doubled over the last five years.
Elected officials and other authorities need to work effectively with those on the front lines, Andrew said.
He said he fears the public will come to accept the situation facing people who are homeless as the norm.
"There's that group of people who are quite addicted or mentally ill and are living hard, but then ... we see a lot of people who all they need to get started is that safe place to go at night to call home."
With files from Jean Laroche, Josh Hoffman and The Canadian Press