Council approves Cumberland Street North site for temporary shelter village
City of Thunder Bay was recommending Fort William Road location, new site chosen after amendment
Thunder Bay city council has approved a location on Cumberland Street for a temporary shelter village that would serve the city's unhoused population.
City administration was recommending a location on Fort William Road, across from the CLE grounds, in a report that went to council on Monday night.
However, an amendment was tabled that instead suggested the Cumberland Street site, which is city-owned property located next to the Salvation Army's Journey to Life Centre.
"That was ultimately the resolution that passed," at-large Coun. Shelby Ch'ng said on CBC Superior Morning on Tuesday.
Ch'ng said the site had been looked at by the city previously, but it hadn't been discussed prior to Monday's meeting.
She said she wasn't in support of the new site.
"My concern is that it's not close to amenities," she said. "I'd assume that people who are going to be living in these do not have access to a vehicle."
"There's no bus hub in that area. There's no place to get groceries. My concern is that we're going to be spending this money and these funds, and it's not going to solve the problem because people have a choice to not live there."
"We can't force them."
McKellar Ward Coun. Brian Hamilton — the proposed Fort William Road site fell into the McKellar Ward — said there are still unanswered questions about the new site.
"We found out [Monday] night, for example, that there could be some issues around the costing of that site," he said. "There could be bedrock and drainage issues, so we're ultimately making the decision with not a lot of information."
"I do hope though, through the regular channels and emails, that the public does reach out with any concerns and questions, because ultimately the public has their eyes on this community in profound ways that even council and admin don't have."
Hamilton said the site would include small cabins, with fridges, beds, air conditioning and heating. The village would also be fenced, with 24/7 supports and security.
Ch'ng noted the site selection process happened without any public input.
"We just changed it on a dime without any community consult to another location," she said, noting the decision is scheduled for a ratification vote next Monday.
"I don't think the community is going to have enough time to wrap their heads around (the new site)," she said. "I think this whole situation is hard enough for the community to understand what an actual temporary village is, let alone the nuances that go along with it.
"I am concerned this was a very knee-jerk reaction."
Ch'ng added there is funding involved, as well.
"The crux of the issue last night is that we have $2.8 million in funding that's on the line, that we need to make a decision on," she said.
The report to council recommending the Fort William Road site stated the city had been approved for $2.8 million in external funding if certain milestones are hit, including completing, "at least 80 units and ancillary structures by Dec. 31, 2025."
In an interview last week, Rilee Willianen, encampment response lead with the city, said the city would be in good shape to meet the Dec. 31 goal if construction on the village began by July.
In an interview on Tuesday, Willianen said the Cumberland site does meet some of the criteria the city had set for a site.
"Those being the proximity to historical encampment areas, having sufficient space for up to 100 units, not interfering with the city's growth goals because it doesn't really have any active municipal uses, it's a treed lot, and good emergency service access," she said.
However, there are some challenges, as well, including the extra work involved in removing the trees, "and that area is also known to have a lot of bedrock, which I understand means there's a high degree of grading that would need to happen at the site to make sure that it doesn't have any issues that are typically associated with the bedrock," Willianen said.
"From administration's perspective, there's a high risk of safety issues, given the area is along a busy road that does not have a sidewalk," she said. "It's also near a light industrial area and a railway corridor, and there's sensitive-use areas within 100 metres."
"We define that as areas that children are known to frequent and residential areas."
Gary Ferguson, executive director of the Journey to Life Centre, said the Salvation Army is "willing to work with whatever agency is the lead agency" for the shelter village.
"I think a lot of the individuals that will be utilizing this service may be individuals that we are familiar with," he said. "They may have been individuals that have stayed in our shelter, accessed our food bank, or accessed our services at one point, and maybe even throughout the winter," he said. "Depending on what the needs are, if we can actually work with the people, we'd be more than happy to do that, and if we need to be a conduit to provide service to another agency that can do that, we will do that too."
Willianen said despite the extra work needed to get the site ready, the city remains confident it will be able to meet its timelines.
Council's approval of the Cumberland site is scheduled for a ratification vote on April 14.
"Administration's next steps would be public engagement to educate folks on the village, and also to receive feedback and mitigate any concerns that folks might have, and launching those requests for proposals," Willianen said, adding there will be two RFPs launched: one for construction, and one for a third-party operator.
The new site on Cumberland Street falls into the Current River Ward, which is represented by Coun. Andrew Foulds.
"For me, there are a lot of questions and there's a lot of missing information," he said. "And I do like to make informed decisions based on evidence. So at this point in time, it's very difficult for me to support something without getting good information."
Foulds said he has concerns about the fact the council decision was made in one night, without any input from the public.
Further, he said, there are concerns about the Cumberland site's proximity to needed services.
"Of course Salvation Army is there, but you know, persons that are in the temporary village require a lot of different services and support, and proximity to those supports is critical," he said. "So I have some concerns about the overall success of this location."
"I think if we're going to make this kind of investment, you want to set it up for success, and maximizing success, because public dollars are very, very precious."