Mat Siscoe says municipalities need better direction from the province, as something needs to be done about camps
Pushback from St. Catharines' mayor over some public comments concerning handling of homeless camps.
Mat Siscoe says it's nonsense to claim that asking the province to use the notwithstanding clause to deal with camps is criminalizing homelessness.
He adds something must be done, since tents are set up near where kids play, homes, and in business areas. "That business may employee 10 or 15 people, but now nobody's going into it because there's a shopping cart, and a bunch of other paraphernalia and this tent set up on the public space in front of the business. We're saying we need to regulate that and say there are some areas in the community that aren't appropriate for this."
He suggests, as an example, Pier Point Park as more suitable.
He says municipalities need clearer direction from the province, on a very sensitive issue, and notes mayors who haven't asked for this.
"Have not come out and said 'this letter is bad'. They think the province needs to be doing more, and municipalities need to be given the tools that are necessary to work on this. Because, I think, even the folks that didn't sign the letter, they understand the point."
A number of mayors wrote a letter to the Premier, asking the notwithstanding clause be used. That clause enables government to over ride some Charter rights.
While some camps have people living peacefully, Siscoe says in some of them there is drug use, sexual assault, and human trafficking.
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