Homeless advocates say there’s not enough beds or services available in North Bay
Homeless advocates in North Bay say there’s a serious shortage of services -- from shelter beds to outreach workers -- when it comes to helping vulnerable people get back on their feet.
Packing up what little belongings he has, Kevin Storie is going to have to find a new place to live. Storie has been on the street for four years.
“When you don’t have anywhere to go to process what life has thrown at us, it’s disheartening,” he said.
Storie and three others were living behind Cash 4 U on Cassells St. for the last several weeks. The property owner is asking them to leave.
“More people are worried about how to get rid of the problem than solve it,” Storie said.
Homeless advocates helping him and others clean up said the city and the District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board have properly addressed the problem.
“The city might have to identify what’s been going on here,” said Gregory Gray, a member of the Homeless Advocates of North Bay group.
Gray estimates there are around 40 smaller encampments spread throughout the city. The advocacy group is hoping to convince them to relocate to Kinsmen Beach and set up a cleaner, safer encampment.
Packing up what few belongings he has, Kevin Storie is going to have to find a new place to live. Storie has been on the street for four years. (Eric Taschner/CTV News)
A homeless advocacy group in North Bay is hoping to convince encampment residents to relocate to Kinsmen Beach and set up a cleaner, safer encampment. (Eric Taschner/CTV News)But services board chairman Mark King is against the idea.
“I want to speak to this as a city councillor,” King said.
“Within two hours, bylaw (officers) would be over there and move them off that property … It is public property. But it’s not designed for encampments.”
The problem stems from what the group says is a severe lack of services. There are only 21 beds at the low-barrier shelter before moving into the Northern Pines transitional housing complex to not enough outreach workers to conduct wellness checks.
'There are hundreds'
“It boils down to that there’s not just five or six of us. There are hundreds,” Storie said.
Following the results of a feasibility study of the homelessness system in the District of Nipissing in April, a consultant recommended developing a 24/7 business model for homelessness services, including an integrated low-barrier shelter and homeless hub.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
The report said that model aligns with the district’s goal of ending chronic homelessness, while at the same time providing pathways to services like emergency shelters, warming sites, food security and outreach services.
King said conversations around this idea are heating up.
“There’s been an awful lot of effort to try and address this issue and I think we have an alternative,” he said.
But for now, homeless people like Storie worry all that’s happening is essentially papering over the cracks.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian former Olympic snowboarder wanted in Ontario double homicide: DOJ
A Canadian former Olympic snowboarder who is suspected of being the leader of a transnational drug trafficking group that operated in four countries is wanted for allegedly orchestrating the murder of an 'innocent' couple in Ontario in 2023, authorities say.
Ontario school board trustees under fire for $100K religious art purchase on Italy trip
Trustees with an Ontario school board are responding to criticism over a $45,000 trip to Italy, where they purchased more than $100,000 worth of religious statues.
A photographer snorkeled for hours to take this picture
Shane Gross, a Canadian marine conservation photojournalist, has won the title of Wildlife Photographer of the Year.
Tobacco giants would pay out $32.5 billion to provinces, smokers in proposed deal
Three tobacco giants are proposing to pay close to $25 billion to provinces and territories and more than $4 billion to some 100,000 Quebec smokers and their loved ones as part of a corporate restructuring process triggered by a long-running legal battle.
More Trudeau cabinet ministers not running for re-election, sources say shuffle expected soon
Federal cabinet ministers Filomena Tassi, Carla Qualtrough and Dan Vandal announced Thursday they will not run for re-election. Senior government sources tell CTV News at least one other, Marie-Claude Bibeau, doesn't plan to run again, setting the stage for Justin Trudeau to shuffle his cabinet in the coming weeks.
Robert Pickton's handwritten book seized after his death in hopes of uncovering new evidence
A handwritten book was seized from B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton's prison cell following his death earlier this year, raising hopes of uncovering new evidence in a series of unprosecuted murders.
Former members of One Direction say they're 'completely devastated' by Liam Payne's death
The former members of English boy band One Direction reacted publicly to the sudden death of their bandmate, Liam Payne, for the first time on Thursday, saying in a joint statement that they're 'completely devastated.'
Israel says it has killed top Hamas leader Yayha Sinwar in Gaza
Israeli forces in Gaza killed top Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, a chief architect of last year's attack on Israel that sparked the war, the military said Thursday. Troops appeared to have run across him unknowingly in a battle, only to discover afterwards that a body in the rubble was Israel's most wanted man.
Indian government employee charged in foiled murder-for-hire plot in New York City
The U.S. Justice Department announced criminal charges Thursday against an Indian government employee in connection with a foiled plot to kill a Sikh separatist leader living in New York City.