Sault city council looking at group homes
Sault Ste. Marie city council is asking staff to prepare a report on group homes. This comes after Ward 1 Coun. Paul Christian brought forward concerns this week about two such homes, citing their proximity to one another, as well as some safety concerns brought up by neighbours.
Christian, who could not be reached for comment, asked council to support a bylaw that would put in place a buffer zone between group homes. He pointed to concerns voiced by residents in his ward and the number of police calls.
Ultimately, a bylaw was not presented as council instead opted for a report on the matter.
“Group homes and social services residences that service vulnerable populations in general, those are really important services for our community,” said Ward 2 Coun. Luke Dufour.
“We need to make sure that any actions we take are threading that needle in a proper way, that we’re not stigmatizing these resources.”
Dufour said the staff report will need to look at the different types of group homes in the city -- specifically for-profit, private sector-operated homes.
“Part of their mission is to generate a financial return for their owners,” he said.
“They may be less incentivized to pay for extra security or higher levels of qualification for their staff than, for instance, an institution or a non-profit might be.”
A report on group homes and the feasibility of implementing buffer zones is expected by the next city council meeting in June.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Feds hope to table foreign interference legislation next week: LeBlanc
Democratic Institutions Minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to table legislation this week to help the federal government address foreign interference, but he wouldn't say whether the proposal will include a foreign agent registry.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Auston Matthews was back on the ice with his teammates Saturday.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.