'It's insulting': Advocates, vulnerable population, denounce decentralization in Moncton, N.B.
Trevor Goodwin has been helping Moncton, N.B.’s, vulnerable population for almost his entire adult life.
The senior director of outreach services at the YMCA of Greater Moncton doesn't think the idea of decentralizing services for the homeless from the heart of the city to an industrial park is fair.
“It's punishing them really, saying, 'Well, you're homeless. You don't deserve to have a sense of community. You don't deserve to be in our downtown,’” said Goodwin.
Last week, downtown business owner Thierry Le Bouthillier told CTV News he's been a victim of crime numerous times over the years.
“The downtown core is our livelihood, it's the heartbeat of our city,” said Le Bouthillier on Friday. “We need to remove these services right in our downtown and to relocate them into a more appropriate area.”
He and other business owners believe the city would be better off if homeless services were located away from the downtown in an industrial zone.
That doesn’t make sense to Goodwin who said services like soup kitchens, shelters, churches, the YMCA and other services are all ingrained in the downtown.
While he’s open to any suggestions or ideas about what to do with the city’s homelessness crisis, those ideas need to be well thought out.
“I truly don’t feel that trying to decentralize a population from an environment that they’re so heavily ingrained in and a part of is, not only is it best practice, but it doesn’t have the interests of everyone at heart,” said Goodwin. “It seems to be coming from more of a business standpoint. Individuals looking out for themselves.”
Goodwin believes if the vulnerable population is moved away from downtown, they’ll just simply return when they want.
Mickey Maguire is currently staying at one of the city's four homeless shelters, but he hopes to be in an affordable housing unit in a week or so.
He vehemently disagrees with the idea of decentralization and doesn’t support the idea of the Moncton businessman in any way.
“It's insulting, degrading, dehumanizing -- prejudice beyond anything. I would like them to personally have nothing for just one week. Be put out in the streets, in the elements, whether it's winter or not, with nothing,” said Maguire.
Debby Warren, the executive director of ensemble, a drug overdose prevention site, says drug users will come back to the downtown core even if the services are elsewhere.
“I understand people don’t want to see it, don’t want it to exist, but it does,” said Warren.
Warren doesn’t think anything would change if services were moved to an industrial park.
“You’ll still have addictions disorders without treatment, without adequate accommodations. They’ll still need to find a source for their unsafe supply. So they still will come back,” said Warren.
“Sweeping it under the carpet, so to speak, by moving us to an industrial park won't work. This is their community too. And I know they say we want to take back our community, but it's a collective community.”
Warren suggests if any downtown business owners are dealing with reoccurring crime or drug use on their premises they should advocate toward the provincial government and not Moncton City Hall.
“City hall is doing their best and they hear it and they feel it. We all feel it,” she said.
CTV News reached out to the City of Moncton for comment on Monday, but no one was available.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
The Body Shop Canada explores sale as demand outpaces inventory: court filing
The Body Shop Canada is exploring a sale as it struggles to get its hands on enough inventory to keep up with "robust" sales after announcing it would file for creditor protection and close 33 stores.
Tropical fish stolen from Beachburg, Ont. restaurant found and returned
Ontario Provincial Police have landed a suspect following a fishy theft in Beachburg, Ont.
U.S. FAA launches investigation into unauthorized personnel in cockpit of Colorado Rockies flight to Toronto
The U.S.’s Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a video that appears to show unauthorized personnel in the cockpit of a charted Colorado Rockies flight to Toronto.