Calls for compassion following fiery Moncton town hall on crime, homelessness

There were a lot of angry voices at Thursday night’s town hall meeting on crime and homelessness in Moncton.

But some wish there was more compassion for Moncton's homeless population.

Trevor Goodwin is the Senior Director of outreach services at the YMCA.

He works with hundreds of homeless people in Moncton and said many are not criminals, but some do cause havoc for the city’s residents.

“I like to remind people that even though someone is stealing something from you, or dealing with addiction or mental health, or sleeping on the streets or in a shelter, it doesn’t mean they’re not human. That they’re not someone’s mother, brother, relative. We should treat everyone with respect, empathy and dignity,” says Goodwin.

Downtown café owners Emily Flint and Isabelle Gallant both spoke at Thursday’s meeting and both showed empathy for Moncton’s homeless.

“I feel people are seeing it more as a problem, so they’re objectifying the person,” said Gallant. “They see a homeless person walking down the street and they may not wonder what they need. They may think that’s more of an eyesore for Moncton.”

Flint used to live on the streets in Edmonton and is a former addict. She feels her past experiences give her a unique perspective on the problem.

“I’ve seen both sides of criminality, struggle and frustration, so I can understand from both sides now and understand solution versus just frustration,” said Flint.

Moncton Mayor Dawn Arnold was at Thursday’s meeting and the meeting last week. She said she and members of city council will take suggestions on how to solve the issues under advisement and will be revealing an action plan in the near future.