Moncton business community seeks solutions for city’s growing homeless population
Moncton’s homeless issue is back before City Council, with local businesses and homeowners saying the problem is getting worse.
“There’s growing frustration, a little bit of anger, and a real waning patience for solutions to this issue,” says John Wishart, CEO of the Greater Moncton Chamber of Commerce.
Growing concern over the growing homeless population in Greater Moncton has the local business community looking for action.
“Especially in the city core, we’re seeing and hearing about vandalism, drug use on commercial properties, and it’s not a great welcome mat for the city’s downtown,” says Wishart.
“It’s disconcerting because it’s not what I remember, as a child, a teenager or even a young adult… things have gotten worse,” says Heidi Staples, a local pharmacist.
Staples’ family owned and operated pharmacy has been on St. George Street since the 1950s, but she says the last few years have been difficult.
“I know most pharmacies have extended hours into the evening, but with the current situation in this neighbourhood, I would feel vulnerable having to work late at night here,” says Staples.
The Chamber of Commerce is proposing a task force to try and come up with solutions to a problem they say is getting worse.
“Hear from as many people as possible, including the homeless, including business owners, including government, including mental health and addictions service providers, and really try to come up with a logical plan,” says Wishart.
But not everyone is convinced the task force is an effective solution.
“I wish it well. I’m not sure it’s the best solution, but if the community wants to be engaged, hey, let’s go for it,” says city councillor Daniel Bourgeois.
Bourgeois, who was newly elected in last month’s municipal election, questions what the task force can accomplish, and is calling for a liaison councillor to be appointed.
“The liaison councillor would take a month to consult all the participants and the stake holders to try and come up with immediate action, until the community police officers are able to do what they’re supposed to do,” says Bourgeois.
Wishart says he is open to all options.
“At the end of the day, if we can put all of those puzzle pieces together, maybe we can make a dent in the homelessness,” says Wishart.
Council will discuss both ideas at their next sitting on July 5.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.