Sister of man found dead in tent in Kentville, N.S., speaks out

The sister of a 52-year-old man found dead in a tent in Kentville, N.S., on Wednesday is speaking out on her loss.

Michelle Hiltz says her only brother, Bobby Hiltz, had a heart of gold.

"He loved everybody, he loved his family, he loved people, he loved his friends,” says Hiltz.

Hiltz says her brother struggled with mental illness, addiction, and had several health issues. He had being living in a tent in three different places since May.

“He lost his home a year-and-a-half ago due to his landlord (who) wanted to do a rent increase,” she says. "If Bobby didn't have a rental increase, he wouldn't have been homeless. You get on the path of destruction when you have a mental illness and a drug addiction and you lose your home.

“I have my daughter and three grandkids homeless living with me right now because of rent increase, so I couldn’t take him in.”

Kentville police say they were called to a park in Kentville, commonly known as Miner’s Marsh, around 10:20 a.m. on Wednesday, where they found his body.

“He had called his friend on Tuesday, right out of the blue, and asked him to come pick him up,” says Hiltz. “He had used a woman's phone at Needs. He had his last shower and his last meal and that was that."

“It’s heartbreaking. It’s absolutely crushing,” says John Andrew, town councillor and founder of Valley Connect Outreach. “This is not a number. This is a person, this is someone’s brother, someone’s son.”

Bobby’s death comes just eight days after RCMP says a man in his 50s was found dead outside an ice-fishing tent where he lived in Windsor, N.S.

Andrew says both incidents put a spotlight on the current state of homelessness and housing in the valley.

“Five, six years ago, you didn’t see people in the bank kiosks at night as much, you didn’t see people just sleeping on the street,” says Andrew. “It has worsened and I want to see that changed because it creates an environment that isn’t healthy and is an indication of a broader problem.”

Hiltz says her brother received help from local shelters but was frequently turned away because of behavioural issues.

“Just because someone had mental illness and addiction problems, it doesn’t make them any less human,” she says.

Hiltz hopes something will be done so more families will not have to experience what hers did.

"I don't want his death to be like he was just another homeless person, because he wasn't. He did have a home, but no answers, no help. How many other people does this have to happen to?" she says.

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