To the editor,
It’s time to end encampments and with financial responsibility for many who have migrated here the places they come from need to step up.
As I have visited the encampments over the years it’s becoming noticeable that many of those living on our streets and homeless living in tents are not from Thunder Bay.
Many are from other provinces or northern reserves and even other countries.
So who is actually accountable for those that come here and use our resources for which we are soon to run out of if the numbers continue to rise?
We need to identify each person to ensure those living here are financially supported by the areas they come from.
Should we be paying to feed, clothe, hospital stays and now filling our overflowing jails of those who are not citizens of Thunder Bay.
We can’t continue to bear the responsibility of the places they come from.
I’ve spoken to many who come from northern reserves who have said they have either been removed or don’t receive the resources they need to survive so they come here.
You certainly can’t blame them they are doing what they can to survive. Remember many don’t have clean water never mind mental health and addiction support.
Those from other countries and that number has been growing are using our city resources that we certainly cannot afford.
Our food and meal suppliers can’t keep up with the rising numbers. Our shelters are at capacity with many of those who have migrated here.
The many from other provinces are either living in the encampments or living in our senior housing committing horrible crimes and most recently the stabbing of security guard the same senior home where the shootout occurred were all committed by individuals not from our city.
These individuals spend time in our courts, our jails our hospitals and we cannot afford the rising costs in any of these institutions.
The resources spent by our city police force our EMS and our Fire Departments on those who are not from our city will continue to drain the coffers and raise our taxes and somehow the places they come from bear no financial responsibility.
We cannot afford this type of migration and we certainly should not have our citizens living on the streets because of those using our housing and our resources where we could use the money to house those from our city who deserve our support and certainly give our seniors a safe place to live.
The governments, the indigenous leaders and other countries need to be responsible for their citizens and then and only then will we be able to house and support those we are responsible for here.
The many organizations working to take care of our vulnerable cannot continue at the pace needed without the support from those who are financially responsible for their people.
We all want to see the end of encampments for many reasons and if everyone takes responsibility for their own we could see the end of the stain on our city and show everyone including possible investors we are the city with a giant heart and a giant brain.
Clint Harris
Thunder Bay
