To the editor:
Our leaders are failing our city and the most recent comments from our mayor are more than concerning and not retractable when social media takes over.
Boshcoff’s comments have been shared throughout the province by now, and I’m sure the country, as social media has no boundaries.
Will the mayor's comments be retracted on all social media platforms?
Mayor Boshcoff stated hundreds of thousands coming to our city for free drugs and we are the party city.
The word is out the mayor stated, we give free drugs and tents and sleeping bags and people are coming from across Canada to take advantage of our generosity.
This is not only promoting the city in the worst way, it’s encouraging to those who seek a place get free drugs and free shelter.
Mayor Boshcoff has made statements in the past regarding fancy tents the homeless have and now states they sell them to buy drugs.
The organizations that are actually helping have to defend the work they do assuring the community that tents and sleeping bags are donated and all the homeless receive is donated by numerous organizations.
The obvious is our mayor has no clue what goes on in this city that has never been a safe supply city and organizations like Elevate, Northwest and the DEK foundation are disheartened by these reckless comments and wondering if our leader cares at all about the work they do to help our most vulnerable.
We have rising numbers of homeless with no new housing in sight and all I hear from those responsible are excuses.
The comment from Coun. Brian Hamilton and chair of DSSAB is always the same. It’s a national crisis. But don’t question him as his response is I’ll block you from commenting.
This is not a response you would expect from an adult never mind a councilman responsible for solutions to house the homeless and provide safe housing for our seniors.
In the last two years I’ve visited senior housing numerous times and at one point helped a woman move into her van as she was afraid to stay in her building. Not long after a major shootout between gang members occurred.
The comment I received from councilman Hamilton was there are not enough seniors so we utilize the building and house, apparently gang members to fill the occupancy.
Now these two roles, Mayor and councilman responsible for the homeless and housing have shown only how to make ridiculous comments and excuses as the number of homeless rises and putting our seniors and homeless at risk.
We need solutions like we see in London, Ont., Peterborough, Ont., Kelowna, B.C., and Vancouver who are seeing success building housing for many and programs and support systems in place treating mental health and addiction.
Our political leaders, municipal, provincial and federal have all failed us and the math is simple. The numbers don’t lie but apparently politicians do.
Everything is worse.
Clint Harris,
Thunder Bay
