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High winds, 'broken promises' add to plight of homeless outside City Hall

'They have $5 million sunk into that low-barrier shelter and we still have elderly women out sleeping in tents and that's not right.'
2020 11 16 Shane Moyer City Hall Homeless
A group of homeless people led by advocate Shane Moyer have returned to live outside City Hall. Photo: Stu Campaigne

A group of homeless people have pitched tents and are living with their two dogs outside the North Bay Public Library. 

They'd managed to anchor a tarp to the surrounding trees with rope during the wind storm lasting from Sunday evening into Monday. One of the men nonchalantly downplayed the previous night's conditions as "challenging."

Shane Moyer, who has become one of the faces of advocacy for the local homeless population says the group's numbers have varied from night to night since they returned Saturday to stay in the shadow of City Hall. He says they move in shifts from the tents to H.O.P.E.'s Kitchen, where they take turns warming up, drinking a hot coffee, or eating a meal.

See related story: Homeless advocate speaks out for those without a home

Moyer admits there have been some differences of opinion on rules and regulations as far as the low-barrier shelter and the clients' movements. One such disagreement led to Moyer receiving a 24-hour banishment from the shelter. Instead of trying to re-secure one of the 21 beds available, he says he has instead returned to advocate at City Hall for the homeless.

"It's not about me," Moyer declares, "it's about all of us."

Moyer says promises made to the homeless population during the last protest at City Hall have been broken. He says, in late September, when they pitched tents outside City Hall, they were promised housing by various agencies, including DNSSAB and NMHHSS.

"And, we were told no one would be refused at the Crisis Centre," he adds. "We've had a couple of elder women who are severely disabled who have been refused."

Moyer says part of his advocacy this time around is for transportation for the vulnerable sector, to get to medical appointments or see vacant apartments.

"People need help with that," he says, "especially those with mobility issues." Moyer points to several members of his circle for which this is the case.

Moyer says speaking to Mayor Al McDonald is no longer his main strategy, as it was during the live-in in late September or the march advocating for the homeless last month.

See related story from September: City Hall's homeless tent city ordered dismantled

"We're here now and he still won't come out and talk to us," he says. "Now I don't even want to talk to him. I want to talk to Charlie Angus and Vic Fedeli in a round room by ourselves and let 'em know what's going on."

Moyer says "They have $5 million sunk into that low-barrier shelter and we still have elderly women out sleeping in tents and that's not right."

Asked how long he expects to stay, Moyer responds, "We're in it for the long haul until I can speak to Angus and Fedeli about the issues."


Stu Campaigne

About the Author: Stu Campaigne

Stu Campaigne is a full-time news reporter for BayToday.ca, focusing on local politics and sharing our community's compelling human interest stories.
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