A North Bay Police Service officer stood off to one side, observing and chatting with the occupants of an encampment at North Bay City Hall as they prepared to tear it down.
See original story: Camping by-law to be enforced this afternoon at City Hall
After nearly two weeks living outside City Hall, "We're leaving peacefully," homeless advocate Shane Moyer tells BayToday. "We want to come to a peaceful resolution."
This is the second time in two months the City of North Bay has had to resort to by-law enforcement to break up "tent cities" that sprouted up and then grew more vast under the trees near the public library.
The leader of this crew of homeless people, Moyer, says despite some initial anger over the eviction notice, he is pledging to leave the premises without causing a conflict.
Moyer's fellow tent city inhabitants seemed to be taking their cue from him as they packed belongings in bins to be stored and began to take down the tents Thursday afternoon.
"I'm their friend and I'm their father, their uncle," Moyer says about the group's close ties. "This is how they look up to me, they shared with me their past histories. This is why I'm the advocate that I am. I'm their sounding board. I am their voice."
Asked if he feels this form of protest outside City Hall has made a difference, Moyer says he believes it has.
"I brought all the agencies together as one, finally," he says, pointing to the activity in the camp. "Now we can sit together as one, with me as part of that board to figure where we go from here," he says.
When the group returned to City Hall this month, Moyer initially requested to speak with Timmins—James Bay MP Charlie Angus and Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli about the issues.
He has now shifted his focus to contributing to a local advisory board, although no guarantees have been made. It has been suggested by several of the agencies someone with lived experience would be advantageous in finding some solutions to issues compounded by homelessness, addictions, and mental health.
Many local agencies and outreach workers joined together to find shelter for those displaced, store their belongings, and provide medical care. Members of advocacy group Boots on the Ground were present to lend a hand packing and moving items. A transit bus brought people leaving the encampment to their destinations.
Low Income People Involvement of Nipissing (L.I.P.I) Executive Director Lana Mitchell was pleased by the collaboration of resources but noted it was only part of a complex process.
"We just need to focus on some human answers," she said, "and make sure people are taken care of properly. This is barely step one. Just because we get them off this property, it doesn't mean they have housing or their mental health and addictions needs are being addressed or dealt with or supported."
Mitchell and other representatives from L.I.P.I. were outside City Hall offering assistance with finding apartments and helping to arrange rent deposits. Mitchell said four spots had already been secured for December 1st.
"We have to accept in the community this is step one and we have about 99 to go. We have to be there for people tomorrow, just as we are all here today," added Mitchell.
