Moncton food bank getting government money for security

A Moncton food bank is getting government funding to help cover its security cost.

The Peter McKee Community Food Centre on St. George Street sought $28,000 each from the provincial government and the city of Moncton to cover the cost of a security guard during operating hours. The cost was originally paid from the centre's food budget. 

Christine Taylor, the centre's general manager, said the province has already sent a cheque.

Moncton councillors voted unanimously at a committee meeting Monday in favour of a one-time matching payment. The decision must be ratified at a future council meeting.

Taylor expressed gratitude and relief in an interview.  

"It's been a really difficult couple of years," Taylor said. "We have new, more clients coming, the need has increased, and we had to take that money that we would [use to] buy food and pay for security."

Taylor said staff, volunteers and food bank clients felt unsafe, so security was added in the spring of 2023.

Taylor attributes that feeling to the city and province converting a community centre across the street into a homeless shelter and drop-in space.

She said they wanted to ensure "that we had that little bit of extra reassurance for people," adding there are still occasional incidents, but now they have the security guard to help.

Taylor appeared before city council last fall asking for support, and followed up in a letter earlier this year to the province and municipality. The letter expresses fear volunteers would stop assisting at the food bank that serves 1,500 families monthly, something that could force it to temporarily close. 

She said the one-time payment essentially covers what's already been spent and expects the food bank will continue to need security in the future.

"We're just going to have to be strategic, more fundraising, things like that, to cover this and actually build it into our budget every year now."

Taylor wasn't present as council discussed the payment Monday.

Vincent Merola, the city's community development officer for social inclusion, told councillors the payment would be a significant help for the organization. 

"We don't want to set a precedent where we're just handing out money like this, especially given that this is a provincial kind of mandate that they're supposed to be keeping the area secure," Merola said. 

"But I don't think it's fair, personally and from administration as well, that this agency is unnecessarily having to pick up these costs."

Several councillors said they want a broader discussion about the homeless drop-in space located in a city-owned building that's been leased to the province. 

The space, called Bridge to Home Hub, is run by the John Howard Society of Southeastern New Brunswick. It was previously run by the Humanity Project.

"I think we've got to have a conversation on this and council has to be very direct and has to be very understanding of what's going on in the community," Coun. Shawn Crossman said.

"We cannot continue to let this happen where we're spending taxpayers money on additional security when we own the building."

Merola said the city has been talking to the province about using a fenced area on the property as a space for people who otherwise wouldn't have anywhere else to go. 

Coun. Daniel Bourgeois asked staff to look at how much the city has been spending dealing with safety issues as they head into another budget season so council can determine whether to spend more, or cut back if spending hasn't been effective.

"We hired five RCMP officers, we hired nine community officers more and yet we still have to pay for security to specific businesses and enterprise," Bourgeois said. "So it's — this sucks."