St. Stephen declares state of emergency over homelessness after man's death
Minister of Public Safety threatens to make "political" declaration void
St. Stephen has declared a state of local emergency over community homelessness following the death of a man who was found in a park over the weekend.
But Public Safety Minister Kris Austin says he will make the declaration void tomorrow unless the district can prove the situation constitutes an emergency.
"People die all the time in car accidents, and we do not declare state of emergencies for that," Austin said.
The declaration by the Municipal District of St. Stephen at an emergency council meeting Monday night cited a failure and "lack of response" by the New Brunswick government for the homelessness crisis.
The province has failed to provide adequate resources to house, support and care for its citizens in St. Stephen, the declaration says.
"The Municipal District of St. Stephen has neither the jurisdictional authority nor the financial resources to appropriately address the consequences of the Government of New Brunswick's failure," the declaration says.
The declaration said that on Dec. 1 of this year, emergency services in the region responded to the death of a resident in a public space, which it says is "a situation which will only become more likely as winter weather conditions worsen."
Sgt. Scott MacKenzie with the St. Stephen detachment of the RCMP told CBC News that the death was actually in the early hours of Dec. 2. He said a 41-year-old male was found needing immediate medical attention in a municipal park in Milltown and later died at the Saint John Regional Hospital.
MacKenzie said RCMP will not be releasing the individual's name and the investigation is closed as there is no suspected criminality. The cause of death will be determined by the coroner's office, he said.
Mayor Allan MacEachern said the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure has previously rejected a community-based proposal to address the situation.
The declaration from council called on several ministers in different provincial departments to order immediate help, including funding, resources, immediate housing, transportation options and special attention for the senior citizens currently experiencing homelessness.
MacEachern said action could include making a spot in the community a safe, warm place for people experiencing homelessness, or transporting individuals to somewhere with more resources.
Austin threatens to declare state of emergency void
Kris Austin told reporters at the legislature that St. Stephen's declaration of a state of emergency was "political posturing" and not "well thought out."
"This is the myth that is out there, that they think they can just call a state of emergency and all of a sudden the problem is going to be solved," Austin said.
He said state of emergency declarations are for "extreme, rare events" and not homelessness, and that he would declare the declaration void by the end of the day Wednesday if the mayor and council are unable to prove the situation constitutes one.
"We've got to put aside this game of politics that was played last night and get down to the real work of how do we help people out on the streets," Austin said.
In a letter Austin sent back to MacEachern on Tuesday, obtained by CBC News, Austin wrote that he required more data that "elevates the challenge of homelessness to a 'local emergency' within the legal meaning of that term."
The letter asks MacEachern to identify how the threat of homelessness threatens the population, how it is different than any other community in the province, and what the district has already done about it.
Austin also advises the mayor to discuss "the limits of municipal government" with the town solicitor, calling the declaration "well in excess of any authority possessed by your council."
Liberal leader questions minister
Austin's comments followed a heated exchange about the situation in St. Stephen earlier in the day in the legislature.
During question period Tuesday, there was a back-and-forth on the issue between Liberal Leader Susan Holt and Minister of Social Development Jill Green.
Holt asked Green to explain what tangible actions the government was taking to help the people of St. Stephen.
In her response, Green said the province explored 20 different properties in St. Stephen for an emergency out-of-the-cold shelter, but was turned down for various reasons, "many stemming from 'not in my backyard.'"
She said it's important to "be supportive of individuals that are experiencing homelessness," and to do that, "we need the community to collaborate with us. And I think we can see last night that they're not feeling very collaborative."
Holt said she was "stunned that the minister has just gotten up and blamed the people of St. Stephen ... saying that they're not taking the problem seriously."
The Liberal leader repeated her original question, to which Green said there is a plan for St. Stephen, and a trailer ready to go but they need somewhere to put it.
Green also said she gave the St. Stephen mayor her personal cellphone number but she hasn't heard from him in a week.
Holt responded: "I'm going to change topics because I don't want to hear another person in St. Stephen get thrown under the bus for this."
CBC News requested comment from the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure and the Department of Social Development, but did not get a response before publication.
70 to 100 experiencing homelessness: mayor
MacEachern told Information Morning Saint John on Tuesday that after a meeting last Wednesday, staff started looking into whether this would qualify as a state of emergency under provincial regulations.
He said there are between 70 and 100 people experiencing homelessness in St. Stephen, and while there is a temporary warming shelter in the park with a heater, MacEachern said around 30 people are rotating in and out of the 10-by-10 shelter to try to keep warm.
The motion at Monday night's meeting passed unanimously by council.
After the vote, MacEachern said it was a decision that was not taken lightly.
"We're doing the right thing. They're human beings and we've gotta take care of them," he said at the meeting.
Holly Johnson, a resident of St. Stephen, said she got around a two minute heads up about what was going to happen at council and immediately went to watch the livestream.
"My jaw just dropped," she said.
"They really did catch us by surprise by calling for this, but we're just so incredibly proud of them and just blown away by what this means."
Johnson has spearheaded efforts in the past to get a senior who was sleeping in an alley into an apartment and to establish a food bank in St. Andrews.
She said while she wants to know more about what this decision will mean for provincial action, as a community, "it makes us feel that we actually truly do care about these people that are living rough in the community."
MacEachern said recognizing a state of emergency in St. Stephen doesn't take away from other regions where it may be a similar situation.
"I'm not denying that it's an emergency in Saint John or Moncton either. It's just someone had to step up. And I guess, I guess we're it," said MacEachern.
"Maybe we'll start something, I don't know. But I got a job to look after our community, and then we'll see where it goes from here."
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With files from Information Morning Saint John, Jennifer Sweet, Jacques Poitras, and Sam Farley