Powlowski to oppose federal funding for shelter village if built on Miles Street

A Thunder Bay MP says he'll oppose any federal funding for Thunder Bay's proposed temporary shelter village if it's built on Miles Street East.

Thunder Bay city administration is recommending the site. The final decision rests with city councillors, who will debate and vote on the recommendation on Monday.

In a statement issued Wednesday, Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP Marcus Powlowski said he was disappointed to hear the city is once again recommending Miles Street as the location for the village.

Councillors voted down the site in the fall. The preferred site, at Kam River Heritage Park, then fell through over safety concerns, as it's bordered by the Kaministiquia River on one side, and a rail yard on the other.

Administration then recommended Miles Street East again, saying it's close to services and transit, and would be the most cost-effective site to build the village.

"I am generally supportive of housing for the homeless," Powlowski said in an interview with CBC News on Thursday. "However, when you're choosing a site, I think it's important to try to minimize adverse effects on other people."

"There are a lot of people who live in close proximity to the proposed site," he said. "And they are going to be adversely affected by it."

Powlowski noted the city is doing major work to revitalize the area: the demolition of Victoriaville mall, and re-opening of that section of Victoria Avenue to vehicular and foot traffic, is scheduled to begin this summer.

If the village — which the city said would include 80 sleeping cabins for use by Thunder Bay's unhoused population — is built on Miles Street East, it would undermine those efforts, Powlowski said.

"There's plenty of open space around Thunder Bay, which is a little bit away from housing," he said. "I think there are a lot of other places that would be better suited to the temporary village."

Regarding his statement about opposing federal funding, Powlowski said he's looking after the interests of his constituents.

"I'm elected by the people, including the people of Fort William, to look after their interests, and I will look after their interests," he said. "Certainly, when I spoke to people in the downtown south core, whether it was people who lived in the vicinity of that proposed site or businesses, it was pretty well universal in opposition to that."

CBC News contacted the City of Thunder Bay for comment on Powlowski's statement, but did not receive a response on Thursday.