Thunder Bay delays plan to fence off gathering place for city's homeless

A plan to build a fence around a former gas bar at County Fair Mall in Thunder Bay, Ont., is on hold — for now, as officials and advocates work to find a solution for the  people who've been staying there. 

The city planned to put up a temporary fence around the Sunny's Gas Bar canopy to stop people from congregating in the area, leaving garbage and human waste behind.

The planned barrier was in response to complaints from property owners, as well as health and safety concerns of social services, said the city official responsible for enforcement. 

"In early September at the request of the mall, a number of community partners, police, we all got together and tried to rationalize what we can do here," said Doug Vincent, the city's manager of licensing and enforcement.

"Working with the partners, [the goal is] to basically clean up that area and get it secured."

Vincent said the health concerns at the site are most important. 

However, a group of advocates for homeless people in Thunder Bay said they would like the city to ditch the fencing idea  and provide more support at the site instead.

Not One More Death said it wants to see the city set up a port-a-potty, garbage cans, safe needle disposal, shelter items (like picnic tables and wind breaks) and clean water at the site.

"We are seeking more compassionate and appropriate solutions which focus on the needs of the unhoused people using the County Fair site," said PhebeAnn Wolframe-Smith, who's a member of Not One More Death. 

The organization had called for a day of action Friday to protest the planned fence. 

The group would also like to see more long-term changes for the homeless community in Thunder Bay, including the creation of more wet shelter beds - which are available to people who are intoxicated. 

"There was a guy, a young fellow who was telling us somebody came here, and gave them five tents, to go sleep in the bush ... away from here. People do that because they don't want to see people sitting here," said Ma-Nee Chacaby, also a member of Not One More Death.

She was one of about a dozen people at the site Friday, most of whom were looking to hand out food and water to those who spend time there. 

Chacaby said the encampment at the gas bar reminded her of herself, before she got sober in the 1970s. She said a message of hope needed to be delivered to those who were sheltering in the area.

"We don't have enough jobs, we don't have enough housing. There might be some housing, but we don't have enough big spaces to make room for these people that are homeless," Chacaby said. She suggested using empty department stores, or buildings on the CLE grounds an an area to give people a place to stay. 

Vincent said the city's goal is not to displace people. Instead, it wants to get people out of the cycle of homelessness. 

"We're just taking a breath, a step back. We've been asked to give a little more time," Vincent said. "These are the same groups we set the original date with, but we're quite willing to work with everybody to ensure the proper supports can be provided." 

"There isn't an urgency as long as we try to keep it clean," he said. "Hopefully we can move this forward in a very humanistic way."