Park problems
The Courier received an email last week from a woman representing the strata council of a Yaletown residential tower concerned that a temporary winter homeless shelter at 1210 Seymour St. will hurt their use of Emery Barnes Park.
The strata members have many concerns, but because this column is all park board all the time, Im focusing on their issues with Emery Barnes Park.
The temporary facility is one of the citys HEAT shelters, funded by the province and considered low barrier, which means its open to all homeless individuals, regardless of addiction or mental health issues. Low barrier shelters also allow the homeless to store their shopping carts and belongings and bring pets. Low barrier shelters dont allow drug use or drinking inside, so those clients must use outside.
Sharon Promislow, who lives directly next door to the shelter, says the park board recently spent millions of dollars to create the neighbouring Emery Barnes Park, which she describes as the heart of the neighbourhood. Her concern is the shelter will encourage homeless people with antisocial behavior to inhabit the area and have an ill effect on the popular family park thats just 33-metres away from their residential tower.
We fear we will not be able to take our kids there to play, afraid for them to romp in the grass for fear of needles, Promislow wrote in an email to the Courier. The shelter at 1210 Seymour will undo years of careful planning by the city, and patience for those of us who waited years to enjoy the fullness of the plan
Vision 麻豆传媒映画park board chair Sarah Blyth insists the shelter will actually reduce the number of homeless in the park.
The park board sees it as a good thing, said Blyth. Those same homeless people are already using the park, but with the shelter theyll have someplace to go.
Blyth says the shelter is the first step in helping these individuals access housing and services. She adds in time the shelter should eventually reduce the number of homeless people in Emery Barnes Park.
Water fountain alert
Vision 麻豆传媒映画park board commissioner Constance Barnes told me one of the toughest side effects of the Welfare Food Challenge she recently completed was dehydration.
Barnes says living on $26 a week, the typical amount of money welfare recipients have to spend on food, left her not only hungry but constantly looking out for water.
I ride my bike everywhere and Im used to drinking a lot of water, said Barnes. But with this challenge I couldnt just go buy water, because you cant do that with only $26 for a week, so I started using water fountains in the park.
Barnes says the experience gave her a new appreciation of the importance of access to clean water, which is why shes so concerned that the park board annually shuts its water fountains off during the winter months.
Its really important the homeless, seniors and families with kids at our parks have access to drinking water, says Barnes. So Im working with [general manger] Malcolm Bromley to see what we can do.
Barnes says if all goes as planned, the water fountains in some city parks will remain on year-round.
Twitter: @sthomas10
