Councillors Riel, Haacke, Beamer, Vassiliadis and Parnell voted against a motion which would have seen $100,000, or approximately 5% of the existing Social Services Reserve go toward supporting a coalition of community organisations in the development of a plan and location for a shelter site for the unhoused citizens of Peterborough. 

Members of the coalition include Peterborough Police Service, Canadian Mental Health Association - Haliburton, Kawartha, PineRidge (CMHA), FourCAST, the Housing Resource Centre, the United Way, and One City.

Otonabee Ward Councillor and private land-planner, Kevin Duguay, withdrew himself from the vote on the grounds that Peterborough Poverty Reduction Network (PPRN), who now own one of the suggested sites at Trinity United Church for a warming room, are former clients of his. While no doubt a flimsy excuse for allowing people to freeze to death instead of actively seeking a solution before the end of the year, it remains perfectly possible that Duguay’s reasons for running for council was precisely to hamstring democracy and introduce a more nuanced flavour to the immorality afoot in the chamber. 

The result of this bizarre and almost comically contrived withdrawal by Duguay was a 5-5 tie which rendered it a lost vote. With this, Peterborough is still without a winter strategy on homelessness leaving hundreds of vulnerable people exposed to the elements and facing the realities of a Canadian winter with no real options. 

This vote came after numerous delegations, many of whom recounted lived and living experience with the compounding issues of homelessness, addiction, and other mental health challenges.There were also members of the community who work in harm reduction or related fields demonstrating a wide array of community voices all of whom are concerned with the City’s continued lack of action. 

In many cases, these two subjective experiences overlapped as was the case with Cormac Culkeen, director of children, youth and family ministry at All Saints’ Anglican Church.

Culkeen spoke frankly about experiences of having to clean up homeless individuals who had soiled themselves because they didn’t have a place to safely use a washroom near where they were staying. 

“We need to talk about the reality rather than what we wish that reality was,” Culkeen stated, before outlining how All Saints’ has “stepped up to the plate” in their mission to minister care to the most marginalised in our community through handing out clothing items and feeding up to 200 people each week. 

This perspective from the ground was rooted in a deep and personal understanding, as Culkeen mentioned personal experiences of being without shelter while being in active addiction alongside Councillor Duguay’s son, who is now also sober, there was a point of privilege brought forth by Lesley “Mama Bear” Parnell on the grounds that what Culkeen was saying was a “personal attack.”

Speaking to Culkeen after the meeting, I was able to confirm that Culkeen had sought the permission of Duguay’s son prior to invoking him in the delegation.  

“It is personal because we are talking about persons,” Culkeen stated. “Addiction is not a moral failing and recovery is not a moral victory.”  

Community activist and founder of the grassroots harm-reduction organisation Tweak Easy, Mkwa Ghiizis, delivered a powerful speech about the lengths to which her volunteers will go to ensure people who use substances are able to do so in a supervised setting. Often volunteers will sit with the community members all night to make sure that they make it through the night, no matter the weather. “These people can’t cancel their addiction, they can’t cancel the weather,” Ghiizis noted as they talked about the fact that Tweak Easy doesn’t take time off.  

The Tweak Easy cannot have a fixed address due to the nature of the activities as they’re the only place where people can come to inhale their drugs - a significant roadblock to more sanctioned safe-use spaces wherein smoking is prohibited, meaning that many users are unable to access these spaces to use in a supervised setting, inevitably leading to more overdoses and deaths. 

Ghiizis, whose work in the community also centres around cultural reclamation for Indigenous youth and adults, was asked by Councillor Alex Bierk what the role of cultural practises and teachings might be for some of the individuals who utilise the Tweak Easy. 

“It’s a pipedream to address their spiritual wellbeing,” Ghiizis said, noting that the bare necessities of life need to be provided for and that’s all the majority of the unhoused population are looking for.

When it came time to re-introduce the motion, Councillor Bierk read a written statement in which he referred to himself as “a ghost in this room” - one who “shouldn’t be here.”

“It’s only through great privilege that I was able to get help when I needed it – again and again,” Bierk continued. “What is currently happening is that we keep using the most expensive tools in our toolbox to address homelessness in our city … I’m calling upon my colleagues to join me in using what little time tonight we have left to take action to save lives in Peterborough this winter.” 

Councillor Dave Haacke related how he had lost a sister and a niece to addiction. These experiences have led him to believe, rather confusingly, that it is important to “treat the issue not  the symptom” as he saw both relatives repeatedly succumb to the cycle of jails and institutions, forced sobriety, and inevitable release with no tools for resources for survival. 

"Walk in my shoes for forty-five years and maybe you'll have the knowledge then to pass judgement on myself and my motives for not supporting this motion," Haacke said in conclusion to a speech which at first seemed to suggest he had had a change or heart on ensuring people like his sister and niece didn’t needlessly freeze to death.     

Councillor Keith Riel repeated the oft-worn line that there are empty shelter beds and that it’s not his responsibility to ensure people use the shelters provided. 

“I can’t force people to go to the beds,” he said in the tone of a frustrated and distant father, to audible groans from the gallery.

A sign of hope came when Councillor Lachica asked City Staff if they would support this motion in principle. Commissioner of Community Services, Sheldon Laidman, stated that indeed social services staff would due to the seemingly objective fact that it would support even a handful of people and prevent unnecessary death.

City Staff also confirmed that the Social Services Reserve currently sits at over $2M.      

Despite even Mayor Jeff Leal taking the time to recognize that the city “cannot afford to have anyone freezing to death in bus stops” the pernicious, immoral, and immovable forces of Riel, Haacke, Beamer, Vassiliadis and Parnell took that bet and ran, effectively sentencing marginalised community members to death. With this, any hope for a winter strategy in 2022 is gone. While this reality sinks in, we are left to question the reasons why a man who works in private land-planning and ran for council on a housing platform suddenly remembered what a conflict of interest was when it mattered most.