Planner

thumbs-up

1468

294

thumbs-down

LETTER: Mayor's reckless comments are disheartening

TBNewsWatch

70

Whether the mayor is factually correct or not, is not the point. The mayor put his finger on something important: the residents of Thunder Bay are tired of the mess and nonsense associated with homeless drug addicts. People are tired of people being intoxicated in public and constantly being shamed by people like Mr. Harris for not doing enough or being the cause of other people's problems.A trip to the Kam River Heritage Park brings the situation into focus. The park is covered in garbage. The homeless are good at making a mess but not cleaning up after themselves. Stolen shopping carts and recycling bins fill the park. Tents and tarps are packed closely together around fire pits. It is a wonder that only two tents have burnt. Then there was the recent homicide. Cast-off furniture is found in abundance. People use extension cords to obtain free electricity. The grass is uncut and the park looks like a wasteland.Mr. Harris why should people be alright with any of this?

9

Toxic drug alert issued in Thunder Bay

TBNewsWatch

56

This is another instance of playing stupid games and winning stupid prizes. Instead of having illegal street drugs tested, how about not purchasing and using illegal street drugs in the first place? This is what we call responsible adulthood. Nancy Regan had in right in the 1980 when the slogan for her anti-drug campaign was "Just say no!!!" The solution to drug overdoses remains that simple 40-years later.

19

City council maintains five metre distance for encampments

TBNewsWatch

59

When does the nonsense end, such as Dougal Media referring to "conflicts between encampment residents and non-encampment residents"? Politicians, advocates, and media alike have stopped referring to the homeless as homeless and now want to pretend that the homeless have an existence equal to the people that own or rent actual houses. This is absolutely ridiculous when you consider that I live in a house with utilities while the homeless live in tents, I pay taxes while the homeless consume taxes, I possess identification with an address with the homeless have no address, and I provide my own showers and meals while the homeless have their hands out for everything. When will somebody have the common sense to acknowledge that the response to the homeless is inadequate, that the homeless need rules and structure instead of guidelines that can follow or ignore as they see fit between cans of beer, and consequences for actions. Politicians need to stop failing taxpayers.

Compassion for homeless underway 'with few resources'

TBNewsWatch

50

Since Pepe wants to talk about homelessness in the context of morality, let us have a discussion about morality. It is immoral to move to Thunder Bay with the explicit intention of taking advantages of the resources Thunder Bay and to make no positive contributions to the community. It is immoral to get stoned or drunk every day and to place getting stoned or drunk above everything else, including working, looking after yourself, and providing for children. It is immoral to expect other people to look after you and to blame them for the hardships you experience in life. It is immoral steal items or to possess items that are not yours without permission of the owner. It is immoral to collect an infinite number of items and create endless amounts of garbage and waste that others have to clean up. It is immoral to believe that the rules and structure of society that produce stability and order do not apply to you. It is immoral when you do not pay for utilities like electricity.

5

Thunder Bay Art Gallery opening changed to

TBNewsWatch

39

This project is indicative of why Canada is in such fiscal jeopardy. The project is several years behind and might be completed by 2027, which means additional delays are possible. The excuse for the project being behind and over budget is the usual suspect: COVID 19. This "excuse" is laughable, absolutely absurd, in 2025. The project is already $7 million or 14% over budget, and Bell cannot provide an estimate of how much additional funding is required. which indicated a level of incompetence and poor project management.In Bell's comments there is no indication of what, if anything, is being done to contain costs and to restore the project timelines. Instead taxpayers will be expected to pony up additional funding, the usual scenario on so many projects.While the new art gallery will likely be the jewel of the waterfront, it will likely be a money losing operation that will be subsidized forever by taxpayers. This seems like Trudeau economics at work.

10

Shelter House client describes the challenges of being homeless

TBNewsWatch

40

This is not a news article. Rather, it is editorial consent, a soapbox from which Carlin can preach his woke nonsense. Carlin takes about "Systemic discrimination," economic inequality," the "privileged," and correcting "misconceptions." These phrases are intended to shame and intimidate. These phrases are intended to make people feel guilt and shame and to make people believe that they are racist and unworthy of the things that they have earned and worked hard for, often over the course of decades. At the beginning of the article, Wapoose is quoted as saying, "It was a choice that I made, just to give up everything." Wapoose acknowledges that she made choices and these choices contributed directly to her present circumstances, including homelessness and alcohol consumption. Wapoose acknowledges that she possesses agency.Instead of shaming people, Carlin needs to recognize that people have bad outcomes when they make bad decisions. Good decisions lead to good outcomes.

9

‘Collective impact’: anti-homelessness advocacy must be community-wide, experts say

TBNewsWatch

41

Articles like this one serve as nothing more than propaganda for the homeless industrial complex. Instead of acknowledging that the homeless are a disruptive, resource intensive group that acts counter to the interests of society, articles like this one constantly present the homeless as victims that are entitled to expensive programs, including so-called "affordable housing." Never it it acknowledged that the homeless possess agency and that they are homeless because they made poor decisions in life, such as dropping out of high school, consuming drugs and alcohol, and becoming involved in criminal activity. Of course, intersectionality is invoked to suggest that Indigenous people are homeless almost exclusively because of racism, colonialism, and inter-generational trauma. This absolves the homeless of any responsibility for their life circumstances and portrays those work, pay taxes, and own homes as the perpetrators of cruelty to other people.

7

LETTER: Tent life is too dangerous in wintertime

TBNewsWatch

43

The nonsense you describe is not unique to Thunder Bay. It is repeated numerous times across Canada on a daily basis, as is the unwillingness and/or the ability of municipalities to enforce a single set of rules that maximize utility and create order in pubic places. This is why Premier Ford is proposing new legislation and the use of the Notwithstanding Clause to provide municipalities with new tools to end the nonsense, to clean out the garbage, and to reclaim public spaces for the public. I can only hope that every municipality, including Thunder Bay, will use the new tools to end the lawlessness and hold people accountable for their actions. After all, nobody, regardless of their circumstances, should be setting fires in public parks. Also, it is time for PACE, Elevate NWO, etc. to stop giving the homeless tents, food, etc., as this only normalizes and enables dysfunctional, destructive behavior.

4

Hajdu maintains seat at Liberal cabinet table

TBNewsWatch

39

Only under Trudeau would somebody like Hajdu retain a seat on the front benches throughout the entirety of Trudeau's nine-year mandate. Hajdu entered Cabinet as a rookie MP. Her first assignment was one of three Ministers that could not effectively deliver the inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. As Minister of Labour, Hajdu required groups seeking grants to employee summer students to sign declarations of support for abortion and the LGBTQ agenda, an ideological overreach. During COVID-19, Hajdu served as the Health Minister despite having no background in health care. Prior to entering politics, Hajdu was the executive director of Shelter House. There is no outstanding experience or qualifications that make her an expert or specialist, a national leader, or a person cable capable of running large organizations with vast budgets.Shortly, Trudeau will be appointing Hajdu's former clients to the Senate so they can serve in Cabinet.

7

Shelter House client describes the challenges of being homeless

TBNewsWatch

34

There are too many references to trauma by Dougall Media. Trauma is a part of life. There is no person that has lived or will live that has not experienced trauma. I could talk at length about the tremendous traumas i have experienced, including the passing of my mother in the spring. My traumas have been very deep and very crushing. My traumas have caused pain, have complicated my life, have caused my life to be very different than it would have been otherwise, and at one point required me to live away from Thunder Bay for several years against my will. My traumas have been very costly. My traumas, however, also have shaped how I live and have provided tremendous insight into life. My traumas have caused me to become stronger and to not throw in the towel on life. My traumas have motivated me to press forward and to be successful. Not continuing to press forward in the presence of pain and trauma was never an option. Life is existing in the presence of trauma.

9

Here are some other options during the LCBO strike

TBNewsWatch

16

Another option is abstain from the consumption of alcohol.

24

Shelter House client describes the challenges of being homeless

TBNewsWatch

32

What is brave about choosing to give everything up, keeping in mind that "choice" is the word she is quoted as using in the article? What is brave about giving up your responsibilities, especially as a foster parent? What is brave about leaving your home community and moving to Thunder Bay to be homeless? What is brave about engaging in alcoholism? This sounds like throwing in the towel and choosing to run and hide from the realities of life, the opposite of bravery. People are not healing and moving forward. The lack of healing and moving forward is on full display everyday in the Kam River Heritage Park, on the stairs of St. Andrews Presbyterian church, and in Patterson Park. The lack of healing in the south core is so great that the St. Patrick Cathedral had to fence off its park. This occurs in the abundance of resources being funneled through Shelter House, Grace Place, Pace, the Indigenous Friendship Centre. etc.

8

City wants feedback on shelter village locations

TBNewsWatch

34

If Council was really committed to democracy and consultation, they would have sought public feedback prior to approving the concept of a homessless village, especially no candidates campaigned on this issue in last election, the cost of the initiative, and the speed at which the decision was made. Council has exercised more due diligence on infrastructure projects that are a fraction of the homeless village. Property owners please remember this dereliction of duty when the clowns on Council stand for re-election.

5

Over 100 people are still living in tents this winter

TBNewsWatch

38

Gauvin always wants to point the finger, to asign blame, and to shame public organizations and the public at large. It seems that everyone but the homeless is to blame for them becoming homeless and remaining homeless, classic intersectionality. Of course, there are never enough resources and solutions can never be developed quickly enough. Gauvin is always negative and does a great job of alienating people.Instead of providing expensive ice fishing huts and other supplies, Gauvin needs to encourage people to accept assistance on the terms it is offered. Accept the shelter bed, even if this involves separating couples. Do the responsible and kind thing by giving pets to people that can look after them properly. Stop using drugs. Stop with the childish nonsense and the intersectionality. No amount of public resources can teach people to make responsible decisions. This seems like the Scarecrow searching for a brain in the Wizzard of Oz.

1

Two sites identified for 'village' for homeless people

TBNewsWatch

36

When does a sense of sanity take hold in Thunder Bay? At some point, Administration needs to recognize that society cannot spend its way out of the homeless crisis. Considerable financial resources have been provided by the federal and provincial governments for housing-related initiatives. Agencies including the TBDSAAB, Grave Place, PACE, Elevate Northwest, Shelter House, the Indigenous Friendship Society, etc. are providing services to the homeless on a daily basis with little to show for the effort.Thunder Bay will turn out like other municipalities. In Hamilton, property owners have paid tens of millions of dollars to fund homeless initiatives. Hamilton has not been remembered for these expenses despite the fact that homelessness is not a municipal responsibility. The portion of the budget devoted to homeless initiatives only increases without any improvement. All property owners can look forward to are increased taxes and decreased services.

1

Parkette advocates hope council will build houses somewhere else

TBNewsWatch

26

This is another instance of politicians, in this case, Hamilton, being tone deaf. He needs to listen to his constituents. People use and enjoy the parkettes. The parkettes enhance people's quality of life and provide easily accessible opportunities for recreation. Selling the parkettes is unnecessary as there is an abundance of serviced land that is already zoned for residential development.

10

City considering $4 million for temporary shelter village

TBNewsWatch

32

This article highlights the growing inequality between the homeless and those that work, pay taxes, and own homes. It is another instance of those that do nothing and contribute nothing being rewarded for their lack of effort and those that contribute to society being squeezed yet again. It is time to stop normalizing and enabling disruptive and destructive behavior.The provision of waste collection requires special comment. For my $4,000 in annual taxes, I get to out two garbage bags each week that weigh no more than 40 pounds each. I am required to take large items like couches and construction waste to the dump and pay tipping fees. Dumping on city property results in fines. Meanwhile, the homeless that overrun the Kam River Heritage Park pay $0 in annual taxes and collect chairs, couches, tables, mattresses, etc. as a hobby and deposit large mounds of trash near the garbage cans. A contractor is hired to clean up this mess. Where is the fairness and equality to taxpayers?

2

Report: Trudeau considering resignation or prorogation

TBNewsWatch

25

Trudeau needs to go. He has overstayed his welcome by nine years. He is absolute disgrace. Anything Trudeau and his Cabinet do at this point is tantamount to rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

8

Over 100 people are still living in tents this winter

TBNewsWatch

32

The Abbey and Grace Place are both Christian organizations that have stepped forward to operate DSSAB-funded beds over the winter.

1

'Alarming' drop in school attendance since bus route cuts: board

TBNewsWatch

26

Is anybody investigating cases of truancy? Parents and guardians are legally required to send minor children to school. Thus, there is no excuse for children to not be attending class.

5