A Toronto church's plan to feed and house 12 homeless people one night a week during the worst of the winter has been put on hold after residents of a tony Beach enclave threatened it with a legal injunction.
As part of the Out of the Cold program, which is run in churches and synagogues across Toronto, the temporary shelter was to have opened Jan. 8 at St. Aidan's Anglican Church on Silver Birch Ave., at Queen St. E.
But the three-month program has been delayed until at least Jan. 16, when a community meeting will be held to discuss details and other potential sites.
....
Toronto lawyer Peter Silverberg, who has acted for the objecting Beach residents, denies they were motivated by NIMBYism in threatening the church with legal action.
He said they were concerned about having been given scant opportunity for consultation and whether the program provided the best use of limited shelter resources.
"The program itself is very praiseworthy, although it might be questioned on the level of whether or not this is the best way to use ... very limited resources to look after this type of thing."
Silverberg, who would not say how many residents objected, said there might be better sites in the Beach for the shelter but he believes they were never examined.
Better sites, as in none. The sight of the indigent is not one the yuppies want to see as they traipse along Queen Street East to their favourite bistros and boutiques.
Source: Toronto Star
6 comments:
What legal right does someone have to say who can stay in your house, in this case a church?
Well I live less then a hundred yards from the church and this is the first I have heard about it. I don't object to it although Queen Street is pretty much over run with beggars( which was never the case until Mike Harris and The PC's came to power ). So since you are all for helping the homeless are you going to vote in a party( like the NDP ) that might do something other then band-aid solutions like this one ? I did not think so , you just want whine that liberals are bad and not contribute to society .
So do society a favor and STFU
No one needs to tell you in advance of anything they do in their church. This is just a frivalous lawsuit attempt to keep any unsightly people away from their private socialist paradise. To hell with the poor eh anonymous?
I doubt very much if the NDP would do anything for the homeless. Actually Jack Layton and his wife Olivia could have moved out of their rent geared to income apartment that they lived in Toronto when they were city councillors. That would have done something for one homeless person, or family.
NDP'ers do quite well from the homeless - millions upon millions of tax dollars pumped into organizations they 'own' - and all those organizations definitely prop up the NDP vote(Mayor Miller is very appreciative). No, the NDP is the last party that wants to solve anything.
Yeah...what right does a church have to offer kindness and safety to a bunch of less than affluent Canadian citizens.
There is plenty of charity as long as those receiving it stay at arms length.
Toronto is full of pompus asses just as is has always has been.
I sure as hell hope none of those people ever have to wait for hand outs.
God bless us everyone...(as long as they have money)
TWD
Winnipeg
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