Council OK’s sanitation, security measures for Rainbow Park camp

Sarnia council has authorized temporary sanitation and security measures for a homeless encampment in Rainbow Park.

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The move comes after Lambton County council recently rejected a call for information from public health and social services officials about setting up temporary washrooms in the park.

Council called a special meeting Friday to deal with what Coun. Brian White called the “cusp of a human health crisis” in the park where, a county social services official has estimated, 30 to 40 people have been living.

“We find ourselves in this situation where we can’t delay this any further,” White said about lack of sanitation there for food and waste.

His motion, approved 5-3, authorizes city staff to set up things such as “fencing, sanitation, lighting and security measures” in the park, while consulting with other agencies, including Sarnia police.

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Controlled entry also should be considered, Coun. Anne Marie Gillis said, but it wasn’t part of the motion.

“None of this is the solution,” White said of the potential measures. “We’re just trying our best to try and mitigate, given the legal reality that we face.”

Sarnia has unused emergency shelter spaces, but recent court rulings in Waterloo and Kingston and a third-party legal opinion obtained by the City of Sarniasay such beds aren’t enough to justify removing people from public parks, in violation of charter rights to life, liberty and security of person.

“Truly accessible” shelter spaces – allowing couples to stay together, people to bring in pets or drugs, and ensuring safety from violence and sexual predation – are needed, officials have said.

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What will be set up and when in Rainbow Park wasn’t immediately clear after Friday’s vote.

A city spokesperson did not respond by deadline to an email and voicemail requesting that information.

The motion also calls for city staff to seek financial support from the county and other levels of government, and for reports every 30 days on how things are progressing in the park.

Mayor Mike Bradley, who said he wished more notice had been given for the special meeting called by five councillors, called the motion flawed, but agreed “we need to move forward on the human health aspect of this.”

Lambton’s refusal to provide information was “a real blow” to the city-county relationship, he added.

Social services and public health in Sarnia are the responsibility of the county as upper-tier municipality.

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Broadly, councilors also discussed homelessness in Canada and the US as massive fallout of addiction, housing and cost of living crises, requiring all levels of government to get involved.

“The matrix of crises we are experiencing, all of them are bigger than the City of Sarnia,” said Coun. Adam Kilner.

Coun. Terry Burrell opposed the motion, saying it puts an unfair burden on city staff and “if we do this, we are in effect encouraging and enabling this type of behavior to continue.”

It also creates liability concerns about allowing a camp, where there has been drug use and concerns about violence – an attempted murder charge was laid in connection with a stabbing – in a city park, he said.

“We are just asking for trouble,” he added.

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Coun. Bill Dennis, who also opposed the motion, said Rainbow Park neighbors should be compensated, said the city should clear out the encampment. He pointed to a recent camp crackdown in London’s Old East Village.

“It’s not our job to accommodate illegal drug use,” he said.

But others on council pointed out London has other services in place for its homeless population.

Several camps in London are located near city-funded deposits offering food, water, and other supports.

Clearing people from Rainbow Park would just move them to other areas of the city without solving the problem of homelessness, Coun. Chrissy McRoberts said.

Many campers are dependent on drugs, face mental illness, are difficult to house and unable to make decisions to help themselves, county officials and city police have said.

City chief administrator Chris Carter noted he’s in touch with city police multiple times a week about Rainbow Park.

“Moving forward with some of these measures would be of benefit from a health and safety perspective,” he said.

About 350 people in Lambton County have been experiencing homelessness, and about 60 to 80 of them have been living rough, county social services general manager Valerie Colasanti said in May.

Coun. George Vandenberg also voted against the motion Friday. Coun. Dave Boushy was absent.

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