Homeless people deserve a life too!

Many of us take our lives for granted. We wake up, make our coffee, sit behind our computers and get ready for work. Rarely do we think about what could have happened in our lives - and how different they could be - but for a single tragic event. An accident or incident, losing our job, excessive debt, addictions, and many more could have caused our pleasant lives to be turned upside down. Only through good fortune, the Grace of God, or luck (whatever you believe in), are we where we are today. There are many Canadians that are not so lucky!

A homeless encampment near the Robert Guertin Arena in Gatineau. © C.Clarke 2024

Imagine, living like this? Where every day you wake up with a single goal in mind -  simply to survive until the next day!  Goals and dreams have been extinguished a long time ago for most of people living here.  There is no 5 year plan, no preparation for retirement, no urge to go back to school and learn a trade, they only want to live another day!

In Gatineau, there is an area dubbed Tent City, situated next door to an old derelict arena off Morin Street.  Hundreds of homeless Canadians live there - and the population of tent City continues to grow.  They don't have a nice hardwood floor to sweep every day, they have a dirt floor covered with a tarp or tent.  When it's cold outside, we turn up our furnaces to stay warm, many of the unhoused put on an old torn blanket - if they even have one.

While we prepare for work in the morning, or travel to our places of employment, they put on what little clothing they may have and walk to the streets begging for enough cash to buy breakfast, or a coffee. 

Yes, many of these residents have been the masters of their own demise.  Some have gambling issues, some alcohol, some drugs, while others were evicted from their homes and their income didn't allow them to both rent a place and buy food.  There are hundreds of stories in Tent City, most of them tragic. Many actually work - but simply don't earn enough to pay the basic necessities of life.

Part of the problem is drugs.  Dealers often visit the area selling to these most vulnerable.  What little cash they may have from begging, working or remnants of their social security cheques is taken by these drug-dealers - leaving these homeless to remain homeless.

Regardless of the issues none of the unhoused here, deserve to live like this.

Trailers, while not heated, are a basic barrier to the elements such as snow, ice, rain, and wind. 
Without power they remain cold inside, with no ability to cook, wash clothing,
take a shower, or more. © C.Clarke 2024

Last Autumn, a group of concerned Gatineau residents, banded together to look for temporary and full-time solutions to this growing problem.  They are not affiliated with any government body, have no ties to industry, no alternate agenda, they are simply people concerned about people.

During our first snow storm and ice storm in December, 2023, many of these temporary tents caved in from the weight of snow and ice.  This was the last straw for these concerned citizens, they arranged with a large development company to install military-type tents that could withstand the rain, snow and other elements that old man Winter throws at us.

48 rigid, military-style tents now replace some of the more temporary
ones near the encampment. © C.Clarke 2024

In mid-December, 48 of these rigid military-type structures were installed by Devcore Construction, a Gatineau-based developer and construction company.  In addition to their physical structure, these structures were supplied with heaters and electricity.  One of the downfalls was that they are not completely waterproof, however, tarps were draped overtop to stop water from seeping in.

The red fence around the encampment was meant to stop dug dealers from easy access, however - they have damaged and ripped out parts of it and these drug dealing vultures still feed on the less fortunate.

While a great solution to a growing problem - it is still temporary.  These tents allow the tenants to be warm and somewhat more comfortable in those cold Winter nights.  However, this is not a solution to an ever growing issue.  With the high cost of living, greedy landlords, high interest rates, the unhoused can only look forward to living in a 6 x 6 ft home.  

One plan involved renovating an older abandoned building and allowing the homeless to have a safe place to live, shower, wash their clothing and begin the journey to self-respect.  However, the building has been condemned and boarded up - as a safety hazard. 

The Morin Street building sits vacant, while Tent City residents, living in the parking
lot behind it, still have no ability to shower, bathe, shave, clean their clothes and more. 
The building was condemned rather than repaired and renovated. © C.Clarke 2024

The Mayor of Gatineau is quite concerned and is working on allocating about half a million dollars towards finding a better solution.  Whether that involves renovating this or another building, or something more permanent, only God knows this.

In the meantime, these same concerned citizens are holding a Symposium in early February, to try and find solutions to ending homelessness both in this city and across Canada. 

York University estimates there are over as high as 300,000 homeless people in Canada.  That is almost 1% of our entire population.  Based on current trends, factoring in things such as employment, education, housing and more, the estimate is that about 570,000 people will be homeless by 2030.

Let's remember, these are human beings that, for one reason or another, have fallen on tough times. Hopefully on February 4 (at the Aylmer Legion) some solutions to this growing issue can be found and incorporated.