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REPORT TO COUNCIL STANDING COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL
AUGUST 13, 2003 |
A Special Meeting of the Standing Committee of Council on Planning and Environment was held on Wednesday, August 13, 2003, at 9:30 a.m., in Committee Room No. 1, Third Floor, City Hall.
PRESENT: |
Councillor Anne Roberts, Chair
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ABSENT: |
Councillor David Cadman
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CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE: |
Judy Rogers, City Manager |
CITY CLERK'S OFFICE: |
Syd Baxter, City Clerk
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INFORMATION
1. Portside Park (File 4150/4151)
The Committee had before it an Administrative Report dated August 11, 2003, in which the General Manager of the Park Board and the City Manager, in consultation with the Director of Legal Services, put forward for Council's consideration a resolution giving the Park Board the management of Portside Park, including the power to enforce the provision of the Parks Control By-law prohibiting the erection of tents and other shelters or structures in Portside Park.
Judy Rogers, City Manager, explained the rationale for the recommendation and introduced Susan Mundick, General Manager of the Park Board and Patsy Scheer, Assistant Director of Legal Services.
Ms. Rogers and Ms. Mundick, with Syd Baxter, City Clerk, responded to questions concerning the scheduling of this meeting.
Commissioner Anita Romaniuk, Vice-Chair - Park Board, spoke in favour of staff's recommendation. She pointed out that the city's parks should be as accessible as possible to the general public and the protest at Portside Park has caused a summer day-camp for children to relocate. Commissioner Romaniuk further added that the City and Park Board have been finding accommodations for some of the homeless protestors in the park.
The following spoke in opposition to staff's recommendation:
Shirley Church
John Church
Nick Dimitri
Anton Pilipa
Ron Woodhouse, Anti-Poverty Committee
Bev Meslo, Woodwards Social Housing Coalition
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The Committee recessed at 11:02 a.m. to convene a previously scheduled Special Council meeting, with Mayor Campbell in the Chair. The Committee reconvened at 11:04 a.m. with the same members present to continue hearing speakers.
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Jack Vander Hyde, Western Aboriginal Harm Reduction Society
Jim Leyden, Woodwards Social Housing Coalition/Western Aboriginal Harm Reduction Society
Chris Livingstone, Western Aboriginal Harm Reduction Society
Jaime, Haida Gwai
Debbie Krull, Co-founder, Anti-Poverty Committee and Mom’s on the Drive
A summary of speakers' comments follows:
· the Park Board wants the right to manage Portside Park so it can get an injunction and have the Police break-up the homeless camping there;
· Council has the ability to deal with the issue of homelessness, not the Park Board; it's critical to house the homeless now - SRO's and shelters don't offer adequate housing;
· opening up parts of the public parks to the homeless would be a humane thing to do as they are subjected to degradation on the streets; the homeless are innocent victims of the way our society is organized and there needs to be co-operation and dialogue;
· City and Park Board staff have made no attempt to contact the squatters in the park;
· the squatters have been cleaning Portside Park daily and have remained in the upper area to ensure the park remains accessible to others;
· Portside Park is aboriginal land that Council doesn't have jurisdiction over and would like a longhouse built there; a solution could be for Council to pass this to the Park Board with a clause that they have to negotiate with the aboriginal people at the park and respect their rights;
· ask that Council not take action and support the protestors in this argument with the provincial and federal governments to ensure social housing issues are resolved.
The Committee agreed to refer discussion and decision on this matter to the reconvened Special Council meeting to be held immediately following the Committee meeting.
The Committee adjourned at 11:56 a.m.
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