Neighbours of A Better Tent City's temporary home respond to relocation
The temporary accommodations of A Better Tent City in Kitchener is getting mixed reactions from those that live nearby.
On Thursday, it was announced that the 50 residents, most who were previously homeless, would be moving to a space on Battler Road typically used for snow storage.
The temporary space was provided by the city after ABTC had to leave their original home on the Lot 42 site following the sale of the property.
They had hope to relocate to a property on Breslau, but received push back from nearby residents and was ultimately not approved.
"I'm happy that the City of Kitchener stepped up and helped us so we don't have to be out on the streets," said volunteer Nadine Green.
On Saturday, residents around the Battler Road location made a special delivery of 20 pizzas and a new fridge to the new residents.
"We had about four or five different community members donate together and then we went to a local pickup pizzeria," said resident Charlotte Middleton. "We're only a few paycheques away from sometimes being in this position ourselves."
Most items in ABTC's storage room are from the food bank and private donations.
In an email to CTV News, one nearby resident says they weren't notified of the move and that "the safety of our children, businesses, our homes, and reputation must be addressed."
The site is on the border of the ward city councilor Kelly Galloway-Sealock represents, and she says she's heard mixed reaction about the move, with some residents wanting to donate and other raising concerns.
"They hadn't been welcomed in other areas and weren't necessarily welcomed here as well," said Middleton "We wanted to make sure that us welcoming them was louder than the unwelcoming messages they might've received."
Galloway-Sealock adds that staff, organizers, and community members are working with the group to find a new site before the end of October.
"Give me, give us a chance and come by to say hello," said Green. "You might like us."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.
Amish youth experience a rite of passage called Rumspringa. It’s not what you might think
The idea of “Rumspringa” has a specific spot in the American imagination. A rite of passage for young people in some Amish communities, Rumspringa is seen by most outsiders as a wild time away from strict Amish rules, when teenagers can experiment with the modern vices of the world.
Djokovic needs medical attention after getting knocked on the head by a water bottle at Italian Open
Novak Djokovic needed medical attention after apparently getting knocked on the head by a water bottle after a win at the Italian Open on Friday.