A5

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To The Editor:

I was very disappointed by the unanimous decision of Bathurst city council to reject the zoning application for an emergency shelter on Lavigne Street. I would like to address the concern that the neighbours had about the residents of the proposed shelter being a danger to their children.

The homeless population and those at-risk of becoming homeless do have a problem – they have no control over their housing and end up spending their days and nights on the sidewalk or in the parks. These problems are not created by an shelter - they are solved by them!

Statistics show that the crime rate in an area where there is a shelter does not increase. Considering the former shelter on Sunset Drive: during the three years it existed, there were no calls of problems in the neighbourhood caused by residents of the shelter.

Looking at the residents of the past emergency shelter, some of those who were homeless were:

• A youth who felt the street was a safer place to live than the home with an abusive parent;

• A mother with two children who had just lost her husband and was trying to get back on her feet;

• A college student who had come to Bathurst to study at the community college and had not yet found an apartment;

• A wife who had finally found the courage to leave her abusive husband and was waiting for a place at the Passage House;

• A young person working at a minimum-wage salary and needed help to budget his income and find affordable housing.

These are examples of persons who used the emergency shelter in the past. I firmly believe that these are examples of people trying to help themselves – not of someone who will hurt others.

Any one of us, God forbid, can become homeless. If that were to happen, would we become a danger to children? I have been told that the shelter in Moncton is next to a school and that some students volunteer at the shelter. These students surely learn to appreciate what they have after seeing others who have so little.

I sincerely hope Mayor Stephen Brunet and the councillors will follow through on their statements to find a suitable location for a Shelter and soon. The cold nights and winter months are fast approaching and time is of the essence.

We must not forget those less fortunate. I encourage citizens to speak to your mayor and council;ors and express your support for an emergency shelter.

Lise Ouellette

Bathurst

(Editor's Note: Mrs. Ouellette is a former city councillor.)