A business led ByWard Market petition is calling local shelters a terminal 'cancer' on the area.
In a "Save the Market" petition launched earlier this week, business owner Patrick O’Shaughnessy calls the local shelters in the ByWard Market a "incubators for crime and addictions."
"The Shelters must be diagnosed for what they are – a cancer which is now terminal for those residents and businesses in their vicinity. The prognosis is simple yet hard to hear – the cancer is spreading fast," he writes in a now-viral petition.
The petition already has nearly 1,500 signatures from local businesses and area residents. Although O’Shaughnessy says he supports the work shelters do, and even donates regularly, he says the concentration of shelters in the market is negatively affecting business, sales and the overall perception of the tourist destination.
"In my research I have not found a single city – NOT ONE – that has such a high concentration of vagrants compressed into such a small area by “shelters”. Yet, The ByWard Market, our city’s tourism mecca is “forced” to accept this population," he writes.
"It’s not – the fact is that the so-called “clients” of the Shepherds destroy – steal – damage – prostitute – panhandle – defecate and loiter on our property and cost our business directly to the tune of often over 15K a month. To say nothing of the indirect damages that come from them directly accosting customers and often conducting criminal activities, in front of them and in broad daylight without a single repercussion. It’s getting more acute by the month."
Dom Santaguida from Vittoria Trattoria says he has seen the impact first hand; business has dropped because of panhandlers and violence.
"We have had someone come in to our restaurant and be aggressive," he says. "We called the police and police didn't do anything about it ... then he threw coffee at my staff."
Santaguida says the language of the petition is a bit strong but agrees that between the shelters, the police and city leaders, something has to be done.
"There needs to be tough decisions. Everyone is too soft to go out and say there is a problem here."
Allain Bonneville, another business owner, agrees.
"What's happening now with the population in the market, it's like a cancer. Drugs are like a cancer in the market and it's costing every business owner," he says. "You have chronic people who need chronic care."
But while some residents and visitors believe the area feels unsafe after an apparent spike in shootings and stabbings in recent years there are many who believe the neighbourhood is still extremely safe and welcoming to people of all kinds.
The three major shelters are working together to prepare a joint response to the petition.
In a statement issued to CTV News on Sunday, The Shepherds of Good Hope said it agrees that safety and security in the area is a concern and that it is working with police and its partners to address community concerns.
"We will continue to work with our many community partners to help homeless people access services to enable them to obtain homes of their own with the supports they require to be successful. Everyone deserves a home.," the statement says. "We are proud of the services we provide, our contributions to the community and the work that we do across the city of Ottawa to help those who need us most."
Peter Tilley of The Ottawa Mission issued similar statements to 580 CFRA Sunday, saying he was "surprised" and "hurt by the petition that he says is creating a "painful dialogue."
"I am pained, as an Ottawa citizen, when I hear such terminology as “a cancer which is now terminal” and that we are responsible for “rampant crime” and “destruction of property” and a “drain on EMS and police services”," Tilley said. " The Ottawa Mission has been a huge part of assisting people in need in the market area for over a century. Many who suffer from challenges such as mental health or addictions issues receive help from the downtown shelters and many are then moved onto better lives in appropriate housing elsewhere within the City."
