'I think he needs to go serve a few more meals:' Ottawa Mission CEO fires back at Ford encampment comments

The CEO of the Ottawa Mission is responding to controversial comments made this week by Premier Doug Ford about those living in homeless encampments that received swift blowback from advocates.

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During a news conference on Monday, Ford railed against those living in encampments, suggesting that "healthy," unhoused people need to "start working."

"If you're healthy, get off your A-S-S and start working like everyone else is," the premier said Monday while responding to a question about affordable housing waitlists.

"Get an application and drop it off at one of these companies and start working."

Ford has stood behind his words but clarified his comments, telling reporters that he is committed to taking care of people who need further support.

The comments were met with anger by housing advocates and members of the opposition. Following the news conference, NDP leader Marit Stiles called the premier's comments "heartless" and "bizarre."

In an interview on Newstalk 580's CFRA's CFRA Live with Andrew Pinsent on Saturday, Ottawa Mission CEO Peter Tilley said the comments "caught us by surprise" as the shelter grapples with a record-breaking surge in homelessness and food insecurity.

"Premier Ford speaks from his heart, as we know, all the time on many issues," Tilley said.

"I was just down to visit our friends at the Scott Mission in Toronto, I think he needs to go serve a few more meals, perhaps sit at the dining tables of some of the people and go meet with some of the people in encampments."

Tilley said those living or receiving services by the Mission are likely not ready for jobs without additional support for mental health, addiction and other issues.

"Anyone who volunteers or walks the streets in Ottawa and talks to anyone who is on the street, they can see people who are struggling with issues, usually by trauma brought on by their childhoods," he said.

"So, with all due respect to the premiers' comments, I think it's not that easy. He does shoot from the hip sometimes and I think he did on that one. I'm sure he has compassion for people struggling with addiction."

In an impact report released this week, the shelter highlighted the devastating effects of inflation, the lack of affordable housing and the mental health crisis, as more people are forced to turn to shelters.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mission reported serving just under half a million meals per year. It's now provided just over 1.1 million meals in the past year.

"It's been a very busy past year, accommodating all sorts of challenges. We just seem to ask the staff and the volunteers to rise to the occasion one more time, time and time again," Tilley said Saturday.

"It's become a very draining experience sometimes, especially when we look to the horizon and we don’t see a lot of hope in terms of federal and provincial leadership."

Tilley said among the biggest challenges facing the Mission is the impact of the toxic drug supply on frontline workers and a sudden rise in asylum seekers, further straining resources. Tilley said the increase in mental health interventions since the pandemic has been "overwhelming."

By October 2023, asylum seekers made up 61 per cent of the Mission's shelter population, putting additional pressure on services like meals and housing assistance.

"The latest that we're dealing with is the shortage of beds, the demand for meals because of the newcomer crisis, the number of refugees and asylum seekers who continue to pour into the major cities across Canada," he said.

"There was no plan when they came into Canada to accommodate or house them at the immigration or housing level, so here we are as homeless shelters across this country having to pick up this slack and accommodate the newcomers coming into the country."

Beyond just meals, the Mission's food truck program, launched in 2020, now distributes nearly 8,000 meals per week across 38 stops.

Ottawa, along with other municipalities across Ontario, has been asking the province for more help to provide the people who end up in encampments with housing and health-care supports.

Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Paul Calandra said last month the province is spending $700 million a year on community and supportive housing, and is giving Toronto and Ottawa more than $240 million for shelter and homelessness supports.

With files from The Canadian Press and CTVNews.ca