The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday June 26, 2002 - A 5 Resident has concerns over shelter By Angela Blackburn OAKVILLE BEAVER STA FF The Salvation Arm y hopes to educate the public about the need for a hom eless shelter this sum mer, but one north O akville resi dent says the m ore he finds out, the m ore concerned he becom es. Russ Pfeifer has lived in the Falgarw ood area for three years. Last Septem ber he put a dow n pay m ent on a new hom e at Eighth Line and Dundas Street that he was to m ove into next year -- in the sam e North Iroquois Ridge neigh bourhood as the proposed shelter. "Nothing like this was identified on city plans," said Pfeifer. " 1 w ouldn't have bought the house if I'd known my kids would have to w alk through a homeless shelter to get to school, particularly the girls." Pfeifer has tw o girls aged 5 and 3, and a son aged 2. He said the area attracted him because his kids w ould be able to w alk to school. even high school eventually. They're all set to attend a daycare to open across the street from the high school -- in an area that houses the community centre, library Snd future elementary school sites. Pfeifer said he found out about the Salvation A rm y's plan to build a 40-bed hom eless shelter. The Lighthouse, ju st north o f the Iroquois Ridge Community Centre, last week in The Oakville Beaver. T h at's w hen he called local politicians, researched hom eless ness on the Internet and laid hands on a copy o f the July 2001 Halton R egion report on hom elessness in H alton, called A Journey Home: A Community' Plan fo r Halton. "I contacted my councillor and that only disturbed me m ore," said Pfeifer. He then talked to the Iroquois R idge R a tep ay ers' A ssociation (IRRA ) and said he heard it was hiring a law yer and planners to fight the plan. ``I d on't belong to it (IRRA ), but I w ill," said Pfeifer. "I w ent on the Internet and found the Halton Plan and that dis turbed me even further," he said. "I realize there's a need to help the hom eless. I w ant to be a good citizen and help people, but w hat they're asking is to put my fam ily at risk and I d o n 't think that needs to happen in order to help people." Railing against being labelled N IM BY (Not In My Backyard), Pfeifer said h e's afraid the com m unity and those using the shelter w on't be an appropriate mix. Pfeifer quotes the executive sum mary of the Halton Region report, "Homelessness continues to be a hid den problem. It impacts particularly on youth, those with serious mental illness, women and their children fleeing violence in the home, and the working poor who may be only a pay cheque away from eviction." Pfeifer questions w hether the m entally ill o r those fleeing dom estic violence are `safe risks' in a residential community. He said he volunteered as a y outh at a K itchener-W aterloo w om en's shelter where there was bulletproof glass and lock-dow n capabilities in case o f violence from estranged spouses. Pfeifer said the shelter's cul-desac-ty p e location w ould m ake additional policing a challenge. T he sh e lte r's proxim ity to schools is also q u estio n ed by Pfeifer, w ho said only 10 beds will serve youths. The Lighthouse w ould provide 20 em ergency beds for men and w om en; 10 beds for youths aged 15 to 18, and 10 transitional beds for adults. People could stay in em ergency beds up to 30 days and up to 90 days in transitional beds. " I'm m uch m ore co ncerned now than I w as b efo re," said Pfeifer, questioning the im pact public education cam paigns will have and saying a 40-bed shelter "is overkill for O akville." MacDonald ·Swan L itig a tio n C ou nsel L L P f i t m m . ^ MS A P ersonal Injury Litigation Insurance Litigation k i Free initial 1/2 hour consultation CORNWALL BUSINESS CENTRE 1 5 4 0 C ornw all, S u ite 1 0 6 , Oakville (across from Maplegrove Mall) I C o rn w a ll Q.E.W. (9 0 5 ) 8 4 2 - 3 8 3 8 w w w .m a c d o n a ld a n d s w a n .c o m Salvation Army is taking time to educate the public (Continued from page A1) rage o ver the shelter issue is "under standable. There is alw ays concern over projects like this, regardless o f where the project is." However, she feels there may be a lack o f understanding about the project. "We w ant to prepare the public in a better way to engage the public in an info rm ed discu ssio n ," said W endy Perkins o f the Salvation Army. Yet, that may not be w hat residents have in mind. "Until there is an official notice o f w ithdraw al, the anger and resen tm en t w ill co ntinue to grow ," w rote resident Tam my M ulligan in an email sent to the mayor, town councillors and The Oakville Beaver. Tonight's public meeting w as to be an initial step in the process required under O ntario's Planning Act. T he Salvation Arm y applied to the Tow n in early June for an Official Plan A m en d m ent (OPA ) and a zoning am endm ent that w ould allow the shelter on a 2.2-acre decom m issioned Ontario H ydro corridor property. To its east and south is the Iroquois Ridge Com m unity Centre and nearby is Iroquois Ridge H igh School. Last week, Salvation Arm y represen tatives told residents that shelter users could be their neighbours -- people in Halton w ho for a variety o f reasons end up hom elessness. Data on homelessness and poverty has been presented to regional council and the media, but Urbanski said, "We need to do a better jo b o f communicating it." Statistics say 9.3 per cent o f Halton residents live in poverty. "O akville is right on the average at 9.9 per cent," said Urbanski. A survey showed 130 homeless people -- families, singles, adults, youths, seniors -- were served in Halton from January to May 2002 (69 per cent adults and 31 per cent children). More than 140 were turned away because there was no space. The Lighthouse would provide 20 emergency beds for men and women; 10 beds for youths aged 15 to 18, and 10 tran sitional beds for adults. It would also provide counselling, work training, a com m unity health room, computers, showers, laundry and meals. Halton Region w ould screen users fo r m ental, em otional and physical health with those screened out being referred elsewhere. NAPOLEON )r \o * r \e O c x )W \-$ o r t FIREPLACES · BARBECUES · FURNACES · AIR CONDITIONERS · PATIO FURNITURE · ACCESSORIES W E M A K E S U R E YOU START YOUR DAY RIGHT, Second room at 50% off the Summer Options rale lor tods under 18 Upgrade to Cful) Accommodation or junior Suite (if available! 2,000 bonus Priority Club points or 500 bonus frequent flyer miles Summer Options Free Amencw Breakfast tor tuo (room sernct a in restaurant) ^400°. S elected C a rrier A ir C o n d itio n ers v SAVE Financing Available! W h a t m ore w o u ld you w a n t fro m a h o te l, i f you had th e O p tio n ? Would breakfast in bed hit the spot? Ifs just one o f the Summer Options available at the Crowne Plaza Ottawa Hotel. Stay before September 2. 2002, and enjoy any one o f the options listed above" - as well as everyday family perks like our indoor pool, Priority Club Rewards and half-price meal deals for kids under 12. (Kids under 6 eat free!) 'Som e conditions apply. See store for details. O.A.C. V isit Our Website At: www.napoleonhomecomfort.com Oowntown Ottawa - from just $139 per night! w w w .c ro w n e o tta w a .c a 1 .8 0 0.2C R 0W N E OTTAWA Oakville Town Centre 300 North Service Rd. West Oakville a M* .1 a a a Hours. Mon. - 1Vttd. 1 0 - 6 . Thurs. A Frt. 10-9 G£l I ICK I liiiS S l E -m a il: c ro w n e p la 2a o tta w a @ c h ip re it.c o m m « HAPOIEO* (9 0 5 )8 4 4 -1 2 2 3 *«·«-*. . _ l.w | FUTUM I .J ` 0Her noe u n til $«©lmfe«r 2. 2002. R rter m per room, pet vngie or d M tto occapencj. L f lM m im tm of room* w u ltifo . for two per pihd. Most be P rin ty Gut) R e»*rdj c i * i » t o >·£**# p o o r fcwjuert fly r m ite . Other w iW tirom m y apply. C le a r a n c e S a le " age is someone e lse 's o p in io n " S e n io rs ' D a y H a p p e n i n g t h i s T h u rs d a y , J u n e 2 7 th S I t t» t * » R S « < £ > » O r» I 1 M U M S PANTS 4 8 s9 S H S 9 9 " S h o p p e r s 123*iSfe 1 3 S 0 1 2 'iSh, O p t i m u m M e m b e r s ' o a u w n A M " g a g * ! SHORT SLEEVE ^ sa ve 2 0 % DRESS S ^ f l SPORT SHIRTS'" H U SHIRTS2 '" 3 5 O VERSIZE EXTRA C HARG E SPRING & SUMMER OUTER C n WEAR VIU o f f M o o res CLOTHING FOR MEN For a lo c a tio n n e a r e s t y o u ca ll: 1-877-MOORES-6 ` Discounts apply to our regular prices on all merchandise purchased by seniors and their accompanying fam ily members. Excludes sale items, prescriptions, products w ith codeine, baby m ilk and diapers, single cans and cases of Boost and Ensure liquids, soda, stamps, lottery tickets, g ift certificates and prepaid phone cards. Discounts may not exceed $50.