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City of Cornwall Unveils Proposed Bridge House Plan at Knox-St. Paul’s Church
I’m sure that everyone is well aware of the homeless situation in Cornwall. It is plainly visible upon seeing the tents set up in certain areas of the city and with the winter upon us with cold weather in the minus degrees, snow storms and such, I for one think a lot about the tent dwellers and how they are coping, especially when I sit in my warm house or drive around in my car with the heat on, because I feel the cold and damp just from a few minutes of being outside and these people are living outside in these situations daily.
I also see people outside stores like Walmart, seeking shelter and standing with all their belongings tied to their bicycles. Very few who I have seen, ask for money, but if I have some extra on me (which doesn’t happen often in this day and age) I have given to try and help. Then I have thought, how on earth can these individuals just walk into a store to buy anything and leave their belongings outside (it’s not like they have a car that they can lock anything up in) or do stores even let them take their bicycles, often attached to a cart, inside with them.
A few months ago (before the cold weather hit) I was shopping at Cornwall Square and while standing in line to use the washroom a lady was telling me that “she lives on the Bandshell and uses the washroom facility at Cornwall Square to “clean up” but as there was such a line up she said she would be coming back when it isn’t as busy”
What really stood out to me at that time, was that this woman, contrary to how everyone sees the homeless in the park, did not fit the description, typically described. She was dressed like everyone else in that lineup and didn’t look at all like she lived on the Bandshell. She was well spoken and cleanly dressed which tells me that, contrary to general belief, not everyone in the park is a drug user, etc.
Many as we know are working individuals, some with families, who are having a hard time making ends meet and can’t afford an apartment, so they have to find alternative living arrangements. Although of course, there are a few “bad apples” as we were told during some of our Seeker “Monday Morning Motivation” Podcasts.
It broke my heart during the beginning of this past Summer to read about a working father who had to resort to living in a tent with his family, due to money issues and not making enough to cover rent and everything else. He stated that this living arrangement worked for the Summer, as his children were young enough that he was able to tell them that they were camping for the Summer, but his worry was, what to tell them when the summer was over and they were going back to school and still living in a tent.
Many of us live in our warm houses, with all our belongings in a safe location, not worrying about where our next meal is coming from. We have enough money to pay our bills and we don’t worry about making a decision between food, heat and electricity or rent – granted, these days, many just manage to do this without much left over for leisure activities but still, we live comfortably compared to many!
Yet the number of people who live with insecurity, whether it is lack of food or a home, or sometimes both, is growing day by day in these tough economic times. Everyday on Facebook we see people asking for help, something which I myself had never seen this often in the past.
A few weeks ago, our guests on the Seeker’s “Monday Morning Motivation” podcast were Lisa Duprau of The Agape Centre, Olivia Leroux of United Way and Sue MacDonald of St. Vincent de Paul Food Bank. On this podcast we always discuss current issues, events, happenings and seek out the Gems in our Community, as the Seeker does, and this particular episode was a real eye opener to what is going on, not only in Cornwall but also in Rural areas where homelessness in not as visible (to me anyway).
You can watch the replay here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-qObgsnO7o&t=994s where you will see that homelessness didn’t just happen in the last few years, but as Sue MacDonald stated, it has been 50 years in the making.
We have also had Cornwall’s Mayor Towndale and Tina Point, Founder of Unity Street Help Association on our podcasts discussing the homelessness situation (check the Seeker website under Multimedia, for all our podcast replays).
Thank you for reading this rather long introduction with my own observations and comments but I think we can all agree that clearly, there is a problem that needs solutions.
So, yesterday, January 14th, another cold day, media gathered inside Knox St. Paul Church, located at 800 Twelfth Street East in Cornwall, for a closer look at a proposal that could play a meaningful role in addressing homelessness in Cornwall.
Before the public Open House doors opened from 5 to 7 pm, City staff rolled out the boards, the facts, and, most importantly, the reasoning behind the proposed Bridge House housing initiative.
The main speakers at the Media presentation were, Mellissa Morgan, General Manager of Human Services and Lisa Smith, Manager of Housing (Mellissa is seen in the above photo to the left and Lisa to the right) but also present were Tim Mills, CAO, Matthew Stephenson, Deputy CAO/Fire Chief, Katherine Wells, Director of Communications, Government Relations and Strategic Planning, Chad Maxwell, Deputy Chief of Police, Cornwall Police Services and Melodie Lemoeligou, Board Chair, Knox St. Paul Church.
“This is about giving people a bridge,” explained Lisa Smith, Manager of Housing, as she walked reporters through the concept. “You’re going from one step to the other, but you’re being guided over that bridge with supports and services.”
Bridge House is exactly that — a bridge, not a destination. The proposed site would include 30 modular sleeping cabins, a community resource centre, and a dedicated washroom facility, all designed to provide short-term, safe, and supported housing for people experiencing homelessness or serious housing instability.
Also we want people to know that Bridge Housing is intensive housing where participants are actively supported to secure permanent housing. It is not a shelter.
And it’s not just about a roof.
I actually thought that these were just a place to sleep but when I saw the proposed images, they look more like tiny apartments with a bed and a small sitting area. A safe space for someone who has not had a proper place to call home for a while and who has been screened as a good candidate for a new start in life.
Before I get back to the presentation I do want to add something.
The Seeker has a monthly column called “Mental Health Matters” written by Genevieve Desrochers of the Canadian Mental Health Association Champlain East, so I attend many of the Mental Health events throughout the year. I hear first hand how there is such a stigma attached to Mental Health, but really it is a medical issue just like a broken leg.
Would you get a broken leg looked at or just leave it to heal by itself? Of course you would get it looked at and someone with Mental Health issues needs support as well to help them heal even though many people believe that the homeless, many with mental health issues, have put themselves in this position and use drugs to self medicate. If you were in a position like this and saw no way out, you might do the same but if there was support to help you heal then chances are, you would be able “to see a light at the end of the tunnel”.
Back to the presentation.
Lisa Smith continued telling us that on-site supports would include intensive case management from the City’s Housing Social Work Team, visiting health-care partners like Seaway Valley Community Health, community paramedics, and professional security with regular wellness checks. The goal? Help people stabilize, rebuild routines, and move forward into permanent housing.
“This isn’t just about putting people somewhere,” Smith said. “Our team will be here supporting and guiding people through the whole process.”
How long would someone stay, was a question asked. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. Some residents may need six months. Others, particularly those dealing with complex challenges, may need more time.
“We don’t want to force people out on a deadline,” Smith said. “It’s meant to reflect what the client needs.”
Mellissa Morgan, General Manager of Human Services, emphasized that Bridge House is one piece of a larger housing puzzle, and one already being used successfully in communities across Ontario and Canada.
“This proposed project is another option along the spectrum of housing,” Morgan said. “It’s flexible, it’s mobile, and it’s designed to respond to real need.”
Locally, that need is growing. The City estimates that between 75 and 100 people are currently identified on Cornwall’s By-Name List, a tool used to track known cases of homelessness, though the real number is likely higher. Bridge House would add 30 units, alongside the 22 new units coming online at Massey Commons, helping expand capacity while longer-term housing continues to be developed.
Cost is always a hot topic, and City staff addressed it directly. The estimated development cost of $2 to $2.5 million is expected to be covered through existing funding sources, housing reserves and sponsor support, not the tax base.
“Our goal is to keep this as cost-neutral as possible for ratepayers,” Morgan said.
Residents would pay income-based rent, helping them prepare for future housing in the private market or other affordable units.
City officials also acknowledged community concerns and said they’re applying lessons learned from past projects by focusing on transparency and conversation.
“We’d rather meet people one-on-one and really hear their concerns,” Morgan said.
Before wrapping up, City staff thanked Knox St. Paul Church and its congregation for opening their doors and their hearts, to the possibility of being part of the solution.
After the Media segment, I decided to stay for the public Open House portion where I’m sure over 200 people came in thinking that they would be attending a presentation with a Question and Answer portion but were unhappy to be told that this would be similar to the Resident Café, featuring a variety of informational boards that people could read and ask questions to any of the members of the team wearing badges.
In response to the public request, the city officials pivoted fast and made a proper presentation (unfortunately without microphones) and explained everything well, concluding with Questions and Answers, and as expected, there were many negative and also some positive comments on this proposal. Many residents living in the vicinity of this proposed venture are concerned about safety, finding needles dropped in areas where children play, house prices dropping and more.
Stephen Douris, one of our Seeker Contributors, stood up and explained how in the past he was in exactly the same homeless and helpless position as many of the people looking for stability and if he hadn’t been offered a helping hand, who knows where he could have ended up. However, with the right support he is now retired and volunteers to help with people dealing with Mental Health issues through the Canadian Mental Health Association, he is a past Cornwall Citizen of the Year, with Ivan Labelle runs a Men’s Mental Health Group called MenTalk/K’Hommeunique and also hosts the annual Men’s Mental Health Summit and more.
Stephen also stated that he knows of at least 6 people who were temporarily housed in Parisien Manor who, because of that step up, have now gone on to get jobs and permanent housing that has integrated them back into society.
Cornwall’s Mayor Towndale spoke at this event as did Melodie Lemoeligou, Board Chair, Knox St. Paul Church who said, in so many words, that the Church has been working with the City of Cornwall to offer a space for this venture as the mission of the church is “to help people” and having sat down with City officials to discuss their concerns, a lot of which mirrored those concerns of the public at this open house, the church board felt that this will be a safe area in which the church can fulfill their mission of helping people.
Throughout the evening we heard comments like, why here, put them somewhere else like in the Industrial Park. However, don’t you think, that if you make a community on the outskirts, where people feel like outcasts, there is no way that these individuals can ever feel like they belong in a proper community or can integrate into one.
Of course, as in any community there will be negative stories but the Seeker tries to always see the positive side and this event made it very clear, tackling homelessness isn’t about one building or one site, it’s about community, compassion, and bridges forward.
I also do want to stress that this is just a “proposal” as nothing has been decided definitively about putting these 30 modular sleeping cabins in this area of the City. Not sure if I had mentioned that they are portable and can always be moved!
We were told many times, during the media as well as during the Public Open House, that the proposal, along with comments and concerns from the residents living in the vicinity of the proposed site will be presented to City Council and they will be making the decision about whether this “New Community” will happen or not in this proposed area.
Matthew Stephenson stated that anyone who wanted to send in their concerns about this proposal could do so, by going to the City of Cornwall website, Cornwall.ca and contacting the Mayor and Councillors either by email or by phone and getting together a delegation with a leader or two who can speak at the upcoming council meeting where this will be discussed.
Katherine Wells, Director of Communications stated that the meeting date will be clearly advertised on the City of Cornwall Website: Cornwall.ca and on the official City of Cornwall Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/thecityofcornwall
I am also sure that if anyone has questions for any of these people who were also present, Mellissa Morgan, General Manager of Human Services and Lisa Smith, Manager of Housing but also present were Tim Mills, CAO, Matthew Stephenson, Deputy CAO/Fire Chief, Katherine Wells, Director of Communications, Government Relations and Strategic Planning, Chad Maxwell, Deputy Chief of Police, Cornwall Police Services and Melodie Lemoeligou, Board Chair, Knox St. Paul Church they would be happy to answer your questions and concerns.
Below is a link to the City of Cornwall’s website for more information, including PDFs of the boards that were on display at this event.
