Memo from the Mayor – April 2024

So, for this month’s column, I am taking a slightly different approach. Recently, there have been a few letters to the editor (LTEs) published in The Seeker (and other media) which contain some interesting claims and misinformation. Now, I want to be clear, there is nothing wrong with criticism of Council or myself and I generally do not look to engage with LTEs. But there is a genuine issue when statements are being made as though they are factual, when they are not, or claims are being made which deserve a rebuttal. I took some time to think on this and whether a response was warranted, and I believe that one is.

On March 14, an LTE was published from Angie Baker. This was prior to her receiving a response from me. I have since addressed her main points in my reply, other columns, and other responses so I will move to her commentary on my column from the Seaway News.

Ms. Baker claims that I attended a meeting in Toronto that city officials have never attended, nor are obligated to attend. This is not factual. I am a Director on the Board for Good Roads, a 130 year old organization that is dedicated to infrastructure and in particular, roads, in the province of Ontario. I previously touched on the organization and why my position on the Board was important. As a Director I am obligated to attend Board Meetings. This is no different from any other Board. I cannot confirm when the last time the City of Cornwall had representation on the Board, but it is highly likely that I am not the first person from Cornwall to be a Director. In addition, city staff do attend the Annual Conference in April, whereas Councillors sometimes attend. Our staff also attend the many training courses offered by Good Roads, including the very helpful snow schools where our plow operators can learn how to operate machinery and clear roads effectively and safely.

The Board Meeting that I attended was confirmed in June of last year. I informed my staff that I was not available for the date that they had selected for the information session. The CAO felt that it was best to keep this date as not push it, as it was a week after the presentation to Council and the information was still fresh.

Ms. Baker claims that ‘other’ citizens have to ‘fend for themselves’. I would say that I firstly disagree with the narrative of pitting our citizens against each other for resources. There are different envelopes of services available to address diverse needs. I would also like to state, again, that Massey Commons is transitional housing. It is apartments. It is not a safe injection site or a methadone clinic. While I can understand the initial confusion between the terms ‘shelter’ and ‘transitional housing’, especially as transitional housing has not previously existed in Cornwall. It has however existed elsewhere for decades. We have now explained the delineation between the two terms countless times, including at the public information session. To continue to call Massey Commons a shelter is misrepresentation at this point.

I am unfortunately misquoted twice by Ms. Baker. The first instance is when she claims that I am labelling every person a NIMBY. My original quote, to CBC was: “We are seeing some NIMBYism”. In a reply to a resident, which was shared publicly, I also stated: “What I find it hard to listen to is when I hear “This is a good idea, but it should be somewhere else”. That is the textbook definition of NIMBYism”. I have not used the term in a blanket fashion, and have been addressing the concerns being raised by residents. The second instance is when Ms. Baker claims that I called residents “shameless” for asking questions. The reality is that I called the booing of Mr. Stephen Douris, former Citizen of the Year and an individual who has experienced homelessness, shameful. I still believe it to be shameful.

What is also shameful is recent comments made by a member of the so named MCCC. As many of you know, a well known downtown business was broken into about week ago. The owner shared this in a post on his personal Facebook page. The first comment is from a resident listed as a member of the MCCC on Ms. Baker’s letter to me. This individual stated: “And so it goes Cornwall. Who do you think the prime suspects might be? Not the homeless for sure.” I am not naming the individual here, but the comment is still up and can be seen at the time that I am writing this. Despite Ms. Baker’s claims that her committee does not stereotype, I would respectfully disagree in this case.

I would also refute Ms. Baker’s claims that the project was worked on ‘behind closed doors’. The By-law to purchase the property was approved at the public Council meeting of June 26, 2023. The next day our General Manager of Human Services was quoted in the Standard-Freeholder stating that we were looking at this site for transitional housing. The City also publicly commented on the project in October 2023, and again on November 14, 2023, February 13, 2024, and February 22, 2024. This includes presentations, discussions, and approval of RFPs at public Council meetings.

Ms. Baker closes by stating that as elected officials we should remember that we are “supposed to be working for the citizens who voted you into your roles”. I would respectfully disagree. As elected officials, we are supposed to be working for all residents of the City of Cornwall, regardless of who they voted for, or if they voted at all. For myself personally, I represent everyone, not just those who supported me.

Ms. Baker also states that this “is not a one man show…”. On this point, I agree entirely. City Council is comprised of eleven members, including three women. It is far from being a one man show. Council unanimously supported the Massey Commons project, based on recommendations made by our housing team, community partners, and those with lived experience. This includes a Councillor who lives in the neighbourhood.

I can appreciate Ms. Baker ‘supporting the idea’ of helping those who are identified as homeless. However, after I read some of the commentary in this LTE, I find this claim to be contradictory. Ms. Baker continuously refers to Massey Commons as a shelter. It is not, as we have explained on countless occasions. The purposeful use of the wrong terminology only hurts the project and those that it is trying to help.

Ms. Baker further questions if we are mandated to provide solutions to those who are homeless, and appears to criticize the City for its response to the encampments, and the support we provided to those who were living there. Mandated or not, we provided help and are continuing to do so, because it is the right thing to do.Our residents have been very vocal that they want us to take steps to address the issue of housing security in our community. Housing is one of the biggest challenges that we are facing in Cornwall, and across the country. When I was elected, I stated that housing was a top priority.

Ms. Baker comments a fair bit about cost for this project. Yes, there is a cost. Yes, most of our revenue is generated from taxes, or from other levels of government, which come from taxes. These are the costs of doing business for the municipality and we are aware of this. Housing is the responsibility of municipalities in the province of Ontario and has been for decades. This includes supports for those facing housing security challenges. Just recently, the province announced additional funding for housing. I would also add that there is a network of donors who have stepped up to help through our partner agencies, including the United Way.

In closing, I remain open to working with and communicating with residents in the neighbourhood. However, this has to be a two way street for communication and understanding. Making unfounded claims, misquoting, and having a committee where members display a bias against those this project aims to help does not promote a collaborative spirit. Email: [email protected]