Tuesday 24 September 2019

Moncton serves eviction notice to homeless people at tent site





Festival screens tent city documentary as homeless residents clear out

Tent City will be shown Wednesday evening at the Shediac Film Festival



In a twist of fate, a documentary about Moncton's tent city is being screened at the Shediac Film Festival on the same day that people at the site were packing up after being evicted.

The film, called Tent City, will be screened Wednesday night as part of the festival's fourth edition.
Wednesday was the original deadline set by the City of Moncton on its eviction notice this week. As many as 40 people lived at the tent site on Albert Street this summer, but the city wants everyone out.


Because of rain, the deadline has been extended to Thursday.

Shannon Camilleri, who used to live at the site and is a subject of the documentary, said she has mixed feelings about the eviction.
On one hand, she's hopes people will find space at shelters, since winter is coming, but she also knows first hand that restrictive shelter life isn't for everyone.

"Early curfews, you know, even limited time of when you can eat, things like that," Camilleri said.

 "Those things play a big factor, especially when you're an adult and then you're kind of expected to have child-like rules. Doesn't work for everybody."


About 40 people lived in Moncton's tent city during the summer. (CBC)


Director Colleen Furlotte said she learned a lot about the homeless community while making the documentary.

"What was surprising to me is that there are some things that were happening in tent city that are very desirable and that are actually lacking in the community," said Furlotte.


"When you have a shared struggle, there's a great amount of empathy there. So I think we have something to learn."

Festival organizer Colin Thornton has a simple explanation for why Tent City was chosen to screen at the festival it's a good film.

"We send out submissions to as many filmmakers as we can and get responses, and Colleen's movie was a cut above and so it was in," said Thornton.



Information Morning - Moncton
Life inside Moncton's tent city

17:51

As people are evicted from the city-owned land where they were tenting, a documentary film about the encampment is set to screen at the Shediac Film Festival. 17:51
Thornton said he was aware there were homeless people in Moncton, but he didn't appreciate the extent of the problem until he watched the documentary.

"I had no idea that people were living in Moncton like that," he said.

"It was a real eye-opener for me, and I'm almost certain that for the filmgoers tonight it'll be an in-depth study of a segment of the city that nobody knew about."

'Real stories'


While the film is available to watch on YouTube, Furlotte said the question-and-answer session after the screening is one of the selling points to watching the film at the festival.

"I think this one is important because a number of cast members are scheduled to be there tonight," said Furlotte.

"So to be able to speak directly to the people … aside from getting to see them onscreen and hear them, to actually have them there and to be able to talk to them and have them go into more depth, I think that's going to be really powerful."

Camilleri said she's excited about participating in the Q&A session and finds it's inspiring to be able to share her story.


 https://youtu.be/KfJMq_Nz-Rk


Tent City - Inside Moncton's Hidden and Misunderstood Community

33,957 views
•Premiered Jul 14, 2019

17.9K subscribers
Join us for the worldwide release of "Tent City" - an independent Canadian documentary fully produced in Moncton, New Brunswick.




"These are real stories by real people and we're bringing it tonight," she said.

"It's probably going to be one of the only times you're ever going to hear all of us on the same platform at the same time telling just how it is."

Camilleri, who now has a home, said people might not believe that nine months ago she was homeless.

One thing she wants people to leave the screening thinking about is that homelessness doesn't have one face.

"There's many faces to homelessness," she said. "And for there to be stereotypes and stigmas in 2019 surrounding homelessness, I think that's what needs to change."

The documentary will be shown at 7 p.m. at the Shediac Multipurpose Centre.

With files from Information Morning Moncton










 5 Comments
Commenting is now closed for this story.




David Raymond Amos
Methinks I will call this Round 3 for rather obvious reasons N'esy Pas?











https://twitter.com/DavidRayAmos/with_replies





Replying to and 49 others
Methinks Moncton made and major faux pas blocking the media form tent city during a federal election N'esy Pas? 

Should we call this article round 2 of and ongoing showdown of the media versus Moncton? 


https://davidraymondamos3.blogspot.com/2019/09/moncton-serves-eviction-notice-to.html








https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/tent-city-moncton-colleen-furlotte-shannon-camilleri-1.5296358



Community offers help to people evicted from Moncton tent city

Rainy weather delays the closure of the Albert Street tent city until Thursday



Rick Thornhill was parked across from the entrance to the Albert Street tent city on Wednesday morning, waiting in the rain for a friend who lives there.

"I'm just trying to help out one of these guys, who is now down and out over here," the Riverview man said.

"He's helping me out with a little bit of work, and now they're getting kicked out, so I've offered him a place to bring his stuff. I haven't got room for him in my house, but at least his stuff won't be scattered all over Moncton."


On Monday, the City of Moncton issued an eviction notice to remaining residents of the tent site, where as many as 40 people were living over the summer.
The city said its "tolerance for tenting" in public spaces is lowering and Don MacLellan, the city's general manager of community safety services, said officials are letting people at all tent sites know they must leave.

According to the latest numbers from the Greater Moncton Homelessness Steering Committee, 134 people are living outside in the city.
We're receiving lots of phone calls and emails from people wanting to volunteer and [asking] how can we come and help the people transition from being in the tent city?
- Trevor Goodwin, YMCA ReConnect
Thornhill said his friend doesn't have any money and so far, he doesn't have anywhere to go.

"He's just kicking and scratching right now to eat every day. My wife's been making sandwiches … and I give them to him and he enjoys them and he thanks me.


"This morning, he said, 'I don't know why you're helping me.' I said, 'Well you know I can't help all of you, but I can sure try helping one.'"

Some don't know where they'll go


Standing at the entrance to the Albert Street tent city, Trevor Goodwin, director of the YMCA ReConnect street intervention program, has been helping residents pack their belongings into waterproof bins.

Media were not allowed to enter the tent site.



Trevor Goodwin of the YMCA ReConnect program is helping the eight remaining residents of the Albert Street tent city to pack their things and find new places to live. (Vanessa Blanch/CBC)
Goodwin said some people are planning to move in with friends or family while they wait for housing, and others are going to one of the shelters.

He said some still don't know where they will go, and many are asking what happened to a new emergency shelter that was promised.

The reaction, obviously is, 'This sucks,' Goodwin said of people who have been living in the tents.

"There's been a lot of talk from the population that we're dealing with: 'When is the new shelter going to be opening? We thought that was going to be our home — or at least an option for us and it currently isn't.'"



There's still no clear timeline for when a new House of Nazareth shelter on Albert Street will open. (Shane Magee/CBC)
Cal Maskery, the director of Harvest House, said his shelter is already at capacity for its staffing level. With colder weather coming, he expects the need to grow and said up to 100 people may be at the shelter.

"We have the space, we could accommodate more, but we just need staffing to do it," Maskery said.
"As the weather gets colder of course more are going to come."

He said the shelter can accommodate 34 men and eight women. Any more than that would require additional staff and resources.

House of Nazareth had announced a new shelter would open at 75 Albert St. in August, but no building permits have been issued, and there is no indication of when it will be ready or how many people it will accommodate.
Maskery said the delay in opening the House of Nazareth shelter is making it difficult for Harvest House to plan ahead.

"We'd just like to know what's happening so we know the timeline, how long we need to do this, what we need to prepare for."


Cal Maskery, executive director of Harvest House shelter, says he needs more staff to accommodate the growing need for beds as tent sites close. 0:50

Thornhill, who worries that people will end up "laying on street corners," would like to see people allowed to stay at the tent city or another public space.

"They're people. I don't know what else to say. I'm frustrated and a little pissed off that the city, especially with the weather like this, they're kicking them out of their own little homes."

'They deserve more than sleeping in tents'


On Wednesday, the city extended the deadline for leaving the tent site until Thursday, to allow people time to pack and move in dryer conditions.

Goodwin said he has been impressed with the way the City of Moncton has treated people at the tent city and with the response from citizens since the eviction order was announced.


Security prevented anyone from entering the tent city on Albert Street but City of Moncton staff and outreach organizations are providing transportation to people and their belongings to shelters. (Pierre Fournier/CBC)

"There's actually a lot of community support," he said. "We're receiving lots of phone calls and emails from people wanting to volunteer and [asking] how can we come and help the people transition from being in the tent city?

"So that's a positive thing that we hadn't seen a lot of during the summer."

Goodwin isn't asking for any specific donations but said he wants the community to be mindful that many of the people he is working with are going through a very difficult transition.

"These are still human beings and they deserve more than sleeping in tents, and more than being shuffled around, and that's the situation that they're in right now."


About the Author

Vanessa Blanch
Reporter
Vanessa Blanch is a reporter based in Moncton. She has worked across the country for CBC for nearly 20 years. If you have story ideas to share please email: vanessa.blanch@cbc.ca
With files from Information Morning Moncton & Kate Letterick







21 Comments
Commenting is now closed for this story.






David Raymond Amos
Should we call this article round 2 of and ongoing showdown of the media versus Moncton?

Methinks Moncton made and major faux pas blocking the media form tent city during a federal election N'esy Pas? 



David Raymond Amos
Well it nearly closing time and judging from some of the comments the milk of human kindness continues to run pretty thin in SANB territory when their hero Mr Prime MInister Trudeau The Younger's makes his bid for a second mandate N'esy Pas?









https://twitter.com/DavidRayAmos/with_replies





Replying to and 49 others
"The city barred the media from entering the Albert Street property Monday to talk to residents, but news of the eviction order spread quickly"

Methinks that is a rather telling thing N'esy Pas? 



https://davidraymondamos3.blogspot.com/2019/09/moncton-serves-eviction-notice-to.html






https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/moncton-tent-camp-eviction-notice-1.5293922




Moncton serves eviction notice to homeless people at tent site

Saying its tolerance for the tent site 'is lowering,' city tells people to leave by Wednesday





Homeless in Moncton's tent city get eviction notice Twenty homeless people living in tents on Albert Street in Moncton have been told they have to leave by Wednesday. 0:59



Moncton has served an eviction notice to about a dozen homeless people living in tents on city-owned land on Albert Street as part of a broader shift in tolerance toward tenting in the community.

The city is urging those living at the site, which over the summer had as many as 40 people, to move to shelters. The notice was issued Monday, and it calls for those living at the site to be gone by Wednesday.

The city planned to issue such an order once a new homeless shelter nearby opened. But House of Nazareth has yet to open, and there's no clear indication when its shelter at 75 Albert St. will be ready or how many people it will be able to accommodate.



The city barred the media from entering the Albert Street property Monday to talk to residents, but news of the eviction order spread quickly among the city's homeless.
Hailey Hachey, 21, has spent most of the past five years without a home. He knows everyone who lives in the Albert Street tents and spent a night there himself this summer.

He was "pretty bummed out" to hear the news that his friends were being evicted. Hachey said many people, like him, don't want to stay in shelters and prefer to be outside.


Hailey Hachey, 21, was upset to hear that the City of Moncton is evicting people from the tent city on Albert Street. He has spent time there and would like to see the city give land to homeless people where they can create a community of their own.

"We have authority figure issues," he said. "It's one of the biggest reasons we stay on the streets. There's no authority."

Michael Fougere, 33, is living in a rooming house now but spent much of last winter in an emergency shelter or outside.

He said he knows many of the people who live in the tent city.

"Where are they going to go? What kind of help are they going to get? Cause they don't even have the shelter that they supposedly said they were going to have done up.


Michael Fougere is worried about the people at the Albert Street tent city who are being evicted. He said he "has a heart" and wants to see the new emergency shelter opened quickly. (Pierre Fournier/CBC)



"These people can't win. It's ridiculous."

About 125 people are living "rough" in the city, according to a recent count by YMCA's ReConnect street intervention team.


Space available at Harvest House


Catherine Dallaire, Moncton's general manager of recreation, culture and events, said the city believes there are 12 beds free at the two shelters, Harvest House and House of Nazereth's building on Clark Street.

House of Nazareth executive director Jean Dubé did not return requests for comment Monday.
Cal Maskery, executive director of Harvest House, said that with recent cold weather his 44-bed shelter has between 30 and 40 people sleeping in the dorms each night.


Cal Maskery, executive director of Harvest House, said his shelter can accommodate 44 people and has between 30 and 40 people staying there. He has asked the city and province for money to open an overflow area. (Pierre Fournier/CBC)

"We're trying the best we can to be prepared for whoever comes in," he said.

Maskery said if the number of people exceeds 44, Harvest House can accommodate more people downstairs but would need funding from government to hire additional staff.
"We've been in talks with the [City of Moncton] and with the province about some staffing," he said. "So space, yes. Staffing, as of yet, no for the overflow.

"But our policy has been we don't turn anybody away when they come looking for help."



There's still no clear timeline for when a new House of Nazareth shelter on Albert Street will open. (Shane Magee/CBC)
 

On Monday, the city issued a news release with what it called a "transition plan" for those living outside as cold weather approaches.

The news release offers few specifics, saying that "more permanent housing options will be sought for as many people as possible" and that in the meantime, the two existing shelters will be relied on to provide emergency housing.


'People have lost their will'


"Our responsibility as a community is to work together over the long term in order to provide the proper housing options," Trevor Goodwin, director of the YMCA ReConnect program, said in the news release.

"An 'out-of-sight, out-of-mind' approach is not sustainable."


Communities across New Brunswick are seeing an increase in homelessness and food bank usage. About 40 people lived in this so-called tent city in Moncton during the summer. (CBC)

At city hall, councillors were told at a committee meeting Monday afternoon that the city was changing its approach to tents on public property.

"Our tolerance for tenting in the city is lowering," Don MacLellan, the city's general manager of community safety services, said. He said city officials and other groups would tell those living at the various known tent sites around the city to relocate.

"An option is not squatting on private property if a private property doesn't want you there, and it isn't using public spaces for tenting or being in a park after 10 p.m.," MacLellan said.

He said several tent sites in the city along High Street and near Castle Manor on Mountain Road have been shut down recently.

Ryder Patriquin, 29, said he was one of the first people living at the Albert Street tent city. He was evicted earlier this summer and has been living in a shelter built from a tarp in various spots throughout Moncton ever since.


Ryder Patriquin was evicted from the Albert Street tent site during the summer. He expects people who have to leave will do the same thing he has — find another spot in the city to build a shelter. (Pierre Fournier/CBC)

He expects people who are forced out of the tent city this week will do the same thing.

"I think it's going to become the problem … again," Patriquin said. "People everywhere, the crime rate might go up again, who knows?"

He said he has found a spot for his tent that is private and safe, and he would welcome some of his old friends from tent city.

"The spot that I have is big enough and welcome for a few people," he said.
 
"People have lost their will throughout their life to do anything else other than this. It's a comfortable, carefree kind of escape from normal day life — as hard as it is. But sometimes life is harder that the streets."



with files from Vanessa Blanch


34 Comments
Commenting is now closed for this story.





David Raymond Amos
Methinks the milk of human kindness runs pretty thin within the wealthy SANB territory particularly during the time of a rather interesting federal election N'esy Pas?  






David Raymond Amos
"The city barred the media from entering the Albert Street property Monday to talk to residents, but news of the eviction order spread quickly among the city's homeless."

Methinks that is a rather telling thing N'esy Pas?  






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