Low Barrier Shelter officials support its controversial location

Officials at the Northern Pines transitional and supportive housing complex, which includes the controversial low-barrier shelter, believe finding a perfect location in the city is a challenge. 

The Northern Pines facility is located across the street from Chippewa Secondary School and next door to Barclay House Retirement Home on Chippewa Street.

Trever Leblond, the program supervisor at the Northern Pines Housing Programs, says they remind low-barrier shelter and transition home occupants about the concerns across the neighbourhood.

"There's a school across the street where parents pick up their kids, they don't want to see these people on their sidewalk or in their yard so that has really helped and they are listening," said Leblond, who spoke during a media tour of the low barrier shelter and transitional housing which took place Monday morning. 

"There are always some who won't (listen) when we talk about mental health and addiction and the issues that come along with that but for the most part the clients that we have coming in here on a daily basis are regular people, they are people's kids. They are people's moms, dads, aunts, brothers and sisters. They are regular people when you have a conversation with them they are very responsive."

But some remain skeptical including their neighbours at Chippewa Secondary School.  Back in November of 2023, the Near North District School Board announced that a large fencing project would begin to help keep homeless and drug-using individuals off the property. 

“In our ever-evolving world today,” school administration noted in a letter to parents in November, “our school is constantly working to improve the safety and security of students, staff, families and guests.” Hence the fence, which will surround the field at the north end of the property, “and the other is around the school itself.”

See related: Tall and tough to climb, that's Chippewa's new fence

See related: Chippewa project already underway

Susan Rinneard, executive director of the Crisis Centre North Bay, believes the community has to be more understanding about the facility's location. 

"I look around the city and think where could something like this be? I do feel there will be issues wherever a low barrier shelter, or a day program, there is going to be problems, there are going to be complaints from businesses, parents, etc," she said. 

"I think the key is that we are trying to move forward and prevent these issues by creating a complex like this and not sweep it under the rug." 

Leblond says they work closely with the school and Barclay House but he does not have an opinion on the new fencing set up across the street. 

"I am not sure what the fence will or will not do. I think if somebody wanted to go over there they would go over there fence or not," he said.  

Leblond calls the neighbours at Chippewa Secondary School "compassionate" as he says Chippewa students have even built picnic tables to help support the shelter tenants.