A new downtown tent city is causing a stir with some downtown residents.
One downtown resident, who wishes to remain anonymous, says he walks his dog regularly on the pathway adjacent to the beach volleyball and new basketball courts which are located behind the North Bay transit bus terminal on Oak Street.
"It is one of the rare green spaces near the downtown area where I live and just about a week ago, we started noticing tents popping up down the embankment right adjacent to that park." he said.
"One tent led to two, led to three. A kitchen area started popping up a day or two later and now along that whole embankment next to the volleyball courts on the other side of that park is lined with tents."
The new small tent city is located down the embankment running parallel with the Ottawa Valley rail line that runs through that area. The downtown resident says some of the incidents he has experienced with his partner have been unpleasant.
"A couple of encounters we have had with people is somebody yelling at themselves and us incoherently when we were walking by screaming and angry. I don't know how aware of themselves they were - there was obviously drug use present - but that is just one of the few encounters," he recalls.
"We have also seen two homeless people having sex on the street within eyeshot of the basketball courts while there were minors playing basketball. That is definitely another incident that stuck out in my mind. We noticed people on a blanket in that park doing drugs so it is escalating and becoming a growing concern."The downtown resident says he called the police who told him they are monitoring the situation.
When BayToday visited the site, two police cars were parked in the nearby lot and according to David Woolley, head of corporate communications for the North Bay Police Service, the officers were meeting with CMHA outreach workers who were there to assess the situation."The outreach workers are seeing if they can get some of the homeless at the encampment some support services," said Woolley.
"We have engaged them and have sent them down to help work with the individuals at the encampment to see if we can get them some support services and access to appropriate accommodations."
This is not the first time this situation has caused a stir amongst North Bay residents. Tent cities at North Bay City Hall and Third Avenue in 2020 and 2021 respectively have led to complaints and both were eventually taken down.
See related: Neighbours frustrated by homeless tent city
See related: City hall's tent city order dismantled
Woolley says they have not received any complaints from the Ottawa Valley Railway about the growing tent city. However, Woolley noted that the encampment is located on the other side of a fence along the railway which means the tent city is actually sitting on city land.
"If they were on the other side of the fence they would be on OVR property," said Woolley."My understanding is if they are on this side of the fence they are on city property.
"It would be up to the city to decide to enforce the no camping bylaws, so it would not really involve us unless they engaged us some way in that," added Woolley.
Meantime, the downtown resident says he is just going to try to avoid the area moving forward.
"During daylight hours I still do around there but I am thinking I might not anymore," he said.
"It is just getting worse by the day and in nighttime hours when it is dark I do not because at the back of the park where they are there are no lights so I don't feel comfortable using that spot anymore."
Now as a downtown resident he will have to walk further to access safe green space.
But he hopes that changes soon.
"What I would like to see done is have them moved to an appropriate location," he said bluntly.
"I know the city is in a tough spot with that because there are not many resources for this community right now but if the police service is going to be aware of it and monitor it and allow it to happen, they should at least have an officer present or security present at all times so no situation does arise."
