In August of last year, the government of Ontario estimated that nearly a quarter of a million people in the province are homeless. That works out to roughly 3 of every 200 residents.
The figures, published in a housing ministry document, were about nine times higher than the auditor general’s most recent estimate. And still, experts agree that the true number of people experiencing homelessness in Ontario is even higher.
To date, there still hasn’t been a province-wide strategy shared to address the reality of homelessness, leaving too many living outdoors in encampments.
According to Homeless Hub, the most recent numbers for Nipissing-North Bay are from 2021, which listed 300 individuals experiencing homelessness and an additional 31 who count among the hidden homeless at that time.
“In the last 5-8 years, we have seen a marked increase in poverty/homelessness in North Bay,” says James Ahola, Owner and Manager of Gateway Home Hardware. “Rising rents have made housing unaffordable for many, especially those with addiction and mental health issues.”
This time of year, he is especially concerned. “Being outdoors in January or February can be deadly with the cold.”
Ahola has been donating items he thinks could help—tarps, blankets, sleeping bags, etc.—via outreach workers who distribute these donations directly to the people in homeless encampments. “No agencies are involved,” he says. “We have been doing this for the last 4-5 years, but more heavily in the last two.”
He encourages everyone to lend a hand, in whatever way they’re able. “If the public wants to be involved, I believe there are Facebook groups they can join,” says Ahola. “I would also like to encourage public support for warming centres for the homeless in these extreme low temperatures.”
He thought he heard that Sault Ste. Marie had a bus they let people sleep in during the extreme cold. “We need something like that here, just to get through the bad nights,” he says. There is great need for shelter from extreme weather; local government or charitable groups could help.
“In the recent cold snap, people are still sleeping outside, and there is a serious lack of municipal and provincial caretaking of these people. Their lives are at risk in the severe cold.”
There is something else he has noticed too. “The other side of the coin is that there is also a small segment of this population that we sadly have to monitor in the store for shoplifting,” he says. “Shoplifting is an awful part of retail. We have seen that—and worse—over the years, and it’s getting worse.” Ahola was once assaulted while escorting someone who was out of control from the store. Staff work as a team to deal with issues and help as best they can.
He agrees with this quote, attributed to Mahatma Ghandi: “The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members.”
Adds Ahola, “The whole situation is fairly heartbreaking.”
For more information, visit Gateway Home Hardware or call 705-472-4660.
RESOURCES
- Crisis Centre North Bay
- The Compassionate Committee for the Homeless in North Bay – Facebook
- Homelessness & Emergency Shelter Services – District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board
- Cold Weather District-Wide Homeless Response – DNSSAB
This article was sponsored by Gateway Home Hardware , a 2024 BayToday Reader Favourite.