Staff Photo
Local leaders are starting a conversation about the reality of homelessness in our area.
Representatives of the City of Dryden, Northwestern Health Unit, Kenora District Services Board and other officials gathered Wednesday night to launch the ‘There’s No Place Like a Home’ campaign.
The campaign aims to raise awareness about what homelessness looks like in the Dryden and Machin area to build support for long-term solutions.
Community member and advocate Shauna Pinkerton often distributes harm reduction supplies and says the stigma must end to provide people much needed support and stability.
“They are someone’s children, they are someone’s sister, brother, niece, nephew, neighbour and they are also a pebble in the ripple effect. You throw a pebble into the water, the ripple goes out, it
Shauna Pinkerton. Staff Photo.
starts with the immediate family and works it’s way out into the community which is why we’re all here. We’re losing people.”
Officials say better understanding of the challenges those experiencing homelessness face everyday is the first step.
“The reality of homelessness in our community is that it’s often hidden and can look different from what we see in large cities,” said Greg Wilson, Mayor of the City of Dryden. “People without a place to live may often rely on couch-surfing, hospital stays or even jails to make it through our harsh winters. As indigenous and non-indigenous community leaders seeking solutions in the region we must, together, be pragmatic and strategic in our approach as opposed to ideological and political.”
While these challenges won’t be solved overnight, Councillor Shayne MacKinnon stresses this is long over due.
“It’s not a new discussion but now it is a much more serious discussion and I think that we really need the discussion on the long term solutions to mitigate these problems in the community. Ultimately, we need action now.”
A 2018 homelessness enumeration found that 1.08% of the population in the District of Kenora identify as homeless, making the District one of the highest rates of homelessness in Ontario and more than most of the province’s big cities.
Board Chair of the KDSB Barry Baltessen stresses without a home, it’s difficult to find and keep a job or maintain a healthy and normal life.
“Having a place to call home is a fundamental right for individuals and their families to thrive in Dryden, Machin, and all our communities. It is our collective hope that, as a community, we can work together to understand better the complex factors that come into play as to why someone would be experiencing homelessness or be at-risk of homelessness. To help improve the situation of homelessness, it will take all of us, through a collaborative effort, to educate ourselves and to identify supports and strategies that will help those who struggle the most.”
The campaign will run throughout the winter months, sharing facts about the issue of homelessness and what it looks like in our community.
Most of the campaign will take place online, using social media and other digital outlets to reach residents.
Increasing awareness about homelessness is a goal identified in Dryden and Machin’s Community Safety and Wellbeing Plan.
Logo provided by Northwestern Health Unit.
