As originally envisaged, legislative fiat would
include prohibiting the use or distribution of tents or tarps in public parks or lands without a permit, banning food and grocery distribution in public spaces without permission and reducing timelines for park camping and the storage of goods in public spaces.
As well, bylaws were
to be changed to prohibit payments to panhandlers on city streets, intersections and highway ramps.
For now, likely as a result of unpleasant publicity, the city has backed off from the plan.
Councillors referred the controversial bylaws back to staff at a meeting Wednesday night.
Council’s plan was to have the legislation be enforced, under the Provincial Offences Act, by bylaw officers or members of the Barrie Police Service, with individual fines set to range from $500 to $100,000, [my emphasis] depending on the circumstance.
Before the council meeting, dozens of residents gathered outside city hall, many holding signs and speaking out in opposition to the proposed rules.
“Charitable acts of kindness are central to our community,” Coun. Jim Harris said. “We do not want to punish that; that’s not the intent. I look forward to having a better bylaw that reflect what people really want.”
Marie-Josée Houle, a federal housing advocate whose non-partisan office works under the umbrella of the Canadian Human Rights Commission, had also urged council to backtrack.
“These measures would severely restrict access to basic shelter and food for people living in local homeless encampments and, as such, are in direct contravention of international human rights standards,” she wrote in a letter to members of council, Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Steve Clark.
“I am concerned that the proposed approach of the city to deny basic shelter to people living without access to housing or other safe and adequate formal shelter options will lead to a worsening of the crisis that your residents are experiencing,” she wrote.
I have seen all manner of human debasement in my lifetime. Criminalizing compassion and charity is but another egregious example.
It is clearly the true evil here.
UPDATE: In my view, the following represents a pusillanimous 'walk-back' from Barrie's mayor regarding the bylaw proposal. Apparently, it is all a 'miscommunication' due to sloppy wording and not a war on compassion after all:
Canadians' eyes are on you and your council, Mr. Mayor.
