Church warned zoning doesn’t permit soup kitchen that feeds hundreds of homeless Londoners
Ark Aid Street Mission has been given a deadline to comply with municipal zoning rules, or its homeless drop-in space will be forced to cease services inside a church.
“A zoning bylaw could shut down the only drop-in space that currently opens to 20 or more people in our community,” explains Sarah Campbell, executive director of Ark Aid.
The organization relocated to First Baptist Church on Richmond Row, behind the Victoria Park bandshell, during the renovation of its building in Old East Village.
The drop-in space offers dinner seven days a week, as well as lunch and afternoon drop-in space complete with showers, clothing and links to support services.
It serves between 300 and 400 Londoners experiencing homelessness.
An encampment outside First Baptist Church in London, Ont., on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022. (Daryl Newcombe/CTV News London)
“It’s an effort to do what we can, but we haven’t been able to do enough,” says Pastor Alan Roberts of First Baptist Church as he struggles to holds back tears. “It aches that we are being told we can’t be ourselves.”
“It’s so important,” adds Yvan Boudreault who has lunch every day in the church basement. “People would starve without this place.”
A notice sent by London City Hall to First Baptist Church trustees indicates that the church is zoned as a “place of worship,” but the current lease as a drop-in requires it to be zoned as an “assembly hall.”
CTV News London reached out for comment, but no one from civic administration was made available for an interview to explain the decision to issue a deadline.
An emailed statement to CTV News London explains, “Ark Aid is leasing the space and providing the services as a separate entity, they are not operating as a place of worship, which is a permitted use, but rather as an assembly hall, which is not.”
The city suggests three solutions:
- The church can assume care and control of the services
- The church can pursue a zoning amendment
- Ark Aid can find an alternate location
“Churches and organizations partner all the time to provide services,” responds Campbell.
The city’s decision to strictly enforce the zoning by-law is having a chilling effect at other churches that have stepped up during London, Ont.'s homelessness crisis.
“My own Anglican community, we have churches that put on breakfasts and dinners for hundreds of people once a week,” adds Rev. Kevin George of St. Aidan’s Anglican Church. “Are they going to be getting the next notices saying they are not [zoned as] ‘assembly halls’ so they can’t have people in to eat?”
Many merchants and residents along Richmond Row have expressed concern in recent weeks about the large number of people living in Victoria Park and along the business district since Ark Aid’s arrival.
The city says its enforcement of the zoning by-law is based on a number of complaints.
“We really can’t give in to this not-in-my-backyard mentality that seems to be rising up in this city right now,” warns George.
A rezoning application would cost $12,000 and takes three to six months.
Violating the zoning by-law can result in a fine up to $25,000 for a first offence.
Ark Aid Street Mission’s entrance inside First Baptist Church in London, Ont., on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022. (Daryl Newcombe/CTV News London)
The mayor does not have authority to intervene in by-law enforcement, but Ed Holder wants to see the situation resolved.
“I think there can be a solution. It’s my sincere hope if we keep our focus on what matters most,” Holder tells CTV News London. “You are measured as a community by how you take care of your most vulnerable.”
The renovation to Ark Aid Street Mission’s building in Old East Village is on hold until another $1 million can be fundraised for design changes that meet current building codes.
Recently, Pastor Joshua Lawrence of First St. Andrew’s United Church, Rev. Kevin George of St. Aidan’s Anglican Church, and Ark Aid Street Mission sent an invitation to over 100 churches and faith-based groups to meet on Sept. 27 to discuss supporting a winter response homelessness this year.
The city has agreed to extend the deadline from Oct. 4 to Oct. 20.
If a solution isn’t found before the deadline, Campbell says Ark Aid Street Mission will seek to find other ways to fulfill its commitment to aiding Londoners experiencing homelessness.
“It’s difficult when the city is saying to the community to come together with a plan for winter, come together to serve this population, and then cuts us off at the knees,” she says.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
There's actually no such thing as vegetables. Here's why you should eat them anyway
The rumours are true: Vegetables aren't real — that is, in botany, anyway. While the term fruit is recognized botanically as anything that contains a seed or seeds, vegetable is actually a broad umbrella term.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man pays $7,700 for luxury villa found on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
BREAKING Israeli forces seize Rafah border crossing in Gaza, putting ceasefire talks on knife's edge
Israeli tanks seized control of Gaza’s vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday as Israel brushed off urgent warnings from close allies and moved into the southern city even as ceasefire negotiations with Hamas remained on a knife’s edge.
Canadian cadets rock mullets and place second at U.S. military competition
Sporting mullets, Canadian Armed Forces officer cadets placed second in an annual military skills competition in the U.S.
Noelia Voigt resigns as Miss USA, citing her mental health
Noelia Voigt, who was crowned Miss USA in November 2023, has announced she is resigning from her role, saying the decision is in the best interest of her mental health.
Putin begins his fifth term as president, more in control of Russia than ever
Vladimir Putin began his fifth term Tuesday as Russian leader at a glittering Kremlin inauguration, setting out on another six years in office after destroying his political opponents, launching a devastating war in Ukraine and concentrating all power in his hands.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.