Mayor of Sarnia calls on senior governments to solve urban encampment crisis

At Rainbow Park on the south side of downtown Sarnia, security officers walk a beat of a different kind – one with grass below their feet rather than pavement.

At one end of the park, a crew is onsite to deliver fencing that will be erected around part of the perimeter, while in the centre of the park, new lighting is being installed.

Mobile washrooms have also been added to this urban greenspace.

Meanwhile in the southwest corner of the park, mother and daughter Michele and Tara Fraser go about their daily lives at their encampment. Daily chores include cleaning and laundry, at least as much as what’s possible in this outdoor setting.

“A lot of confusion, a lot of confusion,” the pair said in unison when asked how things are going.

“They are, I guess, putting a fence up and they keep telling us to move here, move there, we’re not quite sure what’s going on. A lot of confusion,” lamented Michele, the elder of the two.

Tara and Michele Fraser speak with CTV News at Rainbow Park in Sarnia on June 26, 2024. (Bryan Bicknell/CTV News London)

“We’re glad they finally have washrooms though, that’s a plus side,” added Tara.

The emergency measures at the park were approved by Sarnia City Council late last week.

Mayor Mike Bradley said they’re trying to prevent someone from getting hurt.

“We did not choose that site, the homeless chose it,” exclaimed Bradley. “But we’re trying to do what we can to assist that neighbourhood, and bring some care and control to it. Knowing that we cannot eliminate it thanks to some of the courts’ decisions. Until that changes in the courts, removing people is a futile gesture by municipalities.”

On Wednesday, there were several dozen tents at the park, all lined up along the west side, closest to the waterfront. The city estimates there are about 50 people staying in the encampment, but there could be many more based on the number of temporary dwellings onsite.

An encampment is pictured at Rainbow Park in Sarnia on June 26, 2024. (Bryan Bicknell/CTV News London)

Many neighbours say the city has made the situation worse, and the emergency measures are inviting more crime to the neighbourhood, not less.

“There’s been people overdosing on my front lawn. I go out and say, ‘Do you need an ambulance,’ and they pull knives on me. They’ve robbed everything that’s not bolted to the ground. All my lawn furniture, the bricks from around my fire pit,” exclaimed a frustrated Chris David, who lives nearby.

“I’ve been paying taxes here for 25 years. Where’s our sense of security,” he asked.

Neighbourhood mom Breanna Bentley said she’s seeing more and more trouble in the area.

“We have stuff getting stolen all the time. There’s a street over there, there’s a little park where kids get on and off the bus to school, and people are in the park overdosing and stuff,” she said.

Security officers are seen at Rainbow Park in Sarnia on June 26, 2024. (Bryan Bicknell/CTV News London)

Bradley is calling on the provincial and federal governments to come up with a permanent solution for urban encampments, so it’s not left to municipal staff to deal with a human crisis they’re not equipped for.

“London’s doing their actions. Windsor’s doing theirs. We’re doing ours. We need them to show the leadership and the funding to help us deal with this. This is not going to be solved at the local level. It has to be solved by the province, the federal government to show the leadership, to take more responsibility, and not just keep pointing to say, ‘Well we need more housing,’” said Bradley.

The mayor said he’s expecting some kind of a provincial commitment to be announced toward solving the homelessness crisis and the urban encampment situation when the Association of Municipalities of Ontario meets in August.

As for Michele and Tara Fraser, they say they’re not sure what they’ll do come winter, but for now, this is home.

“What brought me out here was because this is where we were told where we ought to be, in one spot,” said Michele.

“I don’t like being homeless, per se, myself so I feel more comfortable with my mum, and that’s why I came out here,” added Tara.