'People have stopped coming': Longtime volunteer at the Palace Theatre pleads with city not to bring more homeless services to Old East Village
Located near the epicentre of London’s homelessness crisis, the Palace Theatre continues to bring the performing arts to the Old East Village, but volunteer and former board chair David Long is blunt about its outlook.
“People have stopped coming or are telling us they won't come because of the issues outside of our building,” he told CTV News. “[It] doesn't matter what's on the stage. You have to get people in the door, and if they don't feel safe, they don't come in the door.”
Long has been volunteering with the Palace Theatre for 47 years and the stage was renamed in his honour last year.
He wants city hall to develop a plan to address the homelessness crisis that doesn’t include more frontline agencies/services within the Old East Village Business Improvement Area (BIA).
“They're just throwing money at it and seeing where it sticks on the wall. There is no plan,” Long told CTV News. “It's really difficult, and they're destroying the businesses in this neighborhood in the process.”
On Tuesday, a majority of city council backed a motion forbidding London’s share of the $250 million federal encampment program from being spent on daytime or overnight resting spaces located on the main street of BIA’s.
Volunteer and former board chair David Long speaks with CTV News on Friday, November 8, 2024 (Daryl Newcombe/CTV News London)
“Every part of the city should be doing their fair share to take on these problems. And at the moment, that's not happening,” Long asserted.
He expects other neighbourhoods to push back against having resources for homeless Londoners spread more evenly throughout the city—but OEV can’t handle any more.
“It should be all across the city. We do not need this many agencies within two blocks of the theatre,” he added.
The new federal funding to address encampments is expected to be distributed to municipalities before winter.
London’s share has yet to be announced.
Shopping Trends
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Shameful': Monument honouring fallen soldiers included names of living veterans
Veterans are asking for answers after discovering that two sculptures in Ontario honouring fallen soldiers include the names of many people who are very much alive.
'If it ain't broke don't fix it': U.S. ambassador warns Canada against cutting Mexico out of trilateral trade deal
Cutting Mexico out of the current North American free trade deal 'may not be the best path to take,' says U.S. Ambassador to Canada David Cohen.
Canada's air force took video of object shot down over Yukon, updated image released
The Canadian military has released more details and an updated image of the unidentified object shot down over Canada's Yukon territory in February 2023.
Cookie inflation: How much more is your holiday baking costing you this year?
Estimate how much more your Christmas cookies will cost to bake this year compared to the past five years using Statistics Canada's monthly average retail price data.
Smash and grab: Canada sees a spike in jewelry store robberies
Many cities across Canada are seeing a spike in jewelry store robberies in recent months.
Invasive species could be hiding in your Christmas decor. Here's how to stop the spread
Make sure to look through your holiday decorations, as Christmas trees, wreaths, and other natural decor can have invasive insects, eggs, and plants that pose a threat to local ecosystems and the economy.
This watch was carved from a meteorite that hit Earth a million years ago
A new watch from design duo Toledano & Chan has been carved from a meteorite that slammed into Earth around one million years ago.
Police find bag carried by gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare's CEO, say he likely fled NYC on bus
Investigators found a backpack in Central Park that was carried by the shooter, police said Friday, following a massive sweep to find it in a vast area with lakes and ponds, meadows, playgrounds and a densely wooded section called 'The Ramble.'
A police photographer recounts the harrowing day of the Polytechnique massacre
Montreal crime scene photographer Harold Rosenberg witnessed a lot of horror over his 30 years on the job, though nothing of the magnitude of what he captured with his lens at the Polytechnique on Dec. 6, 1989. He described the day of the Montreal massacre to CTV Quebec Bureau Chief Genevieve Beauchemin.
Kitchener
-
Threat that caused school lockdowns in Guelph came from the United States
Guelph Police Service is releasing more information about a call that caused two schools to go into lockdown and a third to implement hold-and-secure measures earlier this week.
-
University of Waterloo harnessing the power of alpaca poop
The University of Waterloo is trying to create an unusual type of compost.
-
Legal experts concerned about promised encampment legislation
Legal experts are raising concerns about human rights violations as the provincial government promises more powers to deal with growing encampments across the province.
Barrie
-
Driver charged after passing snow plow in front of oncoming OPP vehicle
A driver was pulled over and charged after passing a snow plow in front of an oncoming OPP vehicle.
-
Multi-vehicle crash on Highway 400 snarled traffic
A three-vehicle crash on Highway 400 snarled Friday afternoon traffic.
-
Man arrested after 16-hour standoff with Barrie police seeks to be released from custody
The 43-year-old man taken to hospital in distress following a 16-hour armed standoff with Barrie police last month is seeking bail.
Windsor
-
'I do think it is extraordinary': Law community expresses concern over notwithstanding clause threat
Hundreds of professionals within the law community have expressed concern with the premier’s threat of using the notwithstanding clause to back new legislation promising a crackdown on encampments.
-
Suspects sought after two hardware store break-ins
Essex County OPP are investigating two overnight break-ins at hardware stores.
-
Homeless encampment returns to the chagrin of residents
Ashley Harrington's problem was solved for a short time, but then a homeless encampment returned behind her property.
Northern Ontario
-
Northern Ontario man sentenced for killing his dog
WARNING: This article contains graphic details of animal abuse which may be upsetting to some readers. A 40-year-old northern Ontario man is avoiding prison after pleading guilty to killing his dog earlier this year.
-
How the combination of diapers and splash pads led to 10K illnesses
New research is raising concerns about the safety of splash pads, which can be ground zero for germs and greatly increase the risk of spreading disease.
-
Purolator, UPS pause shipments from couriers amid Canada Post strike
Purolator and UPS have paused shipments from some courier companies as they try to work through a deluge of deliveries brought on by the Canada Post strike.
Sault Ste. Marie
-
Northern Ontario man sentenced for killing his dog
WARNING: This article contains graphic details of animal abuse which may be upsetting to some readers. A 40-year-old northern Ontario man is avoiding prison after pleading guilty to killing his dog earlier this year.
-
Sault College health students showcase their work
Sault College students from three different health-care programs had the opportunity to present their work to local industry leaders at the institute’s second Health Care Research Showcase.
-
Northern Ont. police catch liquor store thief, getaway driver
Two people from southern Ontario have been charged in connection with a liquor store robbery Wednesday in the Town of Thessalon. The suspects were caught after trying to flee on Highway 17 and hiding the booze in a snowbank.
Ottawa
-
Another blast of snow coming to Ottawa this weekend
It’s cold this Friday in Ottawa, as it feels like minus 17 in the morning and minus 10 in the afternoon with windchill.
-
OC Transpo to open Trillium Line in three stages starting Jan. 6
OC Transpo general manager Renee Amilcar announced the Lines 2 and 4 will open in three phases, starting with five-day service Monday to Friday beginning Jan. 6.
-
'The Gingerbread Man' in Manotick reopens 2 years after devastating fire
A popular store in Manotick has re-opened after a devastating fire closed the business down two years ago.
Toronto
-
One out of 10 Canadians had packages stolen in the past year: survey
One out of 10 Canadians say they have had at least one package stolen in the last year, according to a survey.
-
'They’re definitely worried:' Jewelry store robberies are on the rise in the GTHA
The GTHA has seen a spike in the number of jewelry store robberies in recent months with the Toronto Police Service reporting nearly double the number of incidents this year over last.
-
Charges stayed for 5 of 8 accused in shootout outside Toronto music studio
Charges have been stayed against five of the eight people accused in a shootout near a Toronto recording studio last month.
Montreal
-
'Duty to learn': Vigils mark 35th anniversary of Polytechnique anti-feminist killings
Braving a biting winter wind, dignitaries gathered in front of Polytechnique Montréal's main campus on Friday to pay tribute to the 14 women killed at the Montreal institution in an anti-feminist attack 35 years ago.
-
Quebec premier wants to ban praying in public
Premier François Legault took advantage of the last day of the parliamentary session on Friday to announce to 'Islamists' that he will 'fight' for Quebec values and possibly use the notwithstanding clause to ban prayer in public places such as parks.
-
Champs Sports Bar to ban dancing, karaoke after noise complaints
A dive bar on St-Laurent Boulevard is halting dance and karaoke events after the neighbouring landlord filed a noise complaint, and will build a soundproof wall to resolve the issue.
Atlantic
-
Maritime weekend weather: Cold start and snowy finish
Colder temperatures lie ahead for the weekend in the Maritimes with another swipe of snow and rain expected Sunday.
-
Sister of man found dead in Kentville, N.S., speaks out
The sister of a 52-year-old man found dead in a tent in Kentville, N.S., on Wednesday is speaking out on her loss.
-
WATCH LIVE
WATCH LIVE 61st annual Christmas Daddies Telethon airs Saturday on CTV
A beloved yearly tradition, the Christmas Daddies Telethon airs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 7, on CTV.
Winnipeg
-
Major Manitoba fossil milestones highlight the potential for future discoveries in the province
A trio of fossil finds through the years helped put Manitoba on the mosasaur map, and the milestone of those finds have all been marked in 2024.
-
Cops and taxes could be highlights of the next Winnipeg budget
Higher property tax hikes and more cops could be coming in next week's city budget.
-
Manitoba premier hints at change of location for supervised drug consumption site
The Manitoba government signalled Friday it is open to changing the location of a proposed supervised drug consumption site that had been revealed two days earlier and met with criticism.
Calgary
-
Calgarians panicked as Canada Post strike enters fourth week
The impacts of the Canada Post strike are ramping up as other shippers pause their pick-ups to clear growing backlogs.
-
Calgary company steps up to help grieving family with free furnace after fatal carbon monoxide poisoning
A Calgary furnace company stepped up big time Friday to help a Calgary family grieving the loss of a loved one.
-
Calgary's Seraphina Ellen takes Taylor Swift tribute to Vancouver to mark Eras Tour arrival
Seraphina Ellen, a third-year finance student at the University of Calgary, received attention online for performing Taylor Swift covers at university open mics.
Edmonton
-
Security guard killed at Edmonton apartment building
Homicide detectives are investigating the death of a security guard in central Edmonton on Friday morning.
-
'Focus on bad guys': Albertans react to expansion of federal gun ban
A local gun store owner says the new federal gun ban has left the industry shell-shocked.
-
Markets, spirit of giving and hockey: What a weekend in Edmonton
It's the first weekend in December and that means there will be plenty of holiday events for all to enjoy.
Regina
-
Bernadette McIntyre named Saskatchewan's 24th Lieutenant Governor
Saskatchewan’s 24th Lieutenant Governor will be Bernadette McIntyre after being appointed to the position by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday.
-
Roses handed out in commemoration of polytechnic massacre
Members of the YWCA handed out roses at the University of Regina to bring awareness to violence against women.
-
Sask. father who kept daughter from mom to prevent COVID-19 vaccine free from additional prison time
Michael Gordon Jackson, the Saskatchewan father who withheld his then seven-year-old daughter from her mom for nearly 100 days to prevent the girl from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, was handed a 12-month prison sentence and 200 days probation on Friday, but credited with time served.
Saskatoon
-
'You're not alone': Saskatoon woman turns the page on years of domestic violence
For one Saskatoon woman, Dec. 6 was not just the national day of action on violence against women — it was the day her abusive ex-husband was sentenced for his years of physical abuse against her.
-
Sask. man involved in Megan Gallagher's murder sentenced to life in prison
Robert 'Bobby' Thomas will spend life behind bars, ineligible for parole for 18 years, for his role in Megan Gallagher's murder.
-
Sask. special support classrooms mean segregation for neurodiverse students, critics say
The Saskatchewan government is set to expand a pilot program designed to minimize disruptive behaviours in school classrooms, but some are concerned that it will segregate children with disabilities from and harm their development.
Vancouver
-
Long time coming: Taylor Swift's Eras Tour arrives at final stop in Vancouver
Pop superstar Taylor Swift greeted some 55,000 eager fans in downtown Vancouver Friday with what’s become a familiar opening line.
-
The East Van Cross could be moving to a new location
The iconic East Van Cross could be getting a new home, as Vancouver councillors are set to discuss moving the artwork to a more accessible location.
-
More cases of parasite causing deadly whirling disease in fish found in B.C. waters
The British Columbia government says it has detected more cases of a parasite that Parks Canada describes as potentially devastating to young trout and salmon.
Vancouver Island
-
B.C. ombudsman to investigate delay in sending social assistance cheques amid post strike
Thousands of social assistance cheques have not been distributed in British Columbia because of the Canada Post strike, prompting an investigation by provincial ombudsperson Jay Chalke.
-
Long time coming: Taylor Swift's Eras Tour arrives at final stop in Vancouver
Pop superstar Taylor Swift greeted some 55,000 eager fans in downtown Vancouver Friday with what’s become a familiar opening line.
-
Four-year-old superhero inspires smiles at B.C. long-term care home
While he’s not faster than a speeding bullet, nor more powerful than a locomotive, this four-year-old is proving to be a superhero.
