Unable to turn away, a Londoner's action offers help and hope on the frontlines of the homeless crisis

London, Ont. -

A short distance from some of London’s highest priced real estate, an all too common scene played out in an encampment beneath a bridge.

On Tuesday morning while walking along the Thames River, Joseph Avery-North spotted a man in distress.

He was laying on the ground wrapped in blankets next to a smouldering fire and wheelchair.

“He was writhing around a bit and moaning,” explained Avery-North. “I just came over and asked are you OK? Do you need help? He asked for an ambulance.”

Avery-North called 911 and the man was taken to the hospital by ambulance.

City Hall is preparing to launch its Winter Response for Unsheltered Individuals, but some outreach workers on the front lines of the crisis warn that this will be another tragic winter.

The program will launch in December, including 70 overnight spaces in converted construction trailers.

Daniel Oudshoorn, an outreach worker with Sanctuary London, estimates there are currently between 150 to 300 Londoners without shelter.

Oudshoorn believes the city needs a much larger response, “It only covers a small number of people, and we are still going to see many people struggling to live while sleeping outside this winter.”
Joseph Avery-North shows CTV London's Daryl Newcombe where he found a homeless man in distress, Nov. 23, 2021.

He believes tackling homelessness will require all Londoners to reconsider their priorities.

“Are we expanding profits for a small number of our population, or do we want everyone in London to have a place to live that’s safe and warm?” he asked aloud.

Avery-North explained that he stopped to help a stranger wrapped in blankets because they had something in common.

“I was there when I was 16,” he said with a nod. “I was homeless, so I know what it’s like to be alone and to feel nobody cares about you.”

Now a musician and freelance journalist, Avery-North still feels invested in the man’s future.

“My concern is that he is not going to get the help that he needs, because one of the (paramedics) said he’d taken him to the hospital back in the summertime. So whatever safeguards and systems we have in place, they’re not working.”

Middlesex-London EMS tell CTV News London the man was transported to hospital and admitted for a mental health evaluation. 

Meanwhile CTV News has learned that London Cares will be providing him with a new wheelchair as the other one was too damaged.