Progress made to establish new shelter

But there remain some hurdles to clear

Cornwall Standard Freeholder

15 September 2008  

Plans to establish a new shelter for displaced youth and the homeless continue to progress.

The key now, said Jamie Marsolais, is to get the entire community behind the project.

"Here's a chance for Cornwall to get one-time funding for something useful," said Marsolais, the research co-ordinator for a Phase 2 Cornwall Public Inquiry project called Shelter 2015. Marsolais and his Shelter 2015 colleagues are in the midst of creating a five-year plan for a new shelter to serve the community, and a final report is expected to be presented to Commissioner Normand Glaude by year's end.

Based on the research done to date, Marsolais said the shelter will aim to serve as a safe haven for the homeless -- both male and female -- as well as displaced youths between the ages of 16 and 18. "Those are the gaps we're trying to fill the most," he said. The plan is to start out small, with the shelter serving up to nine individuals at once. At this point, Shelter 2015 is talking to various community agencies to see how they can get involved in the project.

Despite the headway that's been made, there's still a major hurdle to overcome -- uniting what appears to be a divided community over the project. While the project enjoys overwhelming support, Marsolais said it seems some people are choosing to keep their distance because of the project's connection to the inquiry. Marsolais also senses a schism among some in the community. On one hand, some people still don't understand the impact of abuse, while on the other hand, some abuse victims seem to paint anything involving a professional as a conspiracy.

  Marsolais is asking everyone to put their differences aside for the benefit of a very important community project. "If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem," said Marsolais, a survivor himself. He is hopeful the project will begin to take physical shape within a year or so, and have the shelter fully operational by 2015. 

Article ID# 1199515

just as a remark on 2015?what the heck is wrong in this town they can rip open pitt street and second street and donate food to the agape center who also receives large shipments of food from toronto warehouses and pick it up at an undisclosed location which i do know where it is. as they always cry hard times but not to many are aware of the amount of food they store in various locations as i know due to voluntering my time for them and i was appauled to see what they all had, even while crying hard times they even ship donations received to ottawa and not keep it local like they advertise.but as for a shelter to take 7 years to open! and then only acomadate up to 9 people at a time wow thumbs up to cornwall for making homeless wait that long im glad that the city can make homeless wait that long and not offer a place in the mean time to help these people out.i went to the freeholder a few months back with pictures of a man whe sleeps in walmart parking lot as he only receives money for food not shelter from odsp and canada pension.so my wife and i who are on odsp all so went home to get food for this man and we even gave a pillow blanket and utensles for this man to use.now we are on the poverty list as well but the little that we did not have we still gave to him along with $10. as thats all we had on us but it was enough to help him out.I was told from andrew at the freeholder he would do a write up of this and follow up on the story with more to add in detail from his end but it never happened?.I am ashamed to be living in this city who lies and deceives people to get what they want at an unfair advantage towards the people who do need it the most but never get help back when in need themselves, or make people wait a week at a time for an appointment to get in to the food bank when they need it right away.I guees what im saying is id rather let a stranger in my home to feed and help with shelter then i would to see them die from weather conditions or from a lack of shelters that will take 7 years to open.i wish i could help more like that man i did as feel bad knowing there is nothing i can do.I hope people in this city could pull together for the homeless and needy and for god sakes make our donations stay in this city to help out the ones who need it the most. 

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