Miramichi mayor responds to legal challenge to shelter site

A legal challenge to the location of an out-of-the-cold shelter in Miramichi has frustrated city councillors, Mayor Adam Lordon says.

"I think most of us on council were disappointed and and frustrated to hear of that action," Lordon said Tuesday.

Council had unanimously approved a plan by the non-profit group Miramichi Housing Solutions to open a seasonal shelter on city property that used to have a fire hall, said Lordon. 

Then a group of businesses filed for a court injunction to try to prevent the shelter from opening there. The case is expected to be heard Dec. 12.

Lordon described the chosen shelter site as an "industrial brownfield" on the outskirts of downtown Newcastle — an area that is not densely populated by homes or businesses.

It's "adjacent" to downtown, where homeless people currently congregate, he said.

"There is a very active and concerning presence in this area of town already," said Lordon.

"This will create safety for the homeless population. They won't be sleeping in store vestibules and store backyards. They'll have a safe place to go that's accessible for them and that will create safety as well for the rest of the community."

Lordon said he has heard from some members of the business community who support the new location, and he expected that support would be more widespread,

"From the conversations that I've had with members of the business community over the last weekend and over the last couple of years … there are many folks in the business community who are concerned for the greater good of the community and the health and wellness of these individuals," he said.

He acknowledged there were complaints from businesses about last winter's shelter, but he said that's when it was located at the Lindon Recreation Centre, which is in a busier area near the civic centre.

"This new location, I certainly felt actually spoke to their concerns and addressed their concerns. So … a bit surprised by the reaction," said Lordon.

The mayor said he hopes the city and concerned businesses can get together to discuss the situation, but he's not suggesting any change to the plan.

"We're hopeful that things will play out and and the out of the cold shelter will proceed as intended," he said.

Business community representatives said last week they felt they weren't consulted about the choice of location.

Lordon said it was selected by the operator of the would-be shelter, Miramichi Housing Solutions, formerly known as Miramichi Youth House, based on best practices. 

A person who answered the phone at the group's office said its executive director would be unavailable for a few weeks,  and no one else was able to speak with CBC News. 

Miramichi Housing Solutions runs the only permanent shelter in Miramichi, noted Lordon. It has seven beds and is "consistently" full. 

Lordon said the city asked the non-profit to notify neighbouring businesses about its plans for the out-of-the-cold shelter. He acknowledged that process did not occur as smoothly as possible.

That was regrettable, he said, but he wouldn't necessarily have made any difference to site selection.

It's difficult to get everyone to agree on any location, said the mayor.

"There certainly is an element of NIMBYism that takes place with these types of facilities," he said.

A balance needs to be struck, but lots of weight should be given to experts and best practices, said Lordon.

Other communities, including Saint John, have experimented with shelters that are farther removed from the downtown area and found costly transportation issues made it impractical, he said.

Lordon said the City of Miramichi has limited experience or resources to deal with homelessness issues.

Homeless people only became evident in the city within the last couple of years, he said.

"Ultimately, we're looking for guidance, really, and leadership from the province on exactly how to address this," said Lordon.

"This should be an area where the province is providing greater leadership in terms of the path forward, in terms of support for the mental health and addictions piece … but also in the creation of housing," he said.