OrilliaMatters welcomes letters to the editor at [email protected]. Please include your daytime phone number and address (for verification of authorship, not publication). The following letter is in response to an article about a homeless encampment being removed by the city, published June 14.
In Toronto, Queen’s Park has convenient paths among the trees. What they did was use formalized trails, which arose naturally, as people just went through the greenspace from one place to another on their daily activities.
Orillia, and any other city, could note where homeless encampments arise naturally.
Consult the homeless residents.
Purchase the land, or buy more suitable land, as a city-owned place, where folk can live in tents free of charge, with certain basic facilities (including mailboxes) provided.
And give it a nice name, like Horesh, the forest where David and his wandering men took refuge in ancient Israel.
This might also apply to the benefit of folk who live in cars and vans.
Not ideal, but would give time to work on root causes, income, and affordable housing.
After all, how we treat, what we do for “the least of these” is very important.
“I saw them chase the (trespassers) out of the little town” is not good enough.
Ralph Wood
Orillia
