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BY ERIC SHIH, LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER THUNDER BAY SOURCE Kenora Moving Forward is holding a community discussion on safe streets to bring together people to talk about reducing harm in the downtown core. Elaina Boutwell, the community co-ordinator and community space lead for Kenora Moving For ward, said the Saturday meeting coincides with the beginning of the summer season. “Just in conversations with people, it sounds like it would be good to have another one,” she said. “(If) we want to come up with any solutions together, this might be a good time to put something together. Boutwell said they would like to have a broad va riety of people attending, including street-involved individuals and business owners. “We'll facilitate a discussion so that everyone’s voices can be heard and everyone can feel like they’ve been a part of it.” Andy Scribilo, the president of the Kenora and District Chamber of Commerce, said he has attend ed these meetings in the past and is planning on at tending on Saturday. He said he will try to have members of the business community attend as well. “An invite goes out to discuss of how to bring the two realms together and make it safe for the sum mer for both sides,” he said Scribilo said because of safety incidents late last year, many businesses are keeping their doors locked “People just feeling uneasy because most of the businesses here don’t have a full view of who’s com ing in and what’s happening,” he said. “They’re feel ing very apprehensive and I really agree with the businesses. I’m in the chamber right now. We keep our doors locked until a member comes up or a per son wanting to do business.” He said the increased street patrol during the day in downtown by the Ontario Provincial Police is making a difference. “During the day now when the police are out, it’s a very positive, including at our mall, where they’re cruising and patrolling the area for what’s going Many businesses are keeping their doors locked in Kenora after safety incidents last year, says a local business group official on.’ Boutwell said the voices of unhoused people are not particularly well heard in decision making cir cles. “It is often difficult to get the folks who are living on the street to be able to prioritize and be a part of a board meeting, right? It’s not the first thing they want to do, she said. “It’s getting creative and find ing ways to really listen to the voices of people in ways that work for them and find ways to include those voices in a realistic and (manageable) way.” Boutwell said these types of issues are not unique to Kenora. “Housing and evictions are issues everywhere right now, but Kenora is kind of unique in the way that our social fabric here kind of deals with it. But I think that the size of our city is a really good size to be able to tackle this and be able to solve it togeth er. “I think that there’s lots of hope here for us to fig ure it out,” she said. The community session takes place at the Ne- Chee Friendship Centre event space Saturday from 2-4 p.m. CITY OF KENORA
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Chronicle Journal
Thunder Bay, Ontario, CA
Wed, May 24, 2023
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