'We can't just stop here': Downtown Mission hosts community cleanup event
For the first time since moving to Ouellette Avenue, the Downtown Mission held a community cleanup event, which saw more than 50 people — a mix of staff, volunteers, guests and community partners — pick up debris and trash between Elliott and Erie Streets.
Friday's cleanup also marked the first time the city's commissioner of Human and Health Services rolled up their sleeves to join in the cleanup efforts.
"We can't just stop here. It's like when I always talk about one time funding, it's not just about one time, this has to be ongoing. This has to be sustainable," said Andrew Daher. "Everyone as part of this community, whether it's residents, businesses, citizens, we all have to be part of this change."
But Daher acknowledged real change can only occur once any negative judgements people may hold about the homeless population are thrown away, in favour of active listening and empathetic understanding to people's individual situations.
"I've met CFL players. I've met individuals who are working class citizens, just down on their luck," he said. "Many of these folks just need another year. They are contributing members of society and just need that upper hand."
The state of Windsor's downtown has been a major point of discussion in recent months.
Just this week, a town hall meeting at city hall saw multiple residents and business owners express concern over needles and trash being scattered in the area.
According to Rukshini Ponniah-Goulin, executive director for the Downtown Mission, Friday's cleanup effort was planned long before this week's meeting.
"It is something we are trying to address as well ... but we are now trying to make sure that everyone is aware to call 311 if they ever see a sharp out there. We don't want people to be handling them themselves," said Ponniah-Goulin, adding the city will use those calls to track where additional sharps containers may be needed.
Ponniah-Goulin added, through efforts like this, the Downtown Mission hopes to establish good rapport and foster a healthy relationship with the surrounding neighbourhood.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
2 teens charged in Halifax homicide: police
Two teenagers have been charged with second-degree murder in connection to an alleged homicide near the Halifax Shopping Centre earlier this week.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.
ByteDance prefers TikTok shutdown in U.S. if legal options fail, Reuters sources say
TikTok owner ByteDance would prefer to shut down its loss-making app rather than sell it if the Chinese company exhausts all legal options to fight legislation to ban the platform from app stores in the U.S., four sources said.
12-year-old hippo in Japan raised as a male discovered to be a female
When Gen-chan arrived at a zoo in Japan in 2017, no one questioned whether the then-five-year-old hippopotamus was a boy. Seven years later, zoo staff made a surprising discovery: Gen-chan, now 12, was female.
Here's why Harvey Weinstein's New York rape conviction was tossed and what happens next
Here's what you need to know about why movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's rape conviction was thrown out and what happens next.
Improve balance and build core strength with this exercise
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.
Legendary hockey broadcaster Bob Cole dies at 90: CBC
Bob Cole, a welcome voice for Canadian hockey fans for a half-century, has died at the age of 90. Cole died Wednesday night in St. John's, N.L., surrounded by his family, his daughter, Megan Cole, told the CBC.