The Salvation Army and other services held a homeless exhibit and one-on-one discussion at the Toronto Fire and EMS Training Academy on Knox Ave in Leslieville on Saturday. It offered residents a chance to learn about plans to open a 124-bed homeless shelter at 29 Leslie St. The location is a now vacant factory south of Queen Street. Several dozen people attended the meeting. The was no opportunity to speak publicly but concern took the form of one mother’s fear that her children might not be safe going to school, and anoher person who said seniors might be afraid to walk out at night. The shelter is needed says the Army because of the closure of its Hope Shelter on College Street at McCaul Street, which it was forced to close last April after the property’s owner sold the building. Andrew Burditt of the Salvation Army was present Saturday and said the Army has been working with the City to find a new location to replace the Hope Shelter.This vacant site in a commercial neighborhood seems to be a good fit.
No resistance? No one I spoke to at the meeting was happy about it! Resigned perhaps as it has been announced as a fait accomplis as we have been told it’s going through and there is nothing anyone can do about it except mitigate the impact.