Controversial drop-in centre in Bridgewater, N.S., to close

A controversial drop-in centre for people living in Bridgewater, N.S., post-incarceration is closing.

Cedar Place has been at the corner of Dominion and King streets in the town since early 2024.

The mayor shared news of its closure on social media Thursday, noting the John Howard Society (JHS), which opened the facility, seemed ill-equipped to handle it.

“Further, during one of our early meetings with JHS to address concerns, in their own words, they indicated that the staff at Cedar Place, were, quote, ‘neither trained or equipped to deal with the type of clients we are seeing,’” said David Mitchell.

“As we are all painfully-aware, things continued to get worse and worse and worse, and it has been a long two years of issue after issue, pointing directly back to Cedar Place.”

The mayor called for its relocation during an interview with CTV News Atlantic last September, citing an increase in drug and criminal activity, including thefts from area businesses and proximity to schools.

“We have seen businesses that have lost 50 per cent of their sales, just since the opening as customers have stayed away. Increase in violence, we have had a tragic death in the river right across from the John Howard Society. So, the impact has been quite negative overall,” says Mitchell.

“It’s been operating for 24 months and for at least 18 months of that we have said something has to change. Our messaging has been consistent with whatever is happening there is not working.”

Police have reported a more than 400 per cent increase in lockups. They say “essentially” 100 per cent of that increase comes from the John Howard Society.

“We went from locking up 75 to 90 patrons a year to upwards of high 300s and that’s a significant increase for a town of this size,” says Deputy Chief Danny MacPhee, with the Bridgewater Police.

“It’s a concern for the community, which in turn turned it into a concern for us.”

MacPhee says the increased demand is putting a strain on everybody.

“They are tying up a lot of resources with us, the hospital, the court system, social support and all the business community. The amount of change the business community had to make with all the chronic shoplifting is unbelievable, and this never happened before,” he says. “We are responding to calls down there and three or four shoplifters a day. Then you get into addiction support and mental health calls on top of it.”

Cedar Place will stop operating as a drop-in service on March 27.

“The John Howard Society will continue to provide that supportive housing that’s located at Cedar Place and they will also continue to provide outreach supports in different parts of the community and we will continue to work with them in the transition to find a new service provider,” says Jaime Smith, Supportive Housing and Homelessness executive director.

Mitchell says the town council’s hope is that those who are looking for help find it.

“There will be news soon about supports in the community, which is great. People are struggling and they do need our compassion and support, BUT that cannot be at all costs,” he added.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Emma Convey.

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