‘We are the collateral damage’: Sarnia residents say approach Rainbow Park encampment taking its toll

Sarnia's expenses dealing with the Rainbow Park homeless encampment are at almost $1 million. Here's CTV London's Gerry Dewan with the details.

The final clear-out of Sarnia’s Rainbow Park encampment happened in mid-February. Fencing was put up and a security firm was hired to prevent tents from returning.

According to a staff report, the Rainbow Park response has cost taxpayers an estimated $937,000.

Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley continues to back the approach taken by the community, “Expensive. But we’re one of the few places in Ontario, and in Canada, that can say we took an encampment, and we’ve worked with them. We gave support to the people there, and as they left, they were not coming back. So, we’ve eliminated that encampment.”

Sharon Docherty lives in the south Sarnia neighbourhood near of the park. She said she saw it all, “The fighting. The drug dealers in and out all hours of the day. I saw the sex trafficking happen – that was horrendous.”

Neighbours say there was also periodic vandalism and thefts. One of the questions raised when the fences were erected: Where will the people from the encampment end up?

Among the steps being taken is a provincially supported Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hub. It’s tentatively planned for the former Sarnia Collegiate Institute and Technical School.

A property on George Street, owned by Lambton County, is being considered for a 51-unit supportive housing facility run by the Christian charitable agency Indwell.

Both of those facilities will also be located in south Sarnia. That doesn’t sit well with Docherty, “We are the collateral damage, and that needs to stop. I’m not saying don’t help them, but it can’t always be at our expense.”

Bradley points out that other facilities geared to the addictions and homelessness response are planned for locations in north Sarnia, “I will also say that I deal with it every day, a lot of the myths about the consequences of affordable housing, supportive housing in a community. Yes, there are issues. But they’re run properly and Indwell has a great reputation. You will get the best project you possibly can.”

Meanwhile, the fencing rental, private security, and clean-up at Rainbow Park continues to cost about $30,000 a month.

Bradley believes it’s a necessary expense and can’t say when the fences will come down, “The greater harm would be just to let Rainbow Park stay as it is, and it starts to get campers again. It gets people back in there and creates all the same social issues that the neighborhood had last year. We don’t want that.”