Assaults, thefts and open drug use – life next to encampment in Timmins, Ont.

Timmins is researching a new encampment site while receiving safety complaints from a Spruce Street resident about the existing one. Lydia Chubak reports.

As the City of Timmins looks for a permanent site for homeless encampments, an existing one in a residential area is causing safety concerns for those living nearby.

According to the City of Timmins Encampment Protocol, the encampments are a visible representation of a lack of affordable housing, limited support systems and broader policy failures.

But for people such as Chasity Duguay, the encampment behind her house on Spruce Street South makes her feel unsafe every day.

She said people who live in the encampment have caused her numerous problems, including physically attacking her.

“They’re always screaming and yelling, they try to come in our yard, they try coming in our house,” Duguay said.

“They’re always bringing garbage -- tonnes of it. They blare music all night, there’s always drug paraphernalia in our yard that we’re always picking up.”

Whenever things get out of hand, she has to call Timmins police for help. That’s happened at least 100 times, she said.

“They’re usually here fairly quickly -- it just depends how busy they are,” said Duguay.

“They come when they can and then when they can arrest them … the people are out the next day and then it’s just the same thing.”

She’s relieved that the city is at least collecting the garbage from the site, but she said the encampment has to move if she’s going to feel safe in her home again.

“They need somewhere to go,” Duguay said.

“I don’t know where that place can be -- I don’t really have any suggestions. I just don’t want it behind our house. We have little kids that live up the street.”

Bruise on her chest

She showed CTV News a bruise on her chest that she got when she tried to stop a woman who was smoking crack in her yard – and the woman became violent.

“We asked her if she could please leave -- and I still have bruises,” said Duguay.

She said she was also assaulted in another incident when she tried to take stolen alcohol from another woman.

The assaults are on top of daily problems such as garbage piles, drug paraphernalia and even removing excrement. Duguay installed surveillance cameras and fences to try to discourage people from having intercourse or urinating between her house and her neighbour’s home.

She said she regularly finds stolen tools like hammers and axes hidden under her other neighbour’s deck.

‘You don’t feel safe’

Duguay said she would move if she could, but questions who would buy her house in the location it’s in at market value.

“You don’t feel safe and if you come outside and if you confront them, it’s going to be a fight,” she said.

“I thank goodness I have my son and I have my husband here, but they’re not always home.”

Timmins city Coun. Bill Gvozdanovic said the city is working on a solution.

“I knew it was going to come back to one site and that’s what we’re looking at doing now,” said Gvozdanovic.

“It’s a matter of finding a place away from residential. And if they choose to have a tent or any kind of encampment, that’s where they’re going to go. If people don’t want to stay in the shelter and they want to have a tent, they’re not just going to put it wherever they feel like … we’re going to decide where that’s going to take place.”

During a recent meeting of Timmins city council, Coun. John Curley said the city had to do something for residents near the encampment until the permanent site is in place.

“We have to have something in place to assist our residents who live around that area,” Curley said.

Hired overnight security

“They do face a lot of issues during the night -- and it just doesn’t go away because it’s 10 at night.”

Timmins Mayor Michelle Boileau also expressed her concerns during the Sept. 2 meeting.

“We know that the situation’s worsening and absolutely we need to start taking action,” Boileau said.

“So I have asked also what the response has been from different parties in terms of the number of calls and what the result of those have been.”

Gvodanovic suggested hiring security guards to patrol a two-kilometre area around the encampment for a month -- and council unanimously agreed.

Duguay said she saw four security guards on the site Monday.

“I think (they were) getting familiar with everything and learning what they want them to report back,” Duguay said.

“I have seen them.”

The next step in selecting a permanent site is getting a report from city administration -- that will include input from outreach organizations -- about potential locations for an encampment away from residents.

Council also asked for details on exactly who owns the property on which the current encampment is located.

Living Space officials told CTV News that the encampment area is a separate entity. However, their doors are always open to provide services to whoever wants to become a client.