Vulgar acts of vandalism have shut down a free community food pantry in the West End that was repeatedly smeared with feces. Kyle Wiebe with the South Valour Residents’ Association had led the charge to get the pantry installed this August. The goal was to ease the strain of food insecurity in the neighbourhood. “We had done a survey back in 2021, and about 174 people responded, and about 45 per cent of those people noted food security as something they wanted us as a residents’ association to focus on,” Wiebe said, noting low-income housing in the area. Some neighbourhood residents, like Isaac Girardin, made good use of the pantry. “I brought down on some of the very hottest days of the summer a bunch of frozen water bottles. I could see some people were really appreciative of that,” he said. The community effort proved to be controversial. Irmi Stach lives near the park. She was among several area residents who had safety concerns with the pantry – concerns exacerbated by a nearby homeless encampment on Omand’s Creek. “It was definitely a safety concern,” she said. “I didn’t feel safe walking the path across to Polo Park anymore, and it was just a hassle having them here.” Wiebe said those concerns were valid, but noted the pantry was not meant specifically for the encampment which wasn’t even there when the project got underway. But since the pantry was installed, Wiebe said he and other volunteers have faced a disheartening level of hostility from some residents in the area – to the point he won’t visit the park anymore. “It was the level of hostility was just too much for general volunteers like us that are just, you know, trying to give what capacity we have,” he said, calling the whole situation emotionally draining. He said feces had been smeared on the pantry two or three separate times. Riley Coulter lives in the building adjacent to the park and saw the vandalism first-hand. “I was very upset. It’s not cool to do that kind of thing, especially when it’s against people that you know need help,” he said. Along with the now empty pantry, Wiebe said a park bench was removed over concerns it was being used to do drugs. A city spokesperson confirmed the Omand’s Creek encampment was cleared as of Sept. 25. However, he doesn’t plan to bring the community pantry back. “I personally won’t be putting my energy into something like this at least anytime soon,” he said. “It’s still too raw for me.”
