THUNDER BAY – The highly contentious issue of where to locate the temporary shelter village has once again found a new potential home — one that city council voted down last year.
On Monday, city staff will once again recommend the vacant lot on 114 Miles Street as the location for a temporary shelter village accommodating 80 people in modular housing units.
Rilee Willianen, the city's drug strategy specialist and encampment response plan lead, told Newswatch on Wednesday that city staff have gone back to Miles Street as a recommendation after an “extensive and exhaustive analysis” of all the village sites.
“The process that we undertook to make this recommendation included a review of sites that have already been presented to council. That does include Miles. It also includes the Cumberland site. Then we took a look again at the ranked properties list, placing less of an emphasis on the proximity to services, recognizing that there would be a need to enhance transportation if one of those sites was viable,” Willianen said.
“We also broadened the scope to look at sites that might not have been explored previously, and through that process, we engaged with our internal staff across various divisions. We also engaged with some external folks to help us with some safety assessments.”
“What emerged as the most viable way to make sure that we are able to meet the project timelines and make sure it's a successful project is the Miles site.”
City manager John Collin reported in June that the risk of losing $2.8 million in provincial funding is a bit more flexible.
City staff have previously stated that construction needed to start within 120 days of the funding agreement being signed by the Thunder Bay District Social Services Administration Board.
Willianen said the project “now has a completion date of March 31, 2026,” but the extension from the funder also “requires that all the units be delivered and installed by Feb. 27, 2026.”
Furthermore, 40 units will also need to be constructed by Dec. 15, and “ready for a phased approach to occupancy,” Willianen said.
“What this extension allows is more time for the construction. It really does not allow for more time for a site selection.”
Throughout the year, the city was asked to consider several locations, including the Lakehead Region Conservation Authority property in the Intercity area and a wooded lot on Cumberland Street North, before setting its sights on Kam River Heritage Park.
A request for proposals was then issued, but that plan was dropped last month after a motion was put forward by Coun. Kasey Etreni, who said the safety measures needed to “satisfy external partners” at the Kam River site were “too cost-prohibitive.”
Council also told staff to review alternate locations for the temporary village, including locations previously rejected by council, such as the Miles Street East and Cumberland Street North sites.
Administration also recommends an annual contribution of $125,000 to the Fort William Business Improvement Association's budget to support its revitalization efforts and to address its concerns related to security and cleanliness.
The Fort William BIA showed strong opposition to the Miles Street location last November because they believe there will be an adverse effect on the south side downtown core.
Tony DiPaolo, vice chair of the BIA, said he was surprised to hear the Miles Street location is going back to council on Monday.
“I guess what it boils down to is we're trying to put faith in our elected representatives and respect their word and their decisions, but for it to quickly steer back to the Miles Street location again is the shock and surprise that it would be considered when it was absolutely said it was off the table,” DiPaolo said.
He said that the $125,000 annual contribution from the city does not change the BIA's mind on their opposition to the site; however, they are still waiting to hear feedback from their members and the wider community on whether they have changed their minds since last November.
“The last time this was brought up, they were 100 per cent against it. There wasn't even a waiver ... It was 100 per cent against it. To be offered money for our concerns, I'm glad that the city was able to listen to some of our concerns, but our concerns are what the people want,” DiPaolo said.
Thunder Bay District Social Services Administration Board chair and McKellar Ward Coun. Brian Hamilton said the city needs to prepare itself, stating that homelessness is going to get worse before it gets better.
“We already have reports across our desk, and we don't have the luxury to ignore them. The Association of Municipalities of Ontario put out a report in January talking about the trajectory of homelessness, and it is going to increase, and that was even before the trade war and all the economic realities that we're facing,” Hamilton said.
“So, we have to get ready. We're extremely vulnerable here in northern Ontario. We are struggling not only with homelessness but with economic issues as well. We have to get ready. These are our citizens as well, and it's not a matter of being idle anymore. We have to do some healing as a community, and I think this initiative gets us there.”
