NDP MP Expresses Concern Over Public Fear of Visiting Downtown Areas

A New Democrat MP mentioned on May 9 that due to opioid use and homelessness, people are avoiding visiting the central district of his hometown, as reported by Blacklock’s Reporter.

Timmins MP Charlie Angus shared, “When I was young in Timmins, my Irish grandmother used to contact my Scottish grandmother, and we would head uptown where the old mining widows would gather at Woolworth’s while the kids window-shopped. Nowadays, nobody wants to venture into the downtown area because we are affected by the triple crises of mental health, opioid addiction, and homelessness.”

Mr. Angus made these remarks during a Commons human resources committee hearing.

He further added, “What I witness happening in my community in Timmins, I am aware is equally severe or worse in other northern communities. The city is putting in remarkable efforts, but they are not adequately equipped for this task.”

According to municipal statistics, the City of Timmins, with a population of 42,000, receives over 47,000 police calls annually.

His comments were part of a conversation about the lack of affordable housing in Canada. Mr. Angus emphasized the urgent need for such housing in northern Ontario.

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“We have significant opportunities in northern Ontario at the moment, with the mines booming,” he noted. “The only hindrance is housing. We require four-plexes, co-op housing, seniors’ residences, and substantial urban First Nations housing,” he emphasized.

Less than a month after another MP from northern Ontario highlighted the impact of public drug consumption on public order, Thunder Bay MP Marcus Powlowski, a Liberal, also shared his concerns.

Mr. Powlowski expressed, “There is a widespread perception among many Canadians that several downtown areas are spiraling out of control. Particularly concerning are sites like safe supply and safe injection, where people are visibly intoxicated in public spaces, needles litter the streets, and there is waste left behind.”

He recounted incidents of public disorder in downtown Ottawa, where safe drug supply facilities are situated close to Parliament Hill, underscoring the need for addressing such issues.

Mr. Powlowski posed a question to police officers at the hearing regarding the opioid crisis in Canada, contemplating the growing displeasure among non-drug users with the state of downtown cores.

Fiona Wilson, deputy chief for the Vancouver Police Department, highlighted their concerns about public drug use prior to its decriminalization in British Columbia, noting the challenges they have faced since the change.