Overflow crowd leads to second public consultation on shelter

Salvation Army proposes relocating facility to a Montreal Road location

Roughly 300 Vanier residents crowded into the Richelieu Vanier community centre Monday night while about 100 more lined up outside to discuss the Salvation Army’s proposal to relocate its emergency shelter to a the site they own on Montreal Road.

Those who were lined up outside were turned away because the room was at capacity. A second consultation meeting has been scheduled for Friday evening at 5 p.m. so those who were turned away can be heard.

“We will hold as many consultations as we need to,” city councillor Mathieu Fleury told the crowd.

The Salvation Army’s plan calls for a 9,600-square-metre multipurpose facility that would house its emergency shelter, day programs, medical facility, addiction services and administrative offices. A house on Ste. Anne Avenue would be demolished to provide a secondary access to the property.

The shelter would offer 350 beds in total, 140 of them earmarked as emergency beds.

Lauren Tenchant, 29, is on the board of the Vanier community association. She was one of the people who lined up outside to get into the meeting.

“People lined up because they wanted to have their say,” Tenchant said.

Throughout the meeting Fleury was interrupted by residents who asked him to speak to the people who were still lined up outside.

“We have struggles but we want to bring new business (to the neighbourhood),” Fleury said. “Vanier is changing.” Daphne Yetman is one of the people who says she loves Vanier and has decided to raise her family there. “Vanier is an up and coming community. My family consists of professionals but there are other people in the city,” Yetman said. “I’m just worried about the community because of the size of the building.”

As Fleury attempted to explain the steps that the city would be going through as part of the development planning process, he was met with groans from the crowd.

“These people don’t just come from Vanier, they come from all over,” said Gatëan Paquette, a

They need a place with medical assistance, programming and scholarships.

71-year-old former Ottawa paramedic. Paquette said he came to the meeting to learn more about the project but also to voice his opinion that Vanier isn’t the right place for the shelter.

“They need a place with medical assistance, programming and scholarships,” he said.

As the meeting progressed several residents stood up to express unhappiness with Mayor Jim Watson for endorsing the project.

“I’m not the mayor, I’m just your rep,” Fleury said.