Planning Boyle Street Community Services for a new Edmonton location facing opposition

Renovation of the new home building of an organization working with the poor and homeless Edmontnian will soon begin, butBoyle Street Community Servicesis moving. I'm meeting the opposition from those people.

"Their current location is surrounded by vacant lots," McCawley resident Alice Kos told Global News on Monday. "Where they are proposing to move, they will be surrounded by companies that are independent of their children.

" For me, that really makes a big difference. "

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Kos is a number Some other McCorley residents, the chair of the Chinatown and Area Business Association, the representative of Edmonton's Ukrainian National Federation, and others who signed a news release expressing concern about Boyle Street's plans to move to a new location in the fall. And many others named in the news release are also parents of children attending the Victoria School of the Arts, just one block from their future home on Boyle Street.

The news release, which was also sent to the city council members, caused many people with Boyle Street to suffer from mental illness. I point out that I am working on it. Problems of material abuse and problems of behavior.

"BSCS provides essential services for vulnerable people," the news release said. "McCauley is renowned for its inclusiveness and compassion for vulnerable individuals, but hosting additional social agencies is beyond McColley's ability.

" McColly is Edmonton's largest day shelter. Cannot be accommodated, especially within one block from the city's largest K to 12 schools. "

BSCS Senior Manager of Communications and Engagement, Elliott Tanti, said the news release was" in the community. It shows that there is more work to be done. "

"But in the end ... we all want the same thing. We need a safer and more comprehensive community," he said. "We need to work together to achieve those things.

" We understand that we have some concerns about this move. "

Mr. Tanti said BSCS was looking for a new home because the organization's current building was "collapsed".

"It's constantly flooding. It's not suitable for the work we have to do. It's inaccessible to our people."

He's new He said the facility was only "a few blocks away" from the current facility, adding that it was important to note that it did not change what the organization was doing or the experience it had done.

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"Existing services It's just relocating, "Tanti said. "It's not about additional resources or services. It's about more accessible, comprehensive facilities, and what we're doing in a better way.

" I think there are many factors that affect the safety and security of downtown Edmonton right now, and that's why we need to focus on solutions as a society, as a city, and on Boyle Street. That's why this new building-like facility is the exact type of solution needed to address the critical concerns of the community. ”

From near Rogers Place Arena to 10010-107 Avenue Critics of the relocation of the facility also expressed concern about the recent killings in Chinatown. A service for those who have recently been released from imprisonment.

Read more:The suspected murder in Chinatown was withdrawn by the RCMP of West Edmonton, despite a conditional order

Movement critics said members also said that some of the McCawley and Chinatown communities were not properly discussed about the planned relocation and were only informed the day before it was announced in the media. Said.

BSCS said it will participate in the ongoing community involvement in the initiative.

Critics of this move, who wrote a recent news release, said they believe that the new location will over-concentrate vulnerable Edmontnian resources in one community.

"All 375 regions of Edmonton should be expected to show the same inclusiveness and compassion as McCawley. That's what the news release says. "And BSCS must be supported by the city and state to find alternative homes."

"The problem is social because of the concentration of services in this area. We are already experiencing problems because of the confusion, "says Kos. "Three weeks ago, when my husband was walking her to pick up his son from school, a woman shook my 3-year-old daughter at the hatchery.

" I I went to the crossroads with my son. (We) witnessed a man who was obviously in a different state of mind ... when they came to come to school from the bus stop, they offended the students and they "The new location is closer to young students," said Hong Leon, chair of the Chinatown Transformation Collaboration. "The new BSCS location makes Chinatown less accessible to people." He said it was one of his concerns, along with the possibility. There he is looking for shopping and dining.

"Chinatown relies on 101 Street and specifically shows the addresses of 105 Avenue, 106 Avenue and 107 Avenue to enter Chinatown," he said. "That is, we're talking about 105 currently having some social services, 106 having Hope missions, and 107 having Boyle Street community services.

Continued. Read:Boyle Street Community Services in downtown Edmonton relocated to a new home

There are three main walkways to enter Chinatown , Will be clogged by some of the people who visit these spaces. "

December 2021, BSCS, Oilers After signing a contract with the Entertainment Group, we announced plans to relocate. OEG agrees to buy Boyle Street's current assets for $ 5 million, and the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation will donate $ 10 million to the new center's $ 28.5 million cost.

– Files from Sarah Komadina and Nicole Stillger, Global News

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