be kind to homeless people

Never Judge a Book by its Cover

 I finally got outside and went for a long roll on Saturday. Over six hours, I encountered tons of people and experiences. It’s amazing what you can experience when you’re not staring at your phone like a zombie. I want to talk about the mental health aspects of my day.

Trying to Understand the Homelessness Epidemic

 The homelessness epidemic is a great tragedy, with surprisingly large numbers of people unhoused and living in a desperate manner. Furthermore, the rise in homelessness affects us all. My wife and I live in Kingston, Ontario. My wife, who is a retired professor of Civil Engineering, and a very capable

Permanent, affordable housing is needed to protect Ottawa’s homeless

 Above: Peter Tilley, CEO of the Ottawa Mission Towards the end of 2019, the Ottawa Mission was having difficulties sheltering all the homeless people under its roof, despite having recently expanded their housing department. Now, both the number of meals being served per day and the number of people staying

Coldest Night of the Year (CNOY) 2020 edition

 The 2020 edition of Coldest Night of the Year (CNOY) takes place on Saturday, February 22nd.  It’s a great opportunity to have fun with friends and family, and make a difference in the lives of people who need the programs and services of The Ottawa Mission. This is the sixth

Expressing concern and making declarations is not an achievement

 Ottawa city councillor Catherine McKenney’s motion to declare a housing and homeless emergency in the national capital passed unanimously at city council on a cold night at the end of January. Typically, councillor’s changed the original motion to call it both a ‘crisis and an emergency’. According to city staff,

Madonna: Tragic epitome of homelessness

 She was soaking her swollen feet in the small outdoor hot tub at a Motel Six hotel located on Highway 101 about an hour south of San Francisco, in the summer of 2019. The person appeared to be a senior female with a weathered, well lined, tanned visage, and a slightly

“Urban Camping” is not the problem but the symptom

 Tonight, an increasing number of Canadians face the prospect of sleeping in a tent -- not to welcome the summer camping season, but as a last resort. Unlike regulated campgrounds, “tent cities” are without electricity, water and often bathrooms. These makeshift encampments appear to be on the rise with Winnipeg

Alta Vista Ward candidate Lang-Dion calls for temporary halt to Heron Gate development

 In May, Timbercreek Communities announced their plans to evict hundreds of people from their low-rent townhomes homes along the east-west extension of Baycrest Drive to Sandalwood Drive. It is time to press the reset button on Heron Gate so that the re-development of this community is inclusive, sustainable and enriches residents’ lives,

An Interview With the Adventurous Adam Lolacher

 Photo courtesy of Elysse Gilbertson on the set of Medic Ottawa born and a University of Ottawa alumni, Adam Lolacher is an actor with some stories to tell. After giving up his basketball aspirations at a young age due to injury, Lolacher got into acting. Now living in Vancouver, the

Arrested for Sleeping?

 The struggle to occupy public space. As humans, we need to sleep. It is biologically unavoidable. Yet, on both sides of the border, sleeping can be considered a criminal act, especially if you are homeless and have no place to rest your head other than in public spaces such as

Older adults living with mental illness need specialized housing

 New Calgary report warns more homeless seniors a real possibility By Pat Cashion and Lee Tunstall Older adults living with mental illness often face a double stigma in our society—both from aging and from mental illness. They are some of the most invisible and most vulnerable individuals in our communities,

Time to Tackle the Rooming-House Paradox

 More than 30,000 homeless Canadians daily, thousands more part of the ‘hidden homeless’ On any given night, thousands of Canadians languish in ramshackle housing, line up at shelters or sleep in our streets and alleyways.  This situation is not limited to our big cities, with the Homeless Hub estimating that

Letters to the Editor: Disabled and Displaced: Canada’s Need for a National Disabilities Act

 By: Delaney Dunlop Majority rules – a common phrase used to solve many an argument. This simple practice that parents and teachers employed to avoid conflict has become the cornerstone of our government system. Democracy refers to a form of government in which all eligible citizens have an equal say in

Know your rights under Workers Compensation

 Peter worked for a large Ottawa development company for 10 years, doing a wide variety of jobs at a Laurier Street address — everything from painting and minor renovations to ceramic tile floor work and general maintenance. He was truly a jack-of-all-trades. In the fall of 2000, Peter's life would