BarrieToday welcomes letters to the editor at [email protected] or via the website. Please include your full name, daytime phone number and address (for verification of authorship, not publication). The following letter is from downtown Barrie resident Carolyn Boyer, who says she's "not afraid to walk along Dunlop, say hi and listen to those hanging out."
Barrie seems to want to eliminate those who are poor, look poor or hang out on the street — 'cause there’s no place else to be.
I’m so ashamed of Barrie, those in power, those on council who support their NIMBY neighbourhoods, those who ignore the plight of folks on Dunlop
"I won’t come downtown ... those people!"
Yet bars are full of noisy folk on Friday and Saturday nights — money. They are not the poor folk, but young and adult bar folk. Hmm ... who owns these bars?
Building condos will do it, eh? Those with money will occupy expensive apartments and they don’t want to see poor, ill, addicted folk, either.
I’m ashamed of Barrie council’s lack of compassion, for passing the buck back and forth with the county/province, lack of searching for new ways to address issues, warming centres, lack of places for community for those not welcome except at the Barrie Public Library, the most welcoming place in town.
Barrie has a negative reputation these days.
It's time to change, learn what other communities are doing to support vulnerable people.
Gather people of good will and compassion, those with lived experience and listen, then act on learnings which can support all.
Carolyn Boyer
Barrie
