Editor’s note: This letter is addressed to Chatham-Kent council.
I was born and raised in Chatham. I love my city!
My husband, two daughters and our border collie live on Woodland Avenue.
The Thames Grove Conservation Area is right behind our house, and my family and I use it every day. We love this beautiful green space!
I am very distressed that Chatham -Kent council feels the Thames Grove Conservation Area, 30 Kingsway Dr. in Chatham, can even be considered as an option to house homeless people. This is ridiculous and a horrible idea! Please read on as to why.
The Thames Grove Conservation Area is listed under Chatham-Kent Trails.ca.
The Thames Grove Trail is a 1000-meters-long loop with a natural shade surface, shade, forest area with boardwalks, picnic tables, a shelter, very active boat launch area and a disc golf course. It is as much (more, in my opinion) an important trail to the community as is the PUC trail.
The conservation area is busy every day with residents all year long. Dog walkers and families enjoying a nature walk with their kids and grandkids; photo shoots for family groups, engagement and weddings. Local schools, high school and elementary age, take class trips to enjoy and learn about the natural habitats in the grove, to hike the loop trail and also to take their gym classes. They are often seen enjoying learning and playing disc golf.
In mid-September, the cross country meets season kicks off in Thames Grove Conservation Area with regular meets in the grove taking place through late October. Schools from as far away as Sarnia compete here. It’s a great venue and a highlight event for thousands of school children each year.
There are two large areas in the grove that are designated protected habitat preserves. As an example, beautiful migrating Monarch butterflies use the milkweed plant growing in the protected long grass area as a stop on their trip south each year.
The other protected area is a pollinator garden supported by the Rondeau Watershed Coalition, Chatham-Kent, Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority, Lambton Kent District School Board and the Ontario Trillium Foundation who have posted a sign explaining to visitors the plant names and their importance to the habitat.
In closing, the Thames Grove Conservation Area is a valued, much-used and much-needed green space in our city. It is important for the mental health of this city’s citizens to have places to enjoy nature within our city. We must protect it now and keep it safe for future generations as well.
Putting a homeless camp anywhere in Chatham is unfair to the neighbourhood around it: the degradation of property value, the fear of being attacked or broken into, having property damaged etc.
Moving the homeless around is NOT the answer. Please leave them where they are for now, as the Thames Grove Conservation Area is definitely not to be considered an option for the reasons I’ve stated above.
Perhaps a large private property in a non-residential neighbourhood can be rented? Let’s continue to work together as citizens of this city to come up with better ideas.
Cynthia Luimes
Chatham
No one wants the encampment near them, but all the NIMBY Complaining won’t help these people and they have to go SOMEWHERE. So instead of posting how badly YOU DON’T want them, try to suggest where they could go? I personally think the parking garage under City Hall would be a great location – near services, central… Hey, it even already has a roof! Plus an added bonus, it would be impossible for council members to ignore the problem when it’s literally under their noses!
Yes yes yes that is a great idea. And it’s easily contained for the police.
I like your letter and suggestion. The encampments are people. Those who regard them as a *separate species* from the rest of the population should be brought back to kindergarten to live and care for their neighbors and the unfortunate. Kiddos Mark ‼️
Ideally the homeless would be moved far away from all of us so nobody has to deal with the rampant crime and drug use they bring with them while those willing to be rehabilitated into society can move into the new cabins. But the homeless encampment is in the middle of a residential area right now. If it comes down to the PUC property and the Thames Grove Conservation Area, it has to be Thames Grove. Nobody’s children will see these junkies shot up half to death on drugs from their backyard. You have options to use another park. People can’t exactly move their house as easily.
Beautifully written.
The city does what’s best for Mayor C and company. The tiny cabins on Park Street is a perfect example of the Mayor and most councillors not caring about the surrounding community. Especially those living in the immediate vicinity of the tiny cabins. They didn’t ask homeowners on Degge Street or Duke Street which are one street away. Earth to the Mayor and Councillors children, parks, playground equipment and vulnerable elderly reside here. The fact that there aren’t any grocery stores, laundry, nor any places for the homeless to get jobs, animal therapy, etc.. So actually Security is there 24/7 in the house the city purchased. Where are the Counsellors, Addiction Therapists and Psychiatrist on-site 24/7? You want a solution to this homeless situation stop other cities from buying one way bus tickets to Chatham. My neighbour suggested the city should purchase a working farm for the homeless. Benefits: it will assist them with their addictions, build their self esteem by planting and eating their food, taking care of animals which could be butchered at Lenover’s, horses (caring for riding and grooming) are great therapy! Put your new hub downtown on hold until this homeless situation is resolved. No more raises for the Mayor and councillors…in fact rescind the last raise. Mister Mayor let’s put a homeless encampment in your neighbourhood. Why does every solution end up in the East end? There are many farms close to Walmart, Home Depot, etc. where the homeless could work on a working farm owned by the city. I’m certain some retired farmers would love to share their knowledge with the homeless or even Sarah who owns Sarah’s Market around the city (a great opportunity to give back) is a very lovely lady. Building the homeless people’s self esteems can begin on a working farm and these positive life skills are transferable, will continue to grow and they’ll end up being productive citizens. Closed country and city churches or schools could be converted for the homeless on the Mayor’s side of the city. These are feasible solutions to this ongoing homeless situation. If a working farm for some strange reason can’t happen…I agree with Mark’s solution of the garage downtown.
There is no indication other cities are putting people on buses with one-way tickets to Chatham.
Come downtown and just watch, you will see it first hand
Liz, some of your comments are historical in sounding like these encampments are people of *lesser* people who are beneath the rest of the population. Even more disconcering is your suggestive recommendation the be moved to work on farms and do work to earn their rights to be human. Sounds like a move that is comparable to a racist time in all our history where we the pious enforce subjugation on a sector of people we do not see as valuable. Booo.
What about by black bridge and the barge area surely noone would complain about that?
It is private property, unfortunately.
Bruce I have more than three reliable sources regarding the one way bus tickets.
Dee, It doesn’t sound like you read my entire message. It saddens me that your mind would take you to such a place…
very upsetting! You sound so passionate about this homeless situation our community is trying to resolve. I haven’t heard any solutions from you?