Tent structure debate boils over in Nepean

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The first snowstorm of the season Dec. 4 did little to cool the heated debate about the city’s plan to build tent-like structures for asylum seekers a slapshot away from the Nepean Sportsplex.

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Before Knoxdale-Merivale Coun. Sean Devine could get rolling to explain what the public information session at the Sportsplex was all about and to counter the many myths and misinformation about the project, protesters sporting “No Tent in Ottawa” T-shirts and banners interrupted the show.

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After Devine made several attempts to calm the waters — he patiently answered questions in small groups for 90 minutes after formal presentations were complete — police escorted the chief agitator out of the board room. The man was later charged with trespassing and many of his followers left with him.

For a few moments, confusion reigned, with security keeping the protesters and late arrivals from entering the room.

Eventually, everyone was allowed in, with a measure of calm restored.

Devine, Refugee 613 director Louisa Taylor and representatives from Stantec Consulting, who are charged with building the “temporary” tensile membrane structure — commonly known by the brand name Sprung Structures — were occasionally drowned out by those who loudly oppose the city’s decision to construct the facility in the backyard of the Sportsplex.

The site is on a rarely-used football field at 1645 Woodroffe Ave., behind an Ottawa-Carleton District School Board education centre, formerly home to Confederation High School. The NCC owns the land. The city is also planning on constructing an additional structure near the Eagleson Park and Ride in Kanata.

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The hope is the new facilities, financed with federal government money, will help solve some of the city’s homeless and housing crisis, moving asylum seekers out of community centres, where they’ve been housed for several years. The aim is to have the building in place in late 2025.

However, many of those opposed to the decision left the meeting unsatisfied with what they heard.

“The city made decisions, but they didn’t take on board any considerations except the ones important to the city,” said Bob Carberry, spokesperson for the Merivale Gardens Community Association.

“We’re saying there are bigger issues here that nobody has asked us about. We don’t think this is a good idea to put this in the parking lot of Ottawa’s biggest sports facility, with 150 people stranded from all services that are going to need a place to walk every day, instead of staying inside the structure. And they are going to come here, to the Sportsplex, or into our neighbourhood, which is only 130 houses and it’s going to be overwhelmed by (new) people walking through every day.”

Carberry recognizes there is a housing crisis, but insists that placing the structure in the Greenbelt — wooded areas separate the Sportsplex from the Merivale Gardens community — is not appropriate. He says it’s a “Band-Aid on a sore that started to fester months ago” and there must be alternative areas that would have better access to services and would allow newcomers to better meld into the population.

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“Not put it in the Greenbelt, where there’s some environmentally sensitive things around here as well, and we’re very, very much stewards of in our neighbourhood.”

Ryan Valois, who also lives nearby, says he didn’t get much out of the night. He was confused by the format, which didn’t allow him to hear questions from fellow residents.

When the formal presentations were complete, those wanting additional information were asked to approach Devine, Taylor and Stantec for more detailed responses.

“Why can’t I hear other people’s questions,” Valois said. “I don’t know what to ask the city people versus Stantec, and even if I could, I can’t be in three places at once. They’re just telling us that this was a decision made and a little bit of why it was made.”

Valois was left confused about what, exactly, happens to the Sprung Structure when the need is gone.

“It just seems like it has been misstep after misstep from the city, problem after problem, and now it’s a race to quell public opinion.”

It’s a polarizing subject, to be sure.

There were some spicy back-and-forth verbal confrontations between those against the structures and those who support them.

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Kim Moir, who lives two kilometres from the Sportsplex and helps mentor new Canadians on how to settle into the city and find jobs, is in favour of the project.

“I feel it’s very important to have a welcoming environment (for asylum seekers),” said Moir. “I had (previously) heard a lot of misinformation from my neighbours, so I’m just here to show support for newcomers.”

Moir acknowledges there’s a not-in-my-backyard element to the topic, but she also says the city originally fumbled the ball in getting information out when the plans were first made public in early November.

“There were some gaps in knowledge at the beginning,” Moir said.”I think there was some misinformation that sprung up.”

Kate Daley, another supporter of the structures, says she’s concerned that many residents of the city don’t recognize all the checks and balances asylum seekers must go through before being accepted in Canada.

“I think it’s a good idea,” Daley said. “It’s near a major bus line, it’s near resources like the Sportsplex. It’s easier to integrate.”

As for the concerns that the structures are not appropriate or suitable for the Canadian climate, she begs to differ. They are designed to be only a temporary space, with asylum seekers expected to stay only two to three months before finding more permanent housing.

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She also suggests people simply look a few kilometres away at the Superdome at the corner of Greenback and Hunt Club roads.

“The (Superdome) has been there for almost 20 years now,” said Daley. “People use it year round and there’s heat, there’s power. During Covid, the hospital had an extra wing (that was similar). My father was in there. No, it’s not ideal, but it is the most feasible plan, especially when you’re talking about speed in getting things built.”

It’s doubtful whether the most passionate people at the meeting changed their opinions based on what they heard. Many simply talked — and yelled — at Devine, Taylor and Stantec representatives without waiting for answers.

Ultimately, though, Devine says it was a worthwhile exercise. His chief aim was to clear up as much misinformation as possible.

After his long night was over, including several heated exchanges with residents who were against the project, he believed it was an opportunity for people to be heard.

“Everybody, whether you support this or not, you need to understand that there is a plurality of opinions on this,” said Devine. “Those who are adamantly opposed to this and think their voice is the only one, they kind of needed to see that. Those who support this, who think this is easy to do, they need to understand that people are stressed by this.

“When we do this on social media, when we talk to our little echo chambers, we don’t hear that. I think it was really good, as contentious as it was, to do it in this kind of public forum where there’s a whole range of opinion.”

kwarren@postmedia.com

X: Citizenkwarren

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