PelhamToday received the following letter from Steven Soos:
On Feb. 25, 2025, Thorold City Council passed the following motion in an astounding 9-0 vote.
Moved by Councillor Carmen DeRose
Seconded by Councillor Henry D'Angela:
The Corporation of the City of Thorold enacts as follows:
1. That Council for the City of Thorold CONDEMNS the discrimination of people living
with mental illness, people who are unhoused, homeless and/or people living with addiction;
2. That Staff BE DIRECTED to prepare and make publicly available a collection of resources for the assistance of addiction and mental health support and treatment;
3. That Staff BE DIRECTED to contact the Canadian Mental Health Association to express interest in hosting a safe beds program in the City of Thorold;
4. That Staff BE DIRECTED to request the following from the Regional Municipality of Niagara:
a) Increased delivery of preventative drug education in our community;
b) Creation of an Indigenous homeless and housing action plan;
c) A staff report on the subject of the Indigenous Mobile Crisis Unit; and
d) Hosting of a public summit for mental health, homelessness and addiction.
5. That Staff BE DIRECTED to request from the Province of Ontario, access to alternative revenue streams other than property taxes, for the purpose of addressing social housing funding requirements.
The recorded vote was as follows:
In favour:
Councillor Carmen DeRose
Councillor Henry D'Angela
Councillor Mike De Divitiis
Councillor Nella Dekker
Councillor Jim Handley
Councillor Anthony Longo
Councillor Tim O'Hare
Councillor Ken Sentance
Mayor Terry Ugulini
Opposed:
None.
I would like to thank Thorold City Council for their unanimous support of Councillor DeRose's mental health, homelessness and addiction motion.
It was a pleasure (alongside Cheryl Rowe) to be given the opportunity to present on these very important issues.
Steven Soos
Welland