Don’t Inflict Municipal Gov’t On Refugees
Barrhaven West Councillor David Hill has a military background and his experience with sprung structures is that they don’t work very well for the armed forces let alone families.
That’s good information which Ottawans should hope that the City of Ottawa takes seriously.
However, given the experience of residents with the O-Train fiasco, the over-built and over-budget new central library, Lansdowne and the organizational nightmare that was last weekend’s perfect traffic storm, do we really want to put refugees’ welfare into the hands of the City of Ottawa?
Given its history of woeful incompetence, would you want your children in an operation run by the City of Ottawa which has no experience in this field? Just like it had no experience in building light rail.
These refugees have been through a lot. They are in a new land with an uncertain future. They are suffering from physical and mental dislocation. They have been put through strains we can only imagine.
As an added burden, do we really want to inflict the incompetent City of Ottawa on these poor, confused and traumatized people?
Ken Gray
For You:
‘Never Again’ Cullen Says On Transportation Nightmare
Email Sutcliffe Over Sprung Structure Concerns: HILL
Ariel Troster Argues For Sprung Housing
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– The Bulldog – News Feed Enter 
A lot has been said about housing for refugees in Ottawa recently in The Bulldog, most of the discussion has centred around the type of structures that will be utilized (with sprung structures being the primary focus) and a smidge about where these structures will be located. I have heard nothing about how long people will be permitted to live within these structures, or has council forgotten about the time parameter? Will people be allowed to stay weeks, months, years? Will small villages pop up around the city and the value of surrounding homes be reduced? Choosing structures is only a small part of this complex social project. Will Ottawa city council and, for that matter, the government of Canada, do the job correctly or just muddle through another “feel good exercise”? Hopefully they won’t forget that the stakeholders extend beyond the refugees.
I am confused about the intent. I understood the asylum seekers and homeless are the intended occupants. I also understand refugees (not assylum seekers) have some initial government support and abilities to integrate such as ability to work and support themselves. I have 4 Ukrainian refugees in two separate houses near me, they are gainfully employed and need no major assistance, two found the rental themselves and are self sufficient, on minimum wage (+) type of employment. Asylum seekers are not yet refugees, and part of a immigration plan by any government. They show up unannounced and claim asylum. This is a problem as they are an unknown and need to be cared for to determine what to do with them. Can someone please confirm these shelters are not anything but temporary accommodation UNTIL the government gives them a real immigration status or deports them. The homeless are the other group who have a transitory nature and permanent accommodation may not be suitable for some, these will do well for them perhaps.