Members of town council went back to school on Monday night to learn about homelessness. Officials from the Cochrane District Social Services Board met with councillors behind closed doors to get first- hand knowledge on how the two could work together. Mayor Dave Plourde says the information provided by DSSAB officials was enlightening.
“There were a lot of things that council didn’t know prior to the meeting,” he said. “I think it was real nice to hear what he had to say and what exactly DSSAB can do to assist with homelessness in the area.”
Plourde says the homeless issue isn’t something that just happened overnight.
“With COVID pandemic the way it is, certainly it’s not helping things,” he said. “I think it’s something that council needs to be aware off and I think we need to be going at this with their eyes wide open. In hosting Andy and Brian in discussing the issues, I think it allows us to discuss the issues with our eyes open.”
Kapuskasing doesn’t have any type of shelter or facility for the homeless to go to which leads many to go to friends or neighbors, or to abandoned buildings and perhaps causing safety and even health issues.
