It might have been the Sarnia Police Services' (SPS) Town Hall on Sept. 5, but residents were asking where the people at the municipal and upper levels of government were.
Sarnia Police Chief Derek Davis made sure to acknowledge the city council members who were in attendance at the meeting, which did not include Mayor Mike Bradley.
In a call with the Journal on Friday, the Mayor was off-put from the responses he was getting about his absence from the Town Hall.
“I was only invited generally, I wasn’t asked to participate, and I was only informed four or five days ago about this,” explained Bradley. “If you back up for many years I was chair of the police board and at community meetings, I did not attend because it was for the public to participate and not the politicians.”
Bradley said he was disappointed with the tone the Chief took at the Town Hall, taking specific issue at the fact Sarnia’s Chief of Police said the two had not had an official discussion since he took the role of police chief two years ago.
“When this chief was selected he declined to meet with me repeatedly,” said Bradley. “It’s always been that the Chief presents his budget to council, this Chief has never presented a budget to council. He never comes. He’s ignored myself and council for two years.”
The Mayor felt it was a one-sided story the public heard.
“I am here every day doing my job. Last night I already committed to something else personally, and that’s where I was. I will watch the live stream, which was a good thing to have, but the meeting should be focused on the critical issues we are dealing with ... which is addiction, homelessness, mental health issues and how do you deal with that,” said Bradley.
Resident Olivia Clark was taken aback by the lack of representation from government at the meeting.
“I think everybody should have been here. Everybody that works with the mayor, everybody that’s on city council, even people who wanted to be on city council, but did not get voted onto city council should have been here,” said Clark.
“Anybody who is passionate about the city of Sarnia has shown up tonight, anyone who is as passionate as that should have shown up tonight. And if they are not that passionate they should not be on city council. They should not be in the Mayor's office. They should not be at Sarnia Police Services, if you do not care about your citizens and are not going to serve them and protect them no matter the cost why are you in a position of power in the first place?”
One council member in attendance included councillor Adam Kilner.
“Everything that I'm seeing in terms of what the city can do, we can write protocols but can the police enforce them? Those questions are being asked here, and being answered here,” said Kilner.
Kilner took the time to speak to residents outside the meeting, hoping people would remember to be compassionate when finding solutions to the growing drug and homelessness problem Sarnia is facing.
“At this point yes people can have a right to be angry, and they should be. This is a really challenging situation, but at the same point I think at the end of the day, everybody here, we are living breathing human beings,” said Kilner. “And if I was in that situation I would hope someone would have compassion [for] me.”
Kilner wonders if the encampment issue is something that can be dealt with at just the municipal level, as upper levels of government have more access to resources for things like mental health, addiction support, correctional facilities, and health care.
“I don't think we have the ability to do that at the municipal level on our own. I’m kinda in the place that yes I hear people’s deep concern, and I share it but it’s been a difficult journey. Really, really challenging,” said Kilner.
“We need every hand in this country needs to be at the table. There is no way to possibly do this without residents, politicians, religious leaders, I’m talking about business owners, workers, everybody needs to be at this table. We are seeing a Canada that didn’t seem to exist five years ago.”
Another councillor who attended was Anne Marie Gillis. Gillis was curious about the scope of what the police were doing in the park and the legalities involved.
"It was important for me to get a real sense of where the south end neighbourhoods are coming," said Gillis. "People are freer to talk sometimes in a venue like that. Their feelings are running high, they are really upset, they are angry and it gives them the opportunity to express that. Sometimes people don't do that on a one-on-one."
Gillis, was also approached at the meeting, and spoke with many people, feeling that was another good reason for her to go. The councillor also felt it was a way to support the police for all the work they have done.
"It was also out of respect for them to go and be there and listen to their concerns and hear how they are affected by everything," said Gillis.
Sarnia-Lambton MP Marilyn Gladu was another local politician whose absence was felt at the meeting, telling the Journal she wasn’t invited, but explained that policing is really a provincial jurisdiction.
“In this particular case it’s the Sarnia police so it’s a municipal issue, and they were seeking input from citizens and that’s why I wasn’t there,” explained Gladu.
In a statement to the Journal, MPP Bob Bailey said, “I have been out of the riding this week attending government caucus meetings. I am aware of the Sarnia Police Service Town Hall meeting through media reports; however, I was not invited to attend. I continue to advocate for final design approval from the Ministry of Health for Bluewater Health’s Permanent Withdrawal Management Facility, and for the approval of Lambton County’s Supportive Housing proposal to the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions.”
As mayor, Bradley said he understands the importance of communication and working together as a community, and the importance of working to find a solution for Rainbow Park.
“The community can’t continue to afford to spend the type of money we are, which is $100,000 a month. So what I’m hoping we can build up in the next few months, is build up the shelters, seek an injunction and then move forward and deal with what the ramifications are in doing that,” said Bradley.