Parents question homeless shelter next to daycare after body discovered
Some parents are questioning whether a Montreal homeless shelter should be directly next to the daycare after the body of a 32-year-old man was found in the playground last week.
The daycare is located in the same church as the St. Michael’s Mission, which serves the homeless community.
Daycare staff say before they let the kids out to play, they sweep the yard for drug paraphernalia and beer bottles.
Last week, however, they found the body of a homeless person here.
"We didn’t exactly know what to think," said Ralph Nakhle, the father of a boy in the daycare.
After the initial trauma, many parents including Nakhle have been questioning the logic of having a daycare and homeless shelter so close together.
"The homeless people need to be looked after, as well as our kids need to be taken care of and fostered into the society, but does that really need to happen side by side?" he said.
Mayor Valerie Plante said the city is working with public health to find solutions, but said it’s complicated.
"Of course, we want the homeless community not to stay outside and freeze to death. That’s happened in the past, but we also want to support families staying downtown," she said.
When pressed on whether it makes sense that daycares and homeless shelters share spaces, she deferred to the director of an organization that provides services to the homeless community.
"People without a home are not criminals, so let’s not jump to the conclusion that if organizations are sharing space, children are necessarily at risk," said Fiona Crossley of Accueil Bonneau.
Daycare parents say they're sympathetic to the homeless population, but they still have concerns.
"The first or second day that I was dropping off [my son], I saw a guy with no underwear, no pants right behind the garbage can with a needle," said Nakhle.
The daycare's administrator said the staff wants better security in the area.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadians are eyeing moves to these cities for more affordable housing
Faced with elevated housing prices, half of Canadians in the country's largest cities are considering moving to places with more affordable housing.
Poilievre says Canadians 'fleeing' to Nicaragua, Liberals say it shows he 'doesn't have a clue'
Liberal parliamentarians are criticizing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre over a new video in which he promotes the idea that some Canadians are 'fleeing' Canada to live in Nicaragua because they can't afford a house in this country.
With DNA break, police ID victim in decades-old Newfoundland case
A skull was found along a backroad near St. John's more than 20 years ago. Now, police have finally identified the victim of the homicide.
'Do not drive': Nissan warns Canadian drivers of explosion risk impacting 48,000 vehicles
Car manufacturer Nissan has issued a do-not-drive warning for some older vehicles equipped with Takata airbag inflators, due to the risk of explosion during a crash.
Tessa Virtue reveals she's expecting her first child. Here's what Canadians had to say
Canadian figure-skating icon Tessa Virtue is expecting her first child, she revealed via social media Tuesday.
Infant dies in ATV crash, N.S. RCMP says alcohol may be a factor
An infant has died and three others, including another child, were taken to hospital following an ATV crash in Forties, N.S., on Monday.
McDonald's says $18 Big Mac meal was an 'exception' and their prices haven't risen that much
McDonald’s is fighting back against viral tweets and media reports that it says have exaggerated its price increases.
B.C. mortgage broker ran $270-million Ponzi scheme, then fled Canada, bankruptcy trustee says
The trustee appointed to manage the bankruptcies of a Victoria mortgage company and its owner has concluded that they committed "numerous offences" and operated as a "massive Ponzi scheme."
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's housing plan defeated in House of Commons
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's housing bill has been defeated in the House of Commons with the Liberals, New Democrats and Bloc Quebecois voting against the legislation.