Clean-up crew to be incorporated in dealing with homeless camps, says Main Street Project

Food packaging, discarded clothes and other litter in Gerald James Lynch Park left by those living on Winnipeg's streets will be addressed going forward, according to the Main Street Project, which has been tasked with helping homeless people living in encampments.

"[We need to] develop a plan that both looks after the individuals and also ensures that we're able to deal with those messes and clean them up appropriately and not confuse people with the mess," said Rick Lees, Main Street Project's executive director.

The garbage had piled up in the park, at the south end of the Osborne Street Bridge andnear a homeless encampment under the bridge,for nearly a week, but was cleaned up over the long weekend. The Osborne Village BIZ said one of itsboard members spent almost eight hours cleaning the space on Saturday night.

Some residents in the area previouslysaid they felt the state of the park was indicative of how the city treatshomeless people and the lack of resources put into dealing withthe issues of homelessness.

This spring, the city received major backlash when it announced a planto hire a contractor to removehomeless camps.

In the past, the city would assess such campsand then usually send in police, who would advise people to tear down their camps and move along.

Now,case workers from the Main Street Projectattend the camps, and typically provide people with water, clothes and some food, while also connecting them with social services.

But following complaints about garbage strewn around city parks, Lees said he'll work with the city to incorporate a clean-up aspect with his crews, and educate those who call the streets home to be mindful of the space they're occupying.

Main Street Project said it isworking to get a second vehicle, so they can expand their ground patrol teams, and connect with more people on streets daily.

Where does the responsibility lie?

Most Osborne Village-area residents who CBC News spoke to wanted the city to intervene and clean-up the park. CBC News has reached out to the city, but has not heard back.

Kat Buhr walks by the park nearly every day, and she feels if people are concerned about the beauty of their park, they can help maintain it, too.

"It's our obligation to clean it up, because if we take pride in our own city then that is something that we need to do."

But Buhrbelieves clean-up crews are integral to making sure the garbage that ends up on the grounds doesn't damage the environment.

"It's crucial because whatever is left out there close to the river, you know what happens when it floods? It all goes back into the water."

'It's kind of disgusting'

Blake Murphy often skateboards in the park, and thinks it's high time people began to take ownership of their own messes.

"It's a difficult situation that they're in and it's a tough place to be at, but [we] need to put our foot down and tell them that if they're not going to respect it around here, then they should find something else," he said.

"It is a nice place to skate and it is really beautiful when it is clean, so it's kind of disgusting when it gets piled up like that."

The problemhits close to home for the Main Street Project's Lees, who lives in Osborne Village and understands the concerns from residents who complained about their neighbourhood becoming a dumping ground for trash.

"I sympathize with them. I live in that neighborhood and I agree that I think no one wants to see an unsightly mess," he said.

He added that it can be hard for the average person to understand exactly what is trash, because for people on the streets, what is seen by many as garbage could be valuable to a homeless person.

"People that areoften living rough dealing with trauma trying to sort of assemble all the things they need to live."

Help denied

While the people currently camping under the Osborne Street Bridge denied help from the Main Street Project and other organizations, Lees said that more than not, people do want the help.

"I can tell you that [among]the people that said they don't want help, we've run into many that do want help," he said. "Just because someone said they don't want it today doesn't mean they won't want it tomorrow or need it tomorrow."

Lees acknowledged that the Main Street Project doesspend time trying to convince people to come and check out either their services or one of the nearby shelters, but it's not always going to be successful.

"[We] try to encourage people to connect with other services that may support them but to be honest, the great weather [we've had], there are people that just want to stay outside."

Garbage left near homeless camp worry for residents

5 years ago

Duration 2:12

Garbage littered around Gerald James Lynch Park is a concern for Osborne Village residents, some of whom say the city's lack of attention to the problem of homelessness is to blame.