No to Police Headquarters on Guertin Arena Site in Hull Sector of Gatineau
A Vibrant Appeal to Humanize the Social and Natural Environment
An important mobilization is underway to demand that the City of Gatineau abandon its project for a police headquarters on the site of what was the Robert-Guertin Arena in the Hull sector of Gatineau. To sound the alarm, a demonstration was held in front of the Guertin centre on November 14, organized by the Association for the Defence of Social Rights (ADDS) and the Île-de-Hull Residents' Association (ARIH).
At the city council meeting the next evening, more than twenty people from the community showed up, with many intervening to express their preoccupations and to remind elected officials that a number of municipal plans had been developed over the years to revitalize the downtown area, attract families and businesses (the neighbourhood has been without a grocery store for several decades), build social and affordable housing, help those who are in a situation of homelessness, and many others.
In their own name
or on behalf of various associations, those who spoke represented
street help workers, associations fighting against poverty and for
social and affordable housing, those helping the homeless, social
workers, lawyers, architects, teachers as well as citizens who settled
down in Hull with their families. They very convincingly explained how
a police headquarters would only exacerbate the problems which already
exist in the neighbourhood and would not contribute in any way to
community life. The interventions were often based on municipal studies
in which some of them had themselves participated and reflected the
opinions of neighbourhood residents obtained through interviews,
coffee-house meetings and organized discussions.
Many city councillors said they were moved by the presentations and appreciated the "intelligence and wisdom" of the intervenors, thanking those who spoke for their involvement as citizens and said that the discussion had an impact on them and would surely influence their final decision.
The opening salvo was an open letter from the Outaouais Interdisciplinary Clinic for Social Rights (CIDSO), an organization which helps and defends the rights of an increasing number of people facing homelessness and poverty in the Hull sector. The ten cosignatories point out that the site where the City of Gatineau wants to build the Police services' headquarters is less than 200 metres from the Gîte Ami, the only available emergency shelter in the region.
CIDSO
explained that the presence of the police headquarters could cause
serious problems for the numerous homeless people who live in the
targeted area and that studies have shown that a closer proximity of
the police to marginalized populations can have dire consequences such
as an increased risk of harassment, profiling and judicialization. This
could in turn result in the displacement of marginalized persons away
from the neighbourhood near the Robert-Guertin Centre where most of the
social services can be found. They also find it appalling that such a
decision is contemplated in the midst of an unprecedented housing
crisis in which the demand for social and affordable housing is on the
rise. Of those who seek help at the clinic 88 per cent are in need of
affordable and decent housing. Since 2020, the Robert-Guertin Arena has
served as a emergency homeless shelter as well as an out-of-the-cold
shelter.
A council meeting scheduled for November 22 was postponed until January, members of the municipal plenary committee having raised that more information is needed to, among other things, examine the possibility of alternative sites, showing that the mobilization has, in fact, had an impact and that it must not let up in the coming months.
A petition has been launched demanding that the Gatineau City Council not consider the Robert-Guertin site for the Gatineau police headquarters and that consultations be held with the population of Gatineau to work out a plan by which the entire Guertin site will be developed with the aim of meeting basic human needs, including social and affordable housing, sports and recreation infrastructure, as well as local businesses and parks.
To access and sign the petition, visit the Association pour la défense des droits sociaux website here.
This article was published in
Volume 52 Number 58 - December 12, 2022 - No. 58
Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/Tmld2022/Articles/D520583.HTM
Website: www.cpcml.ca Email: editor@cpcml.ca