‘Not in my area’ views don’t provide needed help
By Letter to the Editor on December 12, 2020.
Dear Mr. Jarvie and people in the Lakeview neighbourhood, I can understand that people in that area are not happy but this is an issue that we have in our society, “not on my front steps.”
2020 especially will push many people to and over the edge of society. Help is needed, and I am not even sure that this building itself is the answer to that question. But what do we as society want to do – collect all people that are “outside” of our society and put them outside of our view and hide them somewhere in the fields? Again, I don’t know if this building itself is the best solution, but we can not always say “Help, yes, but not in my area.” Maybe we should sit back and look in the mirror as Mr. Jarvie says and reflect and say “yes, if this is a way we can help others then that’s OK, and I am concerned about the property value in the area later.”
To The Mustard Seed people, be honest, open and inform your new neighbours about all steps and keep them 100 per cent informed.
Andreas Pommer
Lethbridge
Why don’t they buy the Holiday Inn Downtown where all other services that may be required are readily available. Or utilize the Old Save On foods building. Services Canada, MCC, Interfaith, Alpha House, shopping, medical, transit stops and a plethora of other services within walking distance. Nah. That would require some thought.
First of all “Mr Mustard Seed” suggests he is getting good neighbor accolades from numerous organizations etc. He sites Calgary as a Raging Success without indicating of course that he operates in Center City away from neighborhoods and schools, parks etc.
Secondly, Mr Mustard Seed negates to mention the Mustard Seed Street Church in Edmonton and his relationship with the neighbors there. Its a disaster.
Thirdly Mr. Muster Seed states the Ramada will not be a sober site but a permanent residence. Which means Booze and MJ will be allowed because they are legal. Mr. Muster Seed states that they will have visionary people at the entrance 24/7 who have amazing abilities in detecting drugs or people on them, and of course are amazingly suited for dealing with a crazed Methhead?
Fourthly Mr Muster Seed forgets to mention the failure rate of addicts is over 97%. So Mr Muster Seed will be tossing between 2-3 people every every day, for violating their rules, trying to find the 3% who really want to get off drugs.
Fifthly, Mr Muster Seed states he will patrol his property to ensure no loitering but offers no explanation as to what Starbucks or all the other businesses do with a problem he admits he is creating, after all why would you have to patrol your own property, Ramada doesn’t do it now, so what has changed, guess? Do all other business hire their own Patrols, does Mr Mustard Seed pay for the added costs? Why are patrols needed in the first place if Nirvana exists in Mr Mustard Seed rhetoric to Lethbridge Residents of Lakeview? Well that can be demonstrated in Edmonton where the area surrounding the Mustard Seed establishments becomes a Tent/Cardboard City.
Sixthly, Mr Mustard Seed states he will deal with issues ASAP, yet after decades, the Mustard Seed Street Church has area businesses and Residents fuming over how Mr Mustard Seed does not deal with the issues he said he would.
After listening to his presentation, I would not trust a word Mr Mustard Seed says because everything he said, has already been proven to be a lie based on his other establishments and their record with community and “truth”.
Mr Mustard Seed will have no skin in the game, Trudeau is handing out $1billion and he has applied to get as much as he can to buy the Ramada. Then once in, because they are a “Christian Organization” they pays no taxes because they are doing “God’s work”. Once he owns the place, then trying to get rid of him after the distorted narrative starts to surface will be impossible.
So Mr. Muster Seed is going to use taxpayer money, to buy a multi million dollar hotel, to then pay no taxes, and shaft the neighborhood, and possibly creating a new area for a tent city, meanwhile never releasing what they pay themselves for that amazing piece of magical manipulation of taxpayer money, much like our past SCS.
The Addicts are downtown, the addicts have food, and some shelter downtown, buy a hotel downtown if that what you must do to increase permanent lodgings. Do not spread the addiction outward to ANY neighborhoods.
Correction- The Mustard Seed Street Church I referred to is in Victoria BC not Edmonton as mentioned, I tried to edit but it was too late.
https://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/mustard-seed-neighbours-say-campers-and-their-trash-are-driving-away-customers-1.24151723
The Urgent need to get people off the streets quickly…. they “forgot” to consult with community………………….?
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/edmonton-police-mustard-seed-1.5797977
They always have an excuse. This time it was winter.