Homes not Shelters in York Region

To understand homelessness in York Region, Ontario, Canada, one needs first understand it from the ground up so to speak.

Firstly, with one of the lowest percentages of available rental housing stock per capita than the entire country, it's tough to find anything, let alone affordable. In the past couple of years however there has been some funds and mixed income rental housing built and transitional housing that's being rolled out, but more often than ever, the plan leaves out its biggest client in need - the adult male.

Smoking room messages for residents with addictions

People become homeless for various reasons, but, at the end of the day, when they do, men can expect a much different experience than the women with the unspoken perception that men are more capable of surviving on the streets - or are less worthy - I'm really not sure yet.

The truth of the matter is people are homeless for a variety of reasons, often related to abuse they themselves as children, such as the men of age to have lived through St Johns school for boys which for many years harbored teachers who were raping boys. Those boys are now men. Some turned to drugs or booze, but who knows, given proper treatment, they may have a chance. This would not be on any record likely or move them up on housing lists however.

Main St Newmarket business' solution to local poverty

One recent FB thread was posting links to a shelter saying we may not be doing enough but are shelters are great and ended it with a link to a shelter article or website telling you how so.

My response was to ask him if he'd ever actually stayed in an Inn from the Cold type shelter? Did he know they could check knives and guns at the door until morning? Had he experienced sharing a room filled with strange men and all the smells, noises, habits, lack of privacy and behaviours that go with it?

The white elephant is peoples sub-conscious thoughts that these men aren't worthy of saving if they've got to this point. Truth is, it can and does happen to many from many walks of life, and when they do, are expected to mix and stay safely as best they can on their own.

This short story has been written mixing in some true facts so that people can understand why someone may choose to avoid staying in a shelter - and why a home is the need.

                                       The Traveler

It wasn't his fault he was the way he was. Maybe it was, but he had been this way so long now he couldn't recall it being much different. But now, as he got older, he began to believe maybe he wasn't all to blame. Maybe he could share it at least.

As a kid, he grew up with an abusive step-father who abused all the boys including sexually and which then filtered down to abuse from his 2 older brothers who also would terrorize him. At school, he stood out, as did his brothers for their poor appearance, unkempt hair and bad behaviour with Billy recalling having his own desk by himself most times, a barrier separating him from the other kids. Outside they got beat up often, if not daily, until he became hardened to it and struck back.

Yet in YR emerg shelters you can check them in

He got out of that abusive situation for the first time after having been kicked out of school and taking a job in a restaurant hours away from anyone and anything he knew. It was Newmarket he came to as a young adult, with a chain restaurant coming from his home town opening a location and he latched on...but After-hours was another story. As he moved toward adult relationships, he found himself haunted by his childhood experiences, further immersing him into alcohol, which he'd long since discovered dulled his pain when still a teen.

A YR Farmer resists being pushed into dangerous shelter

Eventually the place closed and he hit rock bottom and with no supportive family or friends really he drifted from place to place for awhile eventually morphing into being homeless.

But shelters are a dangerous place, don't kid yourself, with the youth shelters being known as the worst for guys selling their wares and recruiting for not-so-good deeds. I learned that from a young man, who fell into staying at one in Newmarket before falling back to the streets, immersed also in drugs and alcohol for a time. He's housed now, working and doing well. But he's young. It's a long life.

Billy also learned that as one would check into an Inn From the Cold / shelter, they could check their knives or guns at the door and pick them up when they all left at the same time each morning. One morning one such guy took a shining on Billy, the new guy on the block.

"What's your story dude?" he'd asked earlier, " What brings you in here?"

Billy didn't much like talking to other people. The less friends the better in this world the better but some guys can spot that and hone in on a guy like that immediately, knowing he'd have few friends or supports kicking about. But he also didn't want to piss the imposing looking dude either.

" Just seeing the world, friend", he tried to make a light-hearted humourous answer.

" Right on. If you need anything...drugs-wise..."

" Right on" Billy mirrored, " thanks, will do."

Word had it the guy had checked in a .22 calibre gun and Billy wanted no part of that. Beyond buying a bottle for the day he had no plans but to find somewhere to consume it without too much public interaction, possibly the hidden encampment areas used mostly in summer for the local homeless to live outdoors. In winter many are forced in with the Inns from the Cold being the last resort.

" Hey buddy!"

Dealer man called out, startling him, emerging from the bushes nearby the shelter leading into a park,

"Were you still interested in buying some stuff? What did you need?"he continued, assuming the deal.

" I think I'm good man. But thanks". Billy was an "alchy" not a "druggie".

His eyes got shifty then Wham! That's when he was hit, the location for the attack strategically chosen as to not be seen by anyone, his nose broken in one swift move, blood streaming down his face and emerging from back in the bushes, more supporters of this street yard bully, perhaps ready to join in. Guys like this know how to pick a mark, someone without local connections and new fits perfectly for a broke addict. And robbing their own rarely gets reported, no one feeling they'll win anything in the end but more grief.

But Billy had other plans, at almost the instant his nose was broken, when the flash of being hit being executed, his feet ran instinctively - like a built in panic button we all have, but only use a few times in life - unless we live like this. He'd dropped his bag of stuff however, I.D. and essentials intact, picture of his mom and daughter he has not known for years living in another province, and contact info... nutbar's raging voicing warning him he'd get him later.

Even if there was room at the other YR shelter the always full Men's Porter Place, they wouldn't accept him without ID. This is overwhelming for some at this stage.

Ducks have feathers, a bathroom and shelter here

He decided not to go to the hospital to treat his now freezing cold, now hanging sideways, nose because he had no Ohip card, but stopped at the Fairy Lake bathrooms to clean up and they were closed. Feeling unlikely welcome at a place he wasn't spending money at, he continued on, bloody face, dirty, stumbling, shaking with cold and alone-ness to the sub shop by-where his anger at life had wailed up so much, he'd built up a confidence to insist on using the bathroom first before ordering food or proving he would.

" I'm using your bathroom"

He gobbled up his sub like the last supper, hating the community style meals in comparison, preferring eating as sloppily as he wished on his own terms without judgement. These were the few normal thoughts he'd allow himself before arriving again, as always to his demons, and now the additional worry of a nut-bar out to "do" him. Where's the liquor store?

Billy arrived at the men's shelter knowing they'd offer him a bus ticket out of town. Where did he want to go? Where could he go?

" I have no home, so I don't know where I'll go. As far as they'll send me I guess".

But for every Billy leaving, another 2 are arriving or being made newly homeless or coming back, so if the strategy is to ship them out, it's a failing strategy all around.

York Region has 0 transitional housing for men and only 26 full time beds for them in a population of over one million people..in a country that gets extremely cold...

Its affordable housing has a 12 - 18 year waiting list with women escaping abuse moved automatically to the top of the waiting list followed by homeless families. 


York Region has spent the last 8 years focused on drawing attention to and then funding a new family shelter, then women's shelter, then transitional housing for women while seemingly putting blinders on to the men's needs. It's time someone took a political stand on their behalf.

New shelter for single women "Belindas Place"

Perhaps some street men could gain value from a shelter to escape abuse from the dangerous streets, or priority housing list status, or assist programs because, right now, it is men who overwhelmingly in Y.R. and beyond, are the ones who die while homeless, and, to that end, it is blatantly unfair if not outright discriminatory.. 


Lets make an example to our kids that we care about everyone.

Homes Not Shelters.

Click here to view York Region politicians discuss these issues in ' Behind The Masks"

Tom Pearson

Markham Farmer Continues to Fight for Right to Stay

Not officially zoned yet so piling dirt as such is actually illegal on14th Avenue in Markham, but ignored.

Sam Orrico's experience with being expropriated from land started back in the 70's, when, as a Farmer farming land in Pickering, he was asked to move because of the airport that never was. He moved to farming in the nearby Markham area afterward and became very familiar with municipal planning and bylaws in the process. In fact, he has been sitting in on the recent YR Planning meetings as an interested party right up to present, 2015, as well as attending many Markham Council meetings.

King City sold 105 farmland acres to Magna recently

Through this he's noticed whenever they've decided to rezone an area that was previously for farming there's a trend towards ousting them / him at any cost. Sam has lived through two house fires with Toronto Star headlines then declaring, " Farmer Escapes by Miracle", as well including one where he still currently resides and farms albeit not as much as he'd like, what with declining health and having to fight the system and developers and the town at every step.

In the latest front they've been trying to essentially evict him using newly written bylaws " Keep Markham Beautiful", designed for residential areas ordering him to "clean up" his farm land and equipment. And what does someone farming do with a tractor on 72 hours notice, as they 1st tried to intimidate him with? His trailer too, or rather his home, they said had to go. Never mind that the bylaw is missing, on page 6, section 21, making it null and void.

Long time Newmarket farm has developer's signs up

But he fought back. Again. Geez, they even had him arrested on trumped up charges one year to keep him out of the election so scared of this frail-ish old man they were (and the truth). Charges Sam tells me were a farce, based on one persons say so, that he spoke a threat about a third party, Mayor Scarpitti, also running for Mayor then. They then not only incarcerated him, but a judge also tagged a gag order on him throughout that election in the media for a year after. A judge who also wanted to run for politics. Hmm. Now how often do you see that?

Firstly the bylaw as written is incomplete, with complete sections of it missing. Sam has attempted to get this item added to the Markham Council agenda but is repeatedly stone-walled by the clerk who refuses to add it. Who's running the show there anyway? This proud man has farmed for decades here and now they try and toss him away like a piece of garbage.

His deal is not overly complicated, but essentially he had struck deals with land owners over the years which allow for him to farm and reside in lieu of them receiving tax breaks and cost breaks - INCLUDING - the landowners not having to cut grass etc and keep it up as a residential neighbourhood would. Of course underneath all the action against Sam is the fact they are now trying to change the official plan to have  where he farms and lives declared residential and not industrial. This is a common practice by developers. That would mean he'd have to go, but that hasn't even been ratified yet as they moved to have him removed via this bylaw. Easier to ratify if no Farmer stands in the way though.

Sam attended planning meetings since 70's. " You can't just change an official plan"

When new owners took over, likely hoping to change its zoning eventually and develop it into homes at some point in the future, and somehow banking on the plan being changed to accommodate this, had to agree to all liens and conditions that came with it which included it's designation as industrial land and the agreements made with the farmer(s). This in turn kept ( keeps) them receiving preferred tax perks and maintenance cost relief as a result and kept Sam legally on that land. Now they have served him eviction papers claiming rent arrears.

Adjacent property announces

Sam is wily though, and knows his rights better than they it seems, having had to fight off the developers and municipalities against him for so long now, alone, and it's about time he had some support.

The latest foe involves a seasoned lawyer he's locked horns with before but one that worries him because he has been around onside with the developers for many years too, and, with mounting health concerns, Sam wonders if he'll be able to keep it all up with the various courts and possible costs.

He just received an "N4" notice which can lead to eviction with the person serving it coming onto his property and photographing him and called me for advice on next steps. Last time when they illegally tried to intimidate him to leave they even brought police who left after realizing he had rights to be on the land. Too bad his crops takes years to move not days.

He may be old, but he's no fool, and he's one of Markham's last Farmers, who needs to escape through one last miracle.