#JUSTICE .... at
last..... Homeless Harley Lawrence murdered down on Main Street Canada - They
set him on fire and watched him slowly die-
Valley Events @valleyevents 1m1
minute ago
UPDATE: Life in prison, 20 and 18 years without parole for
Kings County men who murdered Harley...
OPEN..... YES!!!!!
Open Arms is opening in Kentville
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OPEN ARMS
Friday
& Saturday, September 18th (10am-2pm) & 19th (2-5pm)
"Grand Opening" at 32 Cornwallis St.,
Kentville
John Andrew
Chaplain / Executive Director
Open Arms - 32 Cornwallis
Street, Kentville, NS, B4N 2E1
Office: (902)-365-3665
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FEB. 23 2015- Sweet Jesus, Mother Mary and Joseph.... FINALLY.... FINALLY - JUSTICE 4 HARLEY LAWRENCE- Homeless Man Murdered down on Main Street Nova Scotia.... thank u Jesus...HOW HARD DID HARLEY DIE.... Oh Lord
Accused in Harley Lawrence's death plead guilty to second-degree murder
Smile ...and then cry - we did... powerful message from a powerful person who just doesn't know it- bet He's Jesus in disguise
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Awesome share from NOVA SCOTIA RCMP- on dealing with homeless and physciatric problems - 2do list
RCMP NOVA SCOTIA SHARED THIS AWESOME RESPECT 4 HOMELESS AND PSYCHIATRIC -mental health or addiction PROBLEMS...
Preventing violent encounters
Police officers speak to person in street.
In 2011, the Edmonton Police Service collaborated with the University of Alberta to improve the interaction between police officers and those suffering from a mental illness. Credit: Edmonton Police Service
De-escalation training for police
By Yasmeen Krameddine and Peter Silverstone, University of Alberta, and David DeMarco and Robert Hassel, Edmonton Police Service
Police officers are now frequently the first-line responders for those suffering a mental health or addiction problem, but training in handling these cases isn’t keeping up with the need.
Related story
RCMP takes holistic approach to mental health
To counter this, the Edmonton Police Service (EPS) teamed up with the University of Alberta to investigate a new way to improve outcomes. This research was led by Dr. Peter Silverstone and PhD candidate Yasmeen Krameddine, and the results to date are very positive.
The training focuses on improving interactions between police officers and individuals exhibiting various forms of mental illness. What makes it novel is that it uses actors to portray real-life scenarios, developed in close collaboration between police and the University of Alberta.
Police officers then interact with the actors in these scenarios. The goal is to increase skills in active verbal/non-verbal communication, de-escalation techniques, empathetic understanding and mental-health knowledge.
This program is run as a one-day intensive training program with six scenarios: depression, addiction, schizophrenia, alcohol withdrawal, mania and a suicidal individual.
It allows officers to improve their interactions in real-life situations. One important part of the training is the use of professional actors, who give feedback to the officers after each scenario. This is in addition to feedback from more senior training officers.
The actors are trained to acknowledge both the positive and negative behaviours of each officer during the scenario, giving officers in-depth feedback on how the officer made the actor feel during the interaction. Feedback is crucial for officers to understand how their actions affect the emotions and behaviour of individuals they come in contact with. The actors were trained extensively on verbal and non-verbal communication techniques, and varied their interactions depending on what the officer said or did.
For example, if the officer rolled his or her eyes, didn’t listen to what was being said or tried to rush the actor, the actor would in turn behave more belligerently and less helpfully.
In contrast, if the officer looked engaged, gave the actor his or her attention and held eye contact, the actor would be more relaxed, helpful and supply all the information asked for.
Emphasis during the feedback for each scenario was on increasing the expression of empathic feelings and body language expressed to the actors in the scenarios.
After the scenario was complete, the feedback continued to highlight why the actor behaved in certain ways. This allowed police to have an outside perspective of their actions and body language, giving them a better view of how their actions or what they said impacted the way they are viewed.
An example of feedback from an actor would be “When you asked me my name, I felt like you actually cared about me, as a person, so I was comfortable in answering your questions” or “when you told me to calm down it made me angry because your tone suggested you didn’t care why I was so angry.”
To date, more than 650 police officers have completed this training. Results have been very positive.
Over a six-month period, EPS members demonstrated significant improvements in their communication, empathy and de-escalation skills, as observed by their supervising officers.
Additionally, there was an improvement in an officer’s ability to confidently recognize, respond and empathetically communicate with individuals in distress.
This supported a 41 per cent increase in the actual number and classification of mental health calls, with 19 per cent less time being spent on each call, thus an increase in efficiency. Over a six-month period, this led to cost savings of $83,828.
Additionally, police reported feeling significantly more confident in their training and ability to interact with a mentally ill individual. There was also a large decrease (more than 40 per cent) in the use of any kind of force when interacting with mentally ill individuals, although there were other internal police initiatives that may have helped this latter figure.
These results show promise, and continue to emphasize the positive effects of this innovative mental health training initiative. What’s interesting about the research that was done, and the tips provided, is that little things can make a big difference.
Active listening and expressing empathy in both verbal and non-verbal communication improves outcomes for police officers, particularly when interacting with those who have mental illness and/or addiction problems.
This study also shows that these skills can be taught and improved, and that this leads to true-to-life training and real-life application. Feedback from officers taking part repeatedly said how realistic the scenarios were and that they were able to subsequently incorporate these skills into their daily tasks.
Dos and don’ts for talking to people with psychiatric problems
Try to do the following:
Ask individuals their name in a conversational manner, and offer yours. This small act of bonding can go a long way in developing an understanding and empathetic relationship.
Active listening. This is done by keeping attention and maintaining eye contact on the individual. You can also summarize what they say by repeating it back to them. Nod your head up and down to demonstrate strong non-verbal understanding. If you show you are actively listening, you will increase empathy with the subject, helping you gain any information and insights you need.
Use “open” body language. Body language is an unconscious form of communication that can escalate or de-escalate situations depending how it’s used. Keep a calm and relaxed posture, try not to cross your arms, smile and show you’re concerned. These behaviours allow the subject to feel safe and trusted.
Mirroring. Copy their body language if you can. It’s a powerful way of empathizing using non-verbal communication.
Label and confirm their feelings. Since feelings and emotions are frequently a major cause of problems, labelling their feelings shows you are listening, for example, “It sounds like you’re feeling very underappreciated.” Confirming also helps them see that their feelings are normal, such as “anyone would feel sad after losing their job.”
Focus on family. By asking the person about their family or friends, you can decrease their isolation and remind them that they have people in their life. Examples may be “do you have any children?” and “what would your children do if they no longer had you in their life?”
Tell them what you are doing and why. Research shows that if you explain to the individual what you have to do and why, there will be less chance of aggression and escalation. For example “I am going to have to arrest you because it looks like there are five warrants out for your arrest.”
Try not to do the following:
Telling them to “calm down” or “relax.” These words may make them angry because they feel they’re being talked down to and told what to do. This does the opposite of making someone feel calm.
Using dominating body language. Standing over an individual with your feet planted, hands on your waist or on your gun, can indicate control and power. This may make the person feel defensive, powerless and unimportant. They are less likely to be co-operative. If they’re sitting, try instead to crouch down to their level, so you’re able to talk to them as equals.
Improper mirroring. Copying isn’t always appropriate. If they’re shouting, don’t shout back, no matter the provocation. Try talking in a softer voice so they have to stop to listen to what you are saying. Also, if the person is scared or anxious, mirroring their body language can exaggerate anxiety and fear, which may escalate the situation. Keep a calm demeanor, even if they are not. Eventually and without realizing it, many subjects will copy your body language.
Telling them they shouldn’t feel a certain way. All feelings are real no matter how outrageous it sounds. Do not belittle what the subject is experiencing. For example, if a subject is hearing voices, don’t say “no, you don’t hear that.” Instead, ask more about the situation: “How long have you been hearing them?” or “How do they make you feel?”
http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/gazette/vol76no1/cover-dossier/edmonton-eng.htm?fb#problems
-------------
Awesome share from NOVA SCOTIA RCMP- on dealing with homeless and physciatric problems - 2do list
RCMP NOVA SCOTIA SHARED THIS AWESOME RESPECT 4 HOMELESS AND PSYCHIATRIC -mental health or addiction PROBLEMS...
Preventing violent encounters
Police officers speak to person in street.
In 2011, the Edmonton Police Service collaborated with the University of Alberta to improve the interaction between police officers and those suffering from a mental illness. Credit: Edmonton Police Service
De-escalation training for police
By Yasmeen Krameddine and Peter Silverstone, University of Alberta, and David DeMarco and Robert Hassel, Edmonton Police Service
Police officers are now frequently the first-line responders for those suffering a mental health or addiction problem, but training in handling these cases isn’t keeping up with the need.
Related story
RCMP takes holistic approach to mental health
To counter this, the Edmonton Police Service (EPS) teamed up with the University of Alberta to investigate a new way to improve outcomes. This research was led by Dr. Peter Silverstone and PhD candidate Yasmeen Krameddine, and the results to date are very positive.
The training focuses on improving interactions between police officers and individuals exhibiting various forms of mental illness. What makes it novel is that it uses actors to portray real-life scenarios, developed in close collaboration between police and the University of Alberta.
Police officers then interact with the actors in these scenarios. The goal is to increase skills in active verbal/non-verbal communication, de-escalation techniques, empathetic understanding and mental-health knowledge.
This program is run as a one-day intensive training program with six scenarios: depression, addiction, schizophrenia, alcohol withdrawal, mania and a suicidal individual.
It allows officers to improve their interactions in real-life situations. One important part of the training is the use of professional actors, who give feedback to the officers after each scenario. This is in addition to feedback from more senior training officers.
The actors are trained to acknowledge both the positive and negative behaviours of each officer during the scenario, giving officers in-depth feedback on how the officer made the actor feel during the interaction. Feedback is crucial for officers to understand how their actions affect the emotions and behaviour of individuals they come in contact with. The actors were trained extensively on verbal and non-verbal communication techniques, and varied their interactions depending on what the officer said or did.
For example, if the officer rolled his or her eyes, didn’t listen to what was being said or tried to rush the actor, the actor would in turn behave more belligerently and less helpfully.
In contrast, if the officer looked engaged, gave the actor his or her attention and held eye contact, the actor would be more relaxed, helpful and supply all the information asked for.
Emphasis during the feedback for each scenario was on increasing the expression of empathic feelings and body language expressed to the actors in the scenarios.
After the scenario was complete, the feedback continued to highlight why the actor behaved in certain ways. This allowed police to have an outside perspective of their actions and body language, giving them a better view of how their actions or what they said impacted the way they are viewed.
An example of feedback from an actor would be “When you asked me my name, I felt like you actually cared about me, as a person, so I was comfortable in answering your questions” or “when you told me to calm down it made me angry because your tone suggested you didn’t care why I was so angry.”
To date, more than 650 police officers have completed this training. Results have been very positive.
Over a six-month period, EPS members demonstrated significant improvements in their communication, empathy and de-escalation skills, as observed by their supervising officers.
Additionally, there was an improvement in an officer’s ability to confidently recognize, respond and empathetically communicate with individuals in distress.
This supported a 41 per cent increase in the actual number and classification of mental health calls, with 19 per cent less time being spent on each call, thus an increase in efficiency. Over a six-month period, this led to cost savings of $83,828.
Additionally, police reported feeling significantly more confident in their training and ability to interact with a mentally ill individual. There was also a large decrease (more than 40 per cent) in the use of any kind of force when interacting with mentally ill individuals, although there were other internal police initiatives that may have helped this latter figure.
These results show promise, and continue to emphasize the positive effects of this innovative mental health training initiative. What’s interesting about the research that was done, and the tips provided, is that little things can make a big difference.
Active listening and expressing empathy in both verbal and non-verbal communication improves outcomes for police officers, particularly when interacting with those who have mental illness and/or addiction problems.
This study also shows that these skills can be taught and improved, and that this leads to true-to-life training and real-life application. Feedback from officers taking part repeatedly said how realistic the scenarios were and that they were able to subsequently incorporate these skills into their daily tasks.
Dos and don’ts for talking to people with psychiatric problems
Try to do the following:
Ask individuals their name in a conversational manner, and offer yours. This small act of bonding can go a long way in developing an understanding and empathetic relationship.
Active listening. This is done by keeping attention and maintaining eye contact on the individual. You can also summarize what they say by repeating it back to them. Nod your head up and down to demonstrate strong non-verbal understanding. If you show you are actively listening, you will increase empathy with the subject, helping you gain any information and insights you need.
Use “open” body language. Body language is an unconscious form of communication that can escalate or de-escalate situations depending how it’s used. Keep a calm and relaxed posture, try not to cross your arms, smile and show you’re concerned. These behaviours allow the subject to feel safe and trusted.
Mirroring. Copy their body language if you can. It’s a powerful way of empathizing using non-verbal communication.
Label and confirm their feelings. Since feelings and emotions are frequently a major cause of problems, labelling their feelings shows you are listening, for example, “It sounds like you’re feeling very underappreciated.” Confirming also helps them see that their feelings are normal, such as “anyone would feel sad after losing their job.”
Focus on family. By asking the person about their family or friends, you can decrease their isolation and remind them that they have people in their life. Examples may be “do you have any children?” and “what would your children do if they no longer had you in their life?”
Tell them what you are doing and why. Research shows that if you explain to the individual what you have to do and why, there will be less chance of aggression and escalation. For example “I am going to have to arrest you because it looks like there are five warrants out for your arrest.”
Try not to do the following:
Telling them to “calm down” or “relax.” These words may make them angry because they feel they’re being talked down to and told what to do. This does the opposite of making someone feel calm.
Using dominating body language. Standing over an individual with your feet planted, hands on your waist or on your gun, can indicate control and power. This may make the person feel defensive, powerless and unimportant. They are less likely to be co-operative. If they’re sitting, try instead to crouch down to their level, so you’re able to talk to them as equals.
Improper mirroring. Copying isn’t always appropriate. If they’re shouting, don’t shout back, no matter the provocation. Try talking in a softer voice so they have to stop to listen to what you are saying. Also, if the person is scared or anxious, mirroring their body language can exaggerate anxiety and fear, which may escalate the situation. Keep a calm demeanor, even if they are not. Eventually and without realizing it, many subjects will copy your body language.
Telling them they shouldn’t feel a certain way. All feelings are real no matter how outrageous it sounds. Do not belittle what the subject is experiencing. For example, if a subject is hearing voices, don’t say “no, you don’t hear that.” Instead, ask more about the situation: “How long have you been hearing them?” or “How do they make you feel?”
http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/gazette/vol76no1/cover-dossier/edmonton-eng.htm?fb#problems
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“the drifter who came to town continues to teach us many lessons. That is perhaps the enduring legacy that Harley will leave us.”
“For a man who didn’t want anything to do with many people, Harley made an enormous impact on the people of Berwick and others throughout the county, the province and country,” Glaser said
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The Register/Advertiser>Living
Open Arms celebrated a decade of service
Wendy ElliottPublished on September 14, 2014
The Open Arms Society celebrated its 10th birthday on Sept. 14 with a barbecue and party at the Kentville Agriculture Centre picnic grounds.
A highlight of the afternoon, which attracted a crowd of volunteers and participants, was the announcement of a new van by Valley Credit Union.
John Andrew, who directs the society, thanked the credit union staff and volunteers. He said the community has made its support for Open Arms clear through continued generosity.
“It is frustrating when government fails to comprehend the value of community-supported initiatives. Open Arms saves the region (and Kentville foremost) tens of thousands of dollars through programs and services for people who are often marginalized or in crisis,” he said.
He went on to say that the attitude that Open Arms purchasing a building that no one else wanted is somehow detrimental to the town exhibits terrible ignorance.
“What a more public presence does do is communicate to people in crisis that they are surrounded by a beautiful and embracing community that supports and applauds the choices people make towards sanity, sobriety and healthy community engagement,” he said.
Speaking about last week’s town council meeting, which put off any financial assistance to Open Arms, Andrew said, “It is great to see that the CAO along with councillors Boyd and Cooper show an informed and view of the situation.”
“I am embarrassed for those who would prefer to not see those they deem to be 'have nots' or who believe that Open Arms somehow created the underbelly of Kentville. While Open Arms has actually operated in the town since 2003, increased visibility has been difficult for a select few to swallow.”
Andrew went on to state that, “while the concerns of those who are able to influence council must be duly considered, we are here to stay and will make every effort to be good neighbours as we aim to increase our ability to help people in need - with or without a tax reduction.”
More than 700 Valley residents have required assistance from Open Arms for shelter for a night or more since 2003 and countless others for other programs the society provides, Andrew said.
“That number has included people from all walks of life (including students from Acadia, NSCC and all Valley High Schools, Michelin employees and more), young and old.”
He commented that on Sept. 14, a family whose house caught on fire is able to be supported and be in a motel because of the incredible generosity of this community.
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EDITORIAL: In wake of murder charges in Harley Lawrence's death, a difficult kind of peace
Published on April 27, 2014
Suspicions have swirled around Berwick and rippled across the county,
province and even the country since that chilly Wednesday morning six months
ago when news of Harley
Lawrence’s death broke.
According to the RCMP, the 62-year-old man who lived on the small town’s
streets was murdered that October morning. There was a sense of relief in the
town April 25 as news spread that two men had been arrested and charged with
first-degree murder in Lawrence’s death.
But there’s another sense: one of horror that two local men stand accused of
intentionally killing a vulnerable person on a downtown sidewalk. Despite the
rumours of wrong doing, there was a temptation for some to think his death a
tragic accident; holding on to a hope that no one could commit such a
despicable, deliberate crime.
There will be other feelings as the case proceeds through the court system:
perhaps satisfaction, perhaps anger, perhaps frustration and most certainly
sadness.
For whatever Harley’s life and death meant to Berwick and to those of who
remembered him and marked his passing by attending a vigil, a funeral or
donating to the costs of his burial and headstone, it certainly meant more to
his family who mourn his loss.
“I know lots of people feel invested (in this case)," Open Arms pastor
John Andrew said April 25, but “the family carries a weight that is much
larger.”
He said the charges brought “a strange kind of peace.”
- Read
more special articles:
- UPDATE
Two men accused in Lawrence murder will be back in Kentville court next
month
- UPDATE
Two men facing first degree murder charges in Lawrence death
- It’s
a 'big relief' arrests made in Lawrence death: Berwick residents
- Updated:
Two arrested in connection to death of Harley Lawrence
Should the police allegations be proven in court, it will be a hard thing to
heal from and no victory of justice will return Harley to his family.
Yet, the family, police, town officials and pastor spoke of healing, of
justice and of patience as the charges were announced.
Patience will be certainly necessary. Seeking answers through court
proceedings is usually a slow, plodding quest. It may be years before more is
known about how – and why – Lawrence died.
Let us hope that answers are forthcoming and, as Andrew said, that this
alleged violence is “an anomaly” and not a reflection of the community.
After the press conference late last week, Mayor Don Clarke said he thought
something positive had come from what has been a painful chapter in Berwick’s
history. Community meetings have been held, involving residents ranging from
schoolchildren to seniors, and Clarke said the process has been “cathartic” for
many.
Catharsis is not, however, something a person struggling with poverty,
homelessness or mental illness can hold on to.
One thing that is tangible is a renewed support for Open Arms in Berwick.
Andrew said he hopes the organization will be able to offer its services to
those in need from a permanent location by this fall.
The case of Harley Lawrence will be a difficult one to watch, but knowing
there are those who give their time to offer assistance and kindness to even
those who rebuff a helping hand is some comfort when facing the specter of
extreme cruelty.
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HALIFAX CHRONICLE HERALD- June 28, 2014- another beloved homeless man beaten
A CRY FOR COMPASSION
Of homelessness and hear tlessness
Re: the homeless man b eaten in a Halifax park in broad daylight. While I work in the “field" of “homelessness" and see on a daily basis the challenges that the people I work with face — the hostility, the disgust, the general disdain — a physical attack is sur prising to me.
It’s surprising to my heart, not my mind.
I know how an unfortunate percentage of the general public feels about my people. These are the people I feel most comfortable with — the downtrodden, the impoverished, the systemically abused, the other people in our society. They ended up there through fate, luck, decisions and mainly through systemic racism, homophobia and classism and poverty that is reinforced through the systems that people are forced to use in order to simply survive. (And let’s be honest, survival on government subsidy is barely survival.) Regardless of how much I actually know about public opinion, and how mu ch bitterness I hold in my mind, my tender, soft heart that breaks far too easily simply cannot acknowledge that people hold such hatred in their hearts.
How can complete strangers simply pass judgment on people they know nothing about, and in doing so think of them as lesser beings — as not being people?
The people I spend my days with are often better people, with bigger hearts and more compassion, than the societal masses. They do everything exactly the same way we do. We wake up, we go to sleep, we cry, we laugh and we live our lives. I shudder when things like this happen in the world in general. To have it happen in my community, where the people I love are, makes me weep.
My office, my organization and my community have spent the past week crying and trying to figure out how to deal with this assau lt on another community member — one who is so wellknown that he is a legend on our streets. It’s a drastic juxtaposition to this cruel attack. I’m so very glad I sit on this side of the world.
Tess Warner is program co-ordinator, Halifax Housing Help, Metro Non-Profit Housing Association
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NOW-THE GOOD STUFF- THE MIRACLES OF NOVA SCOTIA AND HARLEY LAWRENCE AND HONOURING OUR HOMELESS IN THIS COUNTRY....
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JULY 24-26 2014
July 19
9 a.m. - Food
bank volunteer Bud Little, right, and Kentville Police Chief Mark
Mander open the doors and let Sangster, Cater, Stirling and Dunfield
into the food bank. They give the group a talk on the food bank, how it
works, and when it is normally open (Thursdays, from 10 a.m. to 2
p.m.).
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OPEN ARMS IN KENTVILLE- ESTABLISHED 4 HOMELESS AND THOSE WITH MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AND NEED OUR LOVE AND SUPPORT-
CHECK THE COMMENTS- NOVA SCOTIANS ARE WILD- and so are citizens of kentville- U HELP PEOPLE.... U ACTUALLY HELP PEOPLE.... HUG THEM - HAVE STUFF 4 THEM 2 DO... ETC... NOVA SCOTIA ... CANADA... WE NEED YOUNG WORKING VOLUNTEER PEOPLE WITH INITIATIVE 2 RUN OUR COMMUNITIES, OUR TOWNS, OUR CITIES... OUR COUNTRY.... this must change...
Loiterers lingering in Kentville's downtown a concern for council, businesses
Wendy ElliottPublished on June 18, 2014
A lone commissionaire stands on duty outside the TD Canada Trust building on Webster Street in Kentville to deter loiterers.
Kentville Mayor David Corkum said last week that policing the downtown core has become a priority.
He noted that TD Canada Trust on Webster Street has hired a commissionaire to discourage individuals from lounging outside the branch.
Coun. Tony Bentley said he understood that as many as 20 people were in the habit of sitting on the step on a Saturday morning. He said he spoke with one business owner who considered leaving the town because of loiterers near a location on Cornwallis Avenue.
“Some people are afraid to go downtown,” Bentley said.
Lori Nauss, who is the TD branch manager, said the commissionaire has been hired for 30 days on a trial basis. She added that his presence is proving to be a deterrent.
Corkum said that with increased security on site, “you don’t see people hanging around like they did before.”
The mayor said he had heard stories about 80-year-old ladies going out into the street to avoid groups of loiterers.
Coun. Eric Bolland said the subject is an emotional issue and wondered if some loiterers might be charged with smoking in a public place.
Several years ago Kentville decided to pipe in classical-type music in an effort to deter loiterers in the same area.
Police Chief Mark Mander pointed out to council at its June 9 meeting that, for many residents of central Kentville, the “downtown square is their back yard. They live and play in the downtown.”
Mander said it is very difficult to tag someone as a loiterer.
“Is it based on looks?” he asked.
Furthermore there is a lack of signage prohibiting loitering the police chief said. He said foot patrols by his officers are up compared to last month.
http://www.kingscountynews.ca/News/Local/2014-06-18/article-3767549/Loiterers-lingering-in-Kentvilles-downtown-a-concern-for-council%2C-businesses/1
COMMENTS:
AnonymousJune 24, 2014 - 10:44
I grew up in a small town before moving to the valley and there was nothing there for young people to do. So in lieu of not having anything to do, the teens and 20 something's hung out on main street. Packs of young people that, yes, people had to walk through or around. The solution came in the form of a small business owner who set up a pool hall with a designated smoking area to the side of the building. This got the people off he street and gave them a place to hang out that was central to the town but not causing uppity people to complain about loitering and smoking in the main business area. If the town wants to try to stop people from hanging out in a place such as centre square, maybe they should put something in place for these people to go to. How long has the building that the edge used to be in stood empty? How long has that massive space gone unused when it could be giving people a place to go hang out instead? I think rather than having the town and the people with their noses in the air complaining about the problem, they should be working to fix it! Lord knows if I had money backing me, I would. But there is always a solution to the problem, it's just no one is willing to do anything about it. Like someone said in an earlier comment, it may be a business district but it's also the location of low income housing. If the town wants to keep the down town area for both demographics, then something needs to be put into place for the persons who live in this area. To cheesily quote an old movie, "If you build it, they will come". As Eldridge Cleaver once said, “If you are not a part of the solution, you are a part of the problem.”
Reply
Gloria MalleyJune 22, 2014 - 12:36
Oh poor Janice My heart is breaking for you. Count yourself lucky you have a job, be lucky you have a home , a lot of other people in the real world have fallen on hard times. Stop your whining princess and walk around people like the rest of the world , they pay taxes and have the right to do as they please and go where they want. The town needs to put some money into programs to help these people instead of getting on your high horse as if the world revolves around you
Reply
LauraJune 23, 2014 - 11:01
I guess they pay sales tax like the rest of us do, the "rest" being those who pay property tax, gas tax, income tax, excessive taxes mandated by the govt that pay to help these folks get out of the system. Theres nothing wrong with expecting everyone to provide respect. Those who use the town centre as their backyard, they need to respect those doing business downtown. They need to clear out of the sidewalks for clients and business owners during business hours, smoke somewhere else, watch their language, and in turn, businesses will stay, versus packing up and leaving the downtown core. I dont care who you are, old, young, it doesnt matter. Navigating your way through crowds of people down town can be intimidating, expecially when those crowds are using inappropriate language, are under the influence of drugs or alcohol or are having disputes right in front of the coffee shop. Perhaps the respect needs to go both ways and we also need a town council that recognizes that if they are going to provide the housing for those less fortunate to be in the down town area, that they need to provide a real back yard for them to spend time in. A green area, open to the public. Maybe dollars could be better spent policing that area than fining people for standing on the sidewalk because the apartment that they live in is sweltering or the shelter is closed during the day. Theres two sides to this and every other story. There are also ways to correct the problem. Those of you paying taxes in Kentville ought to get to work on pressuring the council and Mayor to make this town work. Arguing about who should be allowed where and when is not going to solve this problem. However, if the TOK expects businesses to stay and bring more revenue to the town, they should probably start solving this problem.
Janice LeekieJune 21, 2014 - 21:27
I work in Kentville, right down from Open Arms. When we walk out of our doors, we walk into a cloud of cigarette smoke. When we try to walk for a coffee we, and our clients, have to walk around or through people standing on the sidewalk. Every single day. While they are not threatening, it certainly diminishes any sense of professionalism the downtown core is trying to convey. Walking over to Tim's can be uncomfortable as well, people in their pajamas again standing around smoking. If it makes me a bad person for saying this, so be it. People should be able to shop and conduct their business without having to walk around or through those who having nothing else to do but stand around.
Reply
KathyJune 21, 2014 - 22:06
Seems to me like Kentville wants it all. They want to allow low income and subsidized housing in it's downtown core, then they also want businesses to invest in the downtown core. On top of this, the want the two groups of people to co exist. The business owners and employees are free to wander the downtown, purchase expensive beverages, chat amongst themselves. The low income, govt subsidized people that the town "allows" to occupy the downtown, less attractive housing, is apparently expected to be out of sight . I'm sorry town of kentville, you can't have it both ways. Decide what you want Kentville to be and support your decision. Stop with the wishy washy political answers and catering to whomever screams the loudest. Fining people for grabbing a coffee and enjoying some sunshine because they live in an apt downtown with no pool to lounge by or no porch to even sit on? Let's be real here, that's just ridiculous.
AlannaJune 25, 2014 - 12:23
Oh Janice, how terrible it must be to leave your office job and have to deal with smokers and *gasp* people wearing pajamas! Last I checked Kentville is a part of Canada. Canada is a free country and those wishing to stand on a sidewalk, or wear pajamas in public were certainly allowed to. Maybe some of our tax dollars should be spent hiring a fashion police service? These smokers that are standing around, if they purchased those cigarettes in Kentville, weren't they "conducting business"? Anyone standing with a Tim Horton's coffee also spent some money in your town. Perhaps instead of judging these people "who have nothing else to do but stand around", get to know them instead. Have you ever volunteered for Open Arms? Have you ever spent a night awake volunteering with Inn From The Cold? I have, and I can tell you that the only difference between these people and you is luck. These people "with nothing better to do" have stories, perhaps they are down on their luck. Perhaps they have spent months looking for work and that time spent on the sidewalk is a relief from their daily stresses of wondering how they will pay for their next meal or their rent. Be thankful you have a job that allows you to afford those coffees. Instead of judging next time, offer up a smile or a hello...most of them are very sweet individuals!
concerned CanadianJune 21, 2014 - 08:12
"Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms",, or is downtown Kentville not a part of Canada ???
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KaylaaJune 19, 2014 - 16:04
They need to realize that it is an easy place to find and get to. I had to meet my mother a few summers back in Kentville. She picked center square in Kentville because it was close to the office. I was 30 minutes early, it was a heat wave and I had no A/C in my car, so I waited outside my car. I was told to either wait in my car with no A/C (at 35 weeks pregnant), or in Tim Horton's (during RUSH HOUR).
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Janet NewtonJune 21, 2014 - 17:24
About two years ago, I was chatting with a person I knew outside the TD Bank, the bank I use when two Kentville policemen pulled up and told us to move on . They said they had made two passes by and we were still in the same place and that was loitering. Needless to say I was shocked at being treated that way . So was my late husband Walter and his call to the police chief was never returned.
KaylaaJune 19, 2014 - 15:51
Most of these people are standing around TD is because Tim Horton's is too busy to find a place to sit, or they are waiting to meet someone at Tim Horton's, or are meeting up with someone because it is an EASY place to find. People from and out of town know how to get there, or can find it easily. I have been rudely told to leave while waiting for my mother to attend my prenatal appointment. I explained why I was there and they told me to either wait in my HOT car (While I was 35 weeks pregnant) or to go into Tim Horton's and wait (while it was rush hour and a line was out the door!).
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Jeri June 24, 2014 - 12:27
Makes you wonder about your legal rights .. I would look them up and enforce them yourself .. Nowadays if you don't stand up for your own rights .. They can and will be taken away from you ...
ConcernedinKentvilleJune 19, 2014 - 08:16
it's unbelievable that town counsel is acting this way because of the way this group of people look. I walk through there daily and it's nothing but a bunch of teenagers socializing. You get the odd bad word but for the most part it's peoples own stigma's that cause them to be concerned by the group.... The chief of police should be thanked for telling it like it is. I have heard that the mayor is laying off two more police officers soon and that one of the wages is being paid completely by the province!!!! The decisions of this counsel are terrible. Corkum needs to go!!
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Moral CompassJune 19, 2014 - 09:42
I'm confused. Where in the article did it indicate that council, as you said, "is acting this way because of the way this group of people look"? Has the article been edited to delete this inference? Or are you trying to place words into the mouths of council which is, at a minimum, very irresponsible and ,to an extreme, bordering on slander.
ConcernedinKentvilleJune 19, 2014 - 15:36
moral. i didn't state clearly what i meant. what i meant is, if you spend any time there the vast majority 90% and above are young people, many of them living pay cheque to pay cheque. just trying to get by. the people that are offended are the ones that are walking by these people and are "concerned" because of the looks of the people. spend any time there and the comments are the same about the group that normally hangs there. These people in turn complain to the mayor and other members of counsel. Instead of trying to help the people that really need the help, the town counsel side with the people that make the complaints (a very select few, mostly business owners who sway votes) In turn the mayor puts pressure on the police force to act but really the police are reluctant to do any more then move these people on unless there is a criminal complaint. It's been going on for years. round and round they go.
AnthonyJune 19, 2014 - 07:16
Shame on you Mayor David Corkum, CAO Mark Phillips and the whole town council. If you spent a little of the taxes you collected back into community, and helping get programs started and up and running, and not spending the money that has been allocated for these programs on other things, you would not be facing concerns such as this. I think it's time for a new generation to start running out town. It seems like the people who gave been elected year after year(s) need to set back, give themselves a break and let a new group make decisions. That is the only way this town is going to move forward. Shame on all the elected in Kentville for letting nan issue like this get so out of hand. Maybe one of them will give up their house and land , co it can become a community park! Just sayin
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AnitaJune 19, 2014 - 09:40
Agreed. I think we need a new Mayor. Do you think. Mr. Mayor, that anyone in the town of Kentville is going to feel you are humble & a man of & for the people when you drive around in your convertible & pose for photo ops every chance you get?!
RyanJune 19, 2014 - 06:06
I read this and laughed. Really? You want to DETER people from spending time in your town's downtown core?! This just seems like something out of another era. I'm sure the town has bigger things to worry about than people 'loitering'.
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Jeri June 24, 2014 - 12:31
When they offend enough people, then they will be hollering that no one shops there, lol
Concerned CitizenJune 18, 2014 - 23:48
Businesses want to leave Kentville? Oh Mr Mayor, that happened many years ago and wasn't because people were hanging in front of Tim Horton's or the bank. They left and went to New Minas because of ridiculous taxes and land use by laws. Let's not be confused. Nice way to throw rocks at YOUR Kentville Police Service. Kudos to Chief Mander and the great team of law enforcement staff he has. Keep up the good work.
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FayeJune 18, 2014 - 22:19
Shame shame on you politional bully's. That have beautiful homes thanks to the tax payers , and you have nothing better to do then pick on the public and less fortunate people, and judge by there looks , wow , shame on you , no wonder people are depressed and no wonder we have so much mental health , instead of thinking of ways to help people or raise minimum wage so people can work, eat and have a roof you rather sit in a comfy chair and bully people as I said shame on you !!!!! Take some of that time and get open arms open , help your community don't judge
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Cassidy HattJune 18, 2014 - 22:07
The so called "loiterers" outside of Tim Horton's enjoy using the space the Town Square has offered to converse and socially gather with peers and other community members. They do not pose harm to by-passers, they simply use the space to interact with one another in harmony. You cannot judge a book by it's cover, I have heard this numerous times throughout my life, as well as preached it… being nineteen now, I have walked through Kentville my whole entire life and have always felt safe and greeted each individual with mutual respect - no matter what they looked like. What bothers me, is that the town has provoked an argument that they believe is worth fighting, when in reality it is not an issue to begin with.
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glenJune 18, 2014 - 21:55
True orwellian style. Ridiculous. I don't live in Kentville, but work on a weekly basis in the town. I see people around, have never had a problem. Some people need to stop judging by appearance and learn to relax a bit, enjoy life and others
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AnitaJune 18, 2014 - 21:36
Since when are people afraid to go into downtown Kentville? If there are citizens that are sincerely afraid, I think they need to take a look at the crime rates in other areas of Nova Scotia & the maritimes. Kentville, as well as the Annapolis Valley, is extremely safe. I lived in Saint John, NB for 10 years & wasn't even afraid of walking alone at night [although crime has increased there]. There are very very VERY few incidents of random violent crime in the Valley. By that, I mean the perpetrator not knowing the victim. When have you heard of a little old lady being mugged in broad daylight or someone being sexually assaulted by a stranger? It's just not happening. I will admit, I am not in downtown Kentville after 8pm, so I have no idea what goes on in Town Square, but I have often been in town early Saturday morning & have never seen a group of people [let alone 20] loitering in front of TD Bank or anywhere else. I agree with another commenter. Give people a place to go. There is a large area across from the fire department...it would be the perfect spot for a park with benches, grassy area, a fountain perhaps. Sure, some people might use the area SOMETIMES to commit a crime [in the Valley that means deal drugs] but why do a few bad apples have to spoil the town for the rest of us tax-paying, law-abiding citizens? There is very little to do in Kentville, no place to hang out & relax. Wolfville has plenty of areas for residents to relax, sit on a bench, eat lunch etc. We should be striving as a community to be more focused on well-being & the positive things about our town, rather than worrying about a few minor annoyances that other towns barely bat an eye at. Kentville seems to be buying into it's own reputation & that's certainly not going to do anything to change it.
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Tina MacKinnonJune 18, 2014 - 20:14
If anyone is blocking the sidewalk or entrances they can be asked to move. If they are harassing pedestrians, they need to stop. Are they biking or skateboarding and weaving in and out among pedestrians? Hanging around doesn't strike me as a problem, we've got to state what they are DOING (if anything) that's so problematic or it's just a power trip against citizens that can't fight back.
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Bill BoydJune 18, 2014 - 18:15
Surely a complete over-reaction! People afraid to visit the downtown core of Kentville! Have been in the downtown core at various times of the day and the night and never experienced any problem. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself - methinks. And shame on you Mayor Corkum for buying into this. There are other more pressing priorities about town that warrant your attention. Let' s not jump so quickly on the "tough on crime" bandwagon.
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Nick SternJune 18, 2014 - 17:27
I would love to see a commissionaire stop me from taking a quick break to have my lunch outside in a public place!! Since when is Kentville run by a dictatorship? I can understand not to hang around an entrance to a business, but for the kpd to judge us on the way we dress? How about some of is have dirty jobs so we wear old clothes... Better than the paper pushing desk jockeys that on most occasions don't get their hands dirty. Mayor Corkum is a very nice man but I'm starting to double guess his decisions lately..
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Gloria MalleyJune 18, 2014 - 13:14
Really how ridiculous, this is my home town and people have a right to choose where they go , it's getting out of the house for some, chatting up with friends, or they just like watching what's going on. It's the people you don't see who you should be worried about. And if you hate it that much move away and stop your whining about the small stuff. As kids we all hung out downtown and most of us are quite successful in life etc. doctors , teachers, lawyers etc. News flash we don't have dictator leadership here or do we ? Grow up and find somthing else to waste tax payers money on
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BarbaraJune 18, 2014 - 12:23
Perhaps you should get the Town to speed up the necessary permits for Open Arms so that people have a place to go.
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concerned KentvillianJune 18, 2014 - 18:40
Don't hold your breath on that one Barbra. There was also the 'Housing First ' initiative last year to help some of these unfortunate people but the local bureaucrats took all the money and unfortunately those that the grants were issued to help got absolutely nothing ?
Jennifer KirkeyJune 18, 2014 - 10:50
Are the "loiterers" harassing people or vandalizing property or threatening the community? If they're doing any of those things, then they should be arrested and/or fined for breaking various laws. Otherwise, why is this a problem? Don't Kentville business owners have more important things to be worried about than whether I spent too much time standing on the sidewalk outside of the bank?
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John AndrewJune 18, 2014 - 10:12
Anecdotal stories without names and details do not carry much weight. There were times forty years ago, however, when my mother held me close when shopping downtown Kentville - has it really changed so much? Thank you Mark Mander for pointing out the obvious prejudice that targets a certain segment of the population. If people are dressed a certain way, they are treated like garbage.
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Gloria MalleyJune 18, 2014 - 10:09
Being born and raised there , what a small minded town you are. People should have the right to come and go as they please, if they want to stand and check out traffic, get a coffee, socialize with others, or walk the square 20 times they can. Stop worrying about the ones you see and worry about the ones you don't . You only antagonize the young people which leads to other issues. We all wandered the town square growing up everyday and hung out and wow we all managed to become teachers, doctors , etc. Don't sweat the small stuff and stop dictating to the people, I'm positive you have more important things going on in the town
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Brent O'ConnorJune 18, 2014 - 09:38
Chief Mander's comments about downtown being many people's back yard is correct. If you are unemployed or on disability and live near the core of town, there is no place to simply spend time. Kentville council needs to come to terms with the fact that we are the hub of social services in the area, and that people who access those services are citizens too. They deserve the support of council. Their landlords provide them with no access to green spaces, and no ability to gather socially, yet they take the rent money. Council needs to reinvest the taxes paid by these landlords into infrastructure to support the many renters who are citizens on Kentville just like the rest of us.
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Berwick’s
Harley Lawrence memorial garden will help community heal, remember
Nancy
Kelly
Published on June 17, 2014
A
group of students from Berwick and District School were joined by their friends
and supporters for the planting of the Harley Lawrence Memorial Garden on June
17.
Sixteen
students took part in the planting of the garden as part of their efforts to
make Berwick a more caring, inclusive community. The garden, located at the intersection of
Union and Commercial Streets in Berwick, was created as a public memorial for
62-year-old Harley Lawrence who died in an overnight bus shelter fire in
October last year.
“Everybody
got to do some planting,” said BADS vice principal Cindy Dickie, noting
students also took some time to work on wording for the memorial plaque and
“express themselves through art” by doing some on-site drawing and sketching.
Recent
site preparation was followed by the installation of a circular stone paving
walkway. In the weeks to come a water feature and a bench will also be added to
the garden.
Ron
Lawrence, Harley’s brother, attended the planting event. He had a chance to
meet and talk with students privately before the planting.
“In a
small town, this kind of thing is hard on everyone and it’s important to give
youth the right message,” said Lawrence of his brother’s struggles with mental
illness and life on the streets and his untimely death. Two local men - Daniel Wayne Surette, 26, and Kyle James
Fredericks, 25 - have been charged with
first degree murder in connection with Lawrence’s death.
Berwick
business leader Harley Moody provided funds to develop the site, located on
land donated by Serenity Lindsay Funeral Homes.
“It’s
very important that people realize and remember. Without something like this
(garden), people would forget Harley’s struggles. Sweeping things under the rug
doesn’t do our community any good,’ furthered Moody.
“We
all wish we could have done more (for Harley),” he added.
The
garden will be officially dedicated when the landscaping and lighting is
installed.
----------------------
JULY 24-26 2014
No fixed address
Twenty-four hours homeless in Kings County
Story, photos and video by John DeCoste
KingsCountyNews.ca
Four
Kings County residents now have a better understanding of what it’s
like to be homeless. For 24 hours, they got a taste of just what it’s
like to have nowhere to go and nowhere to turn as they live the
experience first-hand.
The
members of Orchard Valley United Church were challenged to live on the
street, surviving through their own wits, ingenuity and
resourcefulness. Follow their journey…
July 18
6 p.m.
– Annika Sangster sits quietly in Orchard Valley United Church in New
Minas. She’s waiting. For 24 hours, her life is about to change.
Along with a few other members of
the congregation of Orchard Valley United Church, she’s about to be
plucked out of her comfort zone and dropped into a completely new
experience.
Sangster, one of the ministers
at the church, and Susan Cater, leader of the Seekers youth group, came
up with the idea of spending 24 hours homeless and challenged other
members of the congregation to join them.
As Sangster waited, she couldn’t help but wonder how many of the nine or 10 congregation members who had expressed an interest in the project will actually show up.
“We had a lot of interest shown at first,” Cater said, “but that interest seems to have dwindled as we’ve gotten closer.”
The reality turns out to be five, including herself, Cater, Ruth-Anne Stirling, Gary Dunfield and Sue Smith.
There is a feeling of
trepidation, fear of the unknown. The participants wonder, often out
loud, what they have gotten themselves into, and how - or if - they will
be able to cope.
Originally, the plan was for the
participants to be dropped off, in small groups, into the different
communities served by the church.
“We’ll talk about that when we
see how many we have,” Cater said. “It’s a lot of walking, and most of
all, we want to make sure people are safe.” Given the response, it is
decided all five will be dropped off in Kentville and go from there.
Friday night checklist
· Search for a place to sleep through the night without people finding you, including the police.
· Visit the Portal drop-in centre.
· Buy a coffee for someone.
· Look for a place to receive basic services like housing, health care or a meal.
· Where could you rest without being asked to move?
· Sit on the street for 20 minutes and notice what happens.
· Find the police station and obtain a prearranged 'code word' for getting into the shelter.
· Ask a person under 16 if they know anyone who is homeless.
· Have a conversation with someone who is homeless.
Saturday checklist
· Where would you go to fill your water bottle?
· Earn your lunch (legally).
· Where would you find something to eat for free?
· Ask the person who sells you your lunch what they love about their job, and what they would change about it if they could.
· Fill out a form for housing assistance.
· Have a conversation with someone who has more privilege than you about homelessness in Kings County.
· Locate the methadone clinic.
· Find someone to talk to about mental health.
· Ask a pharmacist what it would cost for a month for any medications you are on without a health plan.
8:40 p.m.
– Cater is walking the streets of Kentville, trying her best to play
the part. She looks like your average person’s idea of someone that is
homeless, with no real place to go.
“I can’t believe there are people that can do this, all day, every day – and night,” she says.
They’ve only been at it for an hour-and-a half, and already the time seems long.
“We’ve been picking up cans and
bottles that we’ll turn in to the recycling depot in New Minas for
money when they open in the morning. At Lawton’s, they gave us bags to
put the cans and bottles in,” Cater said.
“We’ve also been begging for
money. It’s been an interesting experience so far. It’s interesting how
quickly you get hungry when you have no food.”
10:30 p.m. – There’s still an hour and a half until the shelter, which will be their home for the night, will open.
“Finding a place last evening to
sit and rest was a challenge,” says Stirling. “We sat in front of the
Designer Café. They had live music, and we just sat and listened for a
while, more than an hour. No one bothered us, and as we were preparing
to leave, someone in the band came out and thanked us for staying and
listening.”
Then they found themselves at McDonald’s, where they were able to use the washroom.
“I went up to the counter and
asked for a glass of water,” Cater said. “The clerk gave me an empty
glass and told me to help myself from the cooler. I could have had
anything, but I chose water because that was what I had asked for.”
No one asked them to leave, added Stirling.
Everyone agreed, “It hasn’t been anything like we expected.”
6 a.m. – The shelter closes after giving them just six hours of security.
“The floors were very hard to
sleep on, but they did give us a nice hot breakfast, shelter-style,
before we left,” Stirling says.
“I get very emotional,” she
adds, “when I think there are people who are going through this, all day
and every day, not because they want to, but because they have no
choice.”
8 a.m.
– The Enviro-Depot opens in New Minas, and outside, the rag-tag group
is waiting, holding their prized bottles, found by digging through
trashcans. It netted them a grand total of $3.35.
“I was
surprised the number of bottles we found,” Cater said. “Energy drinks
made up the bulk of them. We found them in trashcans, behind buildings
and in out-of-the-way places.”
They also found two bottles of mouthwash, Stirling added, plus a full case of empties.
The group has been given cards, explaining what they’re doing, that they can give to people.
“We
handed a card to the guy working at the depot, and explained what we
were doing and why. He and his fellow worker both reached in their
pockets and gave us all the change they had,” said Sangster.
“They were amazing,” Cater said, “the most supportive people we’ve met so far.”
8:50 a.m. - The four remaining
participants – Sangster, Cater, Stirling and Dunfield – are outside the
food bank in Kentville, waiting for it to open. To reach the site,
located behind St. Joseph’s Church, they have chosen to climb the steep
bank from Miner’s Marsh. Smith is no longer part of the group – no
reason is given, and no questions are asked.
“The time has been very, very long –
however many ‘verys’ you want to use,” Stirling says. “We’ve been
walking around since the shelter closed at 6 a.m. We’ve asked several
people for change, but we haven’t had much success.”
Sangster added, “I think it might be
because so many people today carry debit cards to pay for things, and
don’t carry much cash.”
The experience is already changing them.
The uncertainty of what you’re going to do next, and how you’re going to
do it, has been unsettling, said Cater.
To Stirling, it was “the disconnect from other people.”
Dunfield was uncharacteristically silent. When asked, he said, “the women are doing a great job of explaining how it’s been.”
Mander
also explained how the police deal with homeless people on their
watch. Normally, he said, unless they are causing a disturbance or a
specific complaint has been made, they are pretty much left alone. The
police, he said, are also there and ready to help if problems arise.
That
surprised Dunfield. “I was impressed with our dealings with Chief Mander
and the Kentville Police. They have an understanding of these issues,
and dealing with them, that frankly surprised me – in fact, the way
they deal with loitering of any kind.”
The group then gets a tour of the food bank facility, then are given food for the day. Later, they’ll use it to make supper.
10 a.m. – They’re back on their way, bound for a rendezvous at Open Arms.
“We
went into Open Arms, they opened for us. They aren’t technically ready
to open yet, but they are still there to meet emergency needs,” said
Stirling.
They were given a tour of the facility as well.
“Carl,
who works there, was our tour guide. He talked about the programs they
offer and the types of outreach they do. We were there for an hour. They
let us sit on the couches, which was great,” added Sangster.
12 p.m.
– Lunch, says Sangster, is “what we had left over from breakfast, plus
some of what they had given us at the food bank.” The group is faced
with four more hours of loitering, then walking back to the church
during the hottest part of the day.
If there hadn’t been an end point, Dunfield says, the group would have spent their time collecting more bottles. “You need to make money today in order to eat tomorrow,” he added.
Cater was approached by a teenaged boy.
“(He)
asked if he could buy my ball cap. I asked him what he wanted it for,
and he said to keep the sun off his head, so I gave him my cap.” She
admitted, “it was a little hot walking without it.”
3 p.m. – The foursome went back to McDonalds.
“I thought about getting an ice cream, but I didn’t,” confesses
Sangster. “It wouldn’t have been an option if there hadn’t been an end
point, so it couldn’t be because there was.”
4:50 p.m. – Sangster,
Cater, Stirling and Dunfield are sitting around a table, having their
suppertime meal. They are dressed exactly as they have been, except
Cater is without her ball cap. They seem relieved and reflective.
“We ended up with more food than we want to eat right now,” Sangster says.
Asked how their day had gone, Cater admitted, “I thought about
finding a church, seeing if they were having a meeting, and asking
someone for a drive.”
Asked if they had thoughts of giving it up early, Sangster admitted, “at times, I wondered about it. It was pretty hot.”
The experience, she said, has only partially given them a
better idea of the homeless experience. There were some things they
really did get a good feel for, she said.
“We talked a lot. We all realize it was only a simulation. It
would have been a lot different if we were really homeless,” said
Stirling.
Dunfield agreed. “You can understand things really well without actually having to do them.”
Sangster said there were things about the experience she liked.
She enjoyed the walking until it got too hot, and liked collecting
bottles.
“If I ever did it again, I’d consider sleeping outside,” she said.
Would they do it again? That’s something, Stirling said, they asked themselves a lot during the experience.
“It got you thinking,” Dunfield said. “I know Kentville fairly
well, but I thought of the number of places in Kentville a person could
go if it was raining. It’s amazing, really, how few places there are to
go where you’re welcome to stay if you’re not shopping.”
All four kept coming back to their belief that there are people
who do, all day, every day, what they had tried to do for just 24
hours.
“You find, after a while, your thought processes become
muddled, and you’re going around in a daze a lot of the time,” Stirling
said.
“It isn’t easy being homeless.”
--------------------------
OPEN ARMS IN KENTVILLE- ESTABLISHED 4 HOMELESS AND THOSE WITH MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AND NEED OUR LOVE AND SUPPORT-
CHECK THE COMMENTS- NOVA SCOTIANS ARE WILD- and so are citizens of kentville- U HELP PEOPLE.... U ACTUALLY HELP PEOPLE.... HUG THEM - HAVE STUFF 4 THEM 2 DO... ETC... NOVA SCOTIA ... CANADA... WE NEED YOUNG WORKING VOLUNTEER PEOPLE WITH INITIATIVE 2 RUN OUR COMMUNITIES, OUR TOWNS, OUR CITIES... OUR COUNTRY.... this must change...
Loiterers lingering in Kentville's downtown a concern for council, businesses
Wendy ElliottPublished on June 18, 2014
A lone commissionaire stands on duty outside the TD Canada Trust building on Webster Street in Kentville to deter loiterers.
Kentville Mayor David Corkum said last week that policing the downtown core has become a priority.
He noted that TD Canada Trust on Webster Street has hired a commissionaire to discourage individuals from lounging outside the branch.
Coun. Tony Bentley said he understood that as many as 20 people were in the habit of sitting on the step on a Saturday morning. He said he spoke with one business owner who considered leaving the town because of loiterers near a location on Cornwallis Avenue.
“Some people are afraid to go downtown,” Bentley said.
Lori Nauss, who is the TD branch manager, said the commissionaire has been hired for 30 days on a trial basis. She added that his presence is proving to be a deterrent.
Corkum said that with increased security on site, “you don’t see people hanging around like they did before.”
The mayor said he had heard stories about 80-year-old ladies going out into the street to avoid groups of loiterers.
Coun. Eric Bolland said the subject is an emotional issue and wondered if some loiterers might be charged with smoking in a public place.
Several years ago Kentville decided to pipe in classical-type music in an effort to deter loiterers in the same area.
Police Chief Mark Mander pointed out to council at its June 9 meeting that, for many residents of central Kentville, the “downtown square is their back yard. They live and play in the downtown.”
Mander said it is very difficult to tag someone as a loiterer.
“Is it based on looks?” he asked.
Furthermore there is a lack of signage prohibiting loitering the police chief said. He said foot patrols by his officers are up compared to last month.
http://www.kingscountynews.ca/News/Local/2014-06-18/article-3767549/Loiterers-lingering-in-Kentvilles-downtown-a-concern-for-council%2C-businesses/1
COMMENTS:
AnonymousJune 24, 2014 - 10:44
I grew up in a small town before moving to the valley and there was nothing there for young people to do. So in lieu of not having anything to do, the teens and 20 something's hung out on main street. Packs of young people that, yes, people had to walk through or around. The solution came in the form of a small business owner who set up a pool hall with a designated smoking area to the side of the building. This got the people off he street and gave them a place to hang out that was central to the town but not causing uppity people to complain about loitering and smoking in the main business area. If the town wants to try to stop people from hanging out in a place such as centre square, maybe they should put something in place for these people to go to. How long has the building that the edge used to be in stood empty? How long has that massive space gone unused when it could be giving people a place to go hang out instead? I think rather than having the town and the people with their noses in the air complaining about the problem, they should be working to fix it! Lord knows if I had money backing me, I would. But there is always a solution to the problem, it's just no one is willing to do anything about it. Like someone said in an earlier comment, it may be a business district but it's also the location of low income housing. If the town wants to keep the down town area for both demographics, then something needs to be put into place for the persons who live in this area. To cheesily quote an old movie, "If you build it, they will come". As Eldridge Cleaver once said, “If you are not a part of the solution, you are a part of the problem.”
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Gloria MalleyJune 22, 2014 - 12:36
Oh poor Janice My heart is breaking for you. Count yourself lucky you have a job, be lucky you have a home , a lot of other people in the real world have fallen on hard times. Stop your whining princess and walk around people like the rest of the world , they pay taxes and have the right to do as they please and go where they want. The town needs to put some money into programs to help these people instead of getting on your high horse as if the world revolves around you
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LauraJune 23, 2014 - 11:01
I guess they pay sales tax like the rest of us do, the "rest" being those who pay property tax, gas tax, income tax, excessive taxes mandated by the govt that pay to help these folks get out of the system. Theres nothing wrong with expecting everyone to provide respect. Those who use the town centre as their backyard, they need to respect those doing business downtown. They need to clear out of the sidewalks for clients and business owners during business hours, smoke somewhere else, watch their language, and in turn, businesses will stay, versus packing up and leaving the downtown core. I dont care who you are, old, young, it doesnt matter. Navigating your way through crowds of people down town can be intimidating, expecially when those crowds are using inappropriate language, are under the influence of drugs or alcohol or are having disputes right in front of the coffee shop. Perhaps the respect needs to go both ways and we also need a town council that recognizes that if they are going to provide the housing for those less fortunate to be in the down town area, that they need to provide a real back yard for them to spend time in. A green area, open to the public. Maybe dollars could be better spent policing that area than fining people for standing on the sidewalk because the apartment that they live in is sweltering or the shelter is closed during the day. Theres two sides to this and every other story. There are also ways to correct the problem. Those of you paying taxes in Kentville ought to get to work on pressuring the council and Mayor to make this town work. Arguing about who should be allowed where and when is not going to solve this problem. However, if the TOK expects businesses to stay and bring more revenue to the town, they should probably start solving this problem.
Janice LeekieJune 21, 2014 - 21:27
I work in Kentville, right down from Open Arms. When we walk out of our doors, we walk into a cloud of cigarette smoke. When we try to walk for a coffee we, and our clients, have to walk around or through people standing on the sidewalk. Every single day. While they are not threatening, it certainly diminishes any sense of professionalism the downtown core is trying to convey. Walking over to Tim's can be uncomfortable as well, people in their pajamas again standing around smoking. If it makes me a bad person for saying this, so be it. People should be able to shop and conduct their business without having to walk around or through those who having nothing else to do but stand around.
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KathyJune 21, 2014 - 22:06
Seems to me like Kentville wants it all. They want to allow low income and subsidized housing in it's downtown core, then they also want businesses to invest in the downtown core. On top of this, the want the two groups of people to co exist. The business owners and employees are free to wander the downtown, purchase expensive beverages, chat amongst themselves. The low income, govt subsidized people that the town "allows" to occupy the downtown, less attractive housing, is apparently expected to be out of sight . I'm sorry town of kentville, you can't have it both ways. Decide what you want Kentville to be and support your decision. Stop with the wishy washy political answers and catering to whomever screams the loudest. Fining people for grabbing a coffee and enjoying some sunshine because they live in an apt downtown with no pool to lounge by or no porch to even sit on? Let's be real here, that's just ridiculous.
AlannaJune 25, 2014 - 12:23
Oh Janice, how terrible it must be to leave your office job and have to deal with smokers and *gasp* people wearing pajamas! Last I checked Kentville is a part of Canada. Canada is a free country and those wishing to stand on a sidewalk, or wear pajamas in public were certainly allowed to. Maybe some of our tax dollars should be spent hiring a fashion police service? These smokers that are standing around, if they purchased those cigarettes in Kentville, weren't they "conducting business"? Anyone standing with a Tim Horton's coffee also spent some money in your town. Perhaps instead of judging these people "who have nothing else to do but stand around", get to know them instead. Have you ever volunteered for Open Arms? Have you ever spent a night awake volunteering with Inn From The Cold? I have, and I can tell you that the only difference between these people and you is luck. These people "with nothing better to do" have stories, perhaps they are down on their luck. Perhaps they have spent months looking for work and that time spent on the sidewalk is a relief from their daily stresses of wondering how they will pay for their next meal or their rent. Be thankful you have a job that allows you to afford those coffees. Instead of judging next time, offer up a smile or a hello...most of them are very sweet individuals!
concerned CanadianJune 21, 2014 - 08:12
"Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms",, or is downtown Kentville not a part of Canada ???
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KaylaaJune 19, 2014 - 16:04
They need to realize that it is an easy place to find and get to. I had to meet my mother a few summers back in Kentville. She picked center square in Kentville because it was close to the office. I was 30 minutes early, it was a heat wave and I had no A/C in my car, so I waited outside my car. I was told to either wait in my car with no A/C (at 35 weeks pregnant), or in Tim Horton's (during RUSH HOUR).
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Janet NewtonJune 21, 2014 - 17:24
About two years ago, I was chatting with a person I knew outside the TD Bank, the bank I use when two Kentville policemen pulled up and told us to move on . They said they had made two passes by and we were still in the same place and that was loitering. Needless to say I was shocked at being treated that way . So was my late husband Walter and his call to the police chief was never returned.
KaylaaJune 19, 2014 - 15:51
Most of these people are standing around TD is because Tim Horton's is too busy to find a place to sit, or they are waiting to meet someone at Tim Horton's, or are meeting up with someone because it is an EASY place to find. People from and out of town know how to get there, or can find it easily. I have been rudely told to leave while waiting for my mother to attend my prenatal appointment. I explained why I was there and they told me to either wait in my HOT car (While I was 35 weeks pregnant) or to go into Tim Horton's and wait (while it was rush hour and a line was out the door!).
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Jeri June 24, 2014 - 12:27
Makes you wonder about your legal rights .. I would look them up and enforce them yourself .. Nowadays if you don't stand up for your own rights .. They can and will be taken away from you ...
ConcernedinKentvilleJune 19, 2014 - 08:16
it's unbelievable that town counsel is acting this way because of the way this group of people look. I walk through there daily and it's nothing but a bunch of teenagers socializing. You get the odd bad word but for the most part it's peoples own stigma's that cause them to be concerned by the group.... The chief of police should be thanked for telling it like it is. I have heard that the mayor is laying off two more police officers soon and that one of the wages is being paid completely by the province!!!! The decisions of this counsel are terrible. Corkum needs to go!!
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Moral CompassJune 19, 2014 - 09:42
I'm confused. Where in the article did it indicate that council, as you said, "is acting this way because of the way this group of people look"? Has the article been edited to delete this inference? Or are you trying to place words into the mouths of council which is, at a minimum, very irresponsible and ,to an extreme, bordering on slander.
ConcernedinKentvilleJune 19, 2014 - 15:36
moral. i didn't state clearly what i meant. what i meant is, if you spend any time there the vast majority 90% and above are young people, many of them living pay cheque to pay cheque. just trying to get by. the people that are offended are the ones that are walking by these people and are "concerned" because of the looks of the people. spend any time there and the comments are the same about the group that normally hangs there. These people in turn complain to the mayor and other members of counsel. Instead of trying to help the people that really need the help, the town counsel side with the people that make the complaints (a very select few, mostly business owners who sway votes) In turn the mayor puts pressure on the police force to act but really the police are reluctant to do any more then move these people on unless there is a criminal complaint. It's been going on for years. round and round they go.
AnthonyJune 19, 2014 - 07:16
Shame on you Mayor David Corkum, CAO Mark Phillips and the whole town council. If you spent a little of the taxes you collected back into community, and helping get programs started and up and running, and not spending the money that has been allocated for these programs on other things, you would not be facing concerns such as this. I think it's time for a new generation to start running out town. It seems like the people who gave been elected year after year(s) need to set back, give themselves a break and let a new group make decisions. That is the only way this town is going to move forward. Shame on all the elected in Kentville for letting nan issue like this get so out of hand. Maybe one of them will give up their house and land , co it can become a community park! Just sayin
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AnitaJune 19, 2014 - 09:40
Agreed. I think we need a new Mayor. Do you think. Mr. Mayor, that anyone in the town of Kentville is going to feel you are humble & a man of & for the people when you drive around in your convertible & pose for photo ops every chance you get?!
RyanJune 19, 2014 - 06:06
I read this and laughed. Really? You want to DETER people from spending time in your town's downtown core?! This just seems like something out of another era. I'm sure the town has bigger things to worry about than people 'loitering'.
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Jeri June 24, 2014 - 12:31
When they offend enough people, then they will be hollering that no one shops there, lol
Concerned CitizenJune 18, 2014 - 23:48
Businesses want to leave Kentville? Oh Mr Mayor, that happened many years ago and wasn't because people were hanging in front of Tim Horton's or the bank. They left and went to New Minas because of ridiculous taxes and land use by laws. Let's not be confused. Nice way to throw rocks at YOUR Kentville Police Service. Kudos to Chief Mander and the great team of law enforcement staff he has. Keep up the good work.
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FayeJune 18, 2014 - 22:19
Shame shame on you politional bully's. That have beautiful homes thanks to the tax payers , and you have nothing better to do then pick on the public and less fortunate people, and judge by there looks , wow , shame on you , no wonder people are depressed and no wonder we have so much mental health , instead of thinking of ways to help people or raise minimum wage so people can work, eat and have a roof you rather sit in a comfy chair and bully people as I said shame on you !!!!! Take some of that time and get open arms open , help your community don't judge
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Cassidy HattJune 18, 2014 - 22:07
The so called "loiterers" outside of Tim Horton's enjoy using the space the Town Square has offered to converse and socially gather with peers and other community members. They do not pose harm to by-passers, they simply use the space to interact with one another in harmony. You cannot judge a book by it's cover, I have heard this numerous times throughout my life, as well as preached it… being nineteen now, I have walked through Kentville my whole entire life and have always felt safe and greeted each individual with mutual respect - no matter what they looked like. What bothers me, is that the town has provoked an argument that they believe is worth fighting, when in reality it is not an issue to begin with.
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glenJune 18, 2014 - 21:55
True orwellian style. Ridiculous. I don't live in Kentville, but work on a weekly basis in the town. I see people around, have never had a problem. Some people need to stop judging by appearance and learn to relax a bit, enjoy life and others
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AnitaJune 18, 2014 - 21:36
Since when are people afraid to go into downtown Kentville? If there are citizens that are sincerely afraid, I think they need to take a look at the crime rates in other areas of Nova Scotia & the maritimes. Kentville, as well as the Annapolis Valley, is extremely safe. I lived in Saint John, NB for 10 years & wasn't even afraid of walking alone at night [although crime has increased there]. There are very very VERY few incidents of random violent crime in the Valley. By that, I mean the perpetrator not knowing the victim. When have you heard of a little old lady being mugged in broad daylight or someone being sexually assaulted by a stranger? It's just not happening. I will admit, I am not in downtown Kentville after 8pm, so I have no idea what goes on in Town Square, but I have often been in town early Saturday morning & have never seen a group of people [let alone 20] loitering in front of TD Bank or anywhere else. I agree with another commenter. Give people a place to go. There is a large area across from the fire department...it would be the perfect spot for a park with benches, grassy area, a fountain perhaps. Sure, some people might use the area SOMETIMES to commit a crime [in the Valley that means deal drugs] but why do a few bad apples have to spoil the town for the rest of us tax-paying, law-abiding citizens? There is very little to do in Kentville, no place to hang out & relax. Wolfville has plenty of areas for residents to relax, sit on a bench, eat lunch etc. We should be striving as a community to be more focused on well-being & the positive things about our town, rather than worrying about a few minor annoyances that other towns barely bat an eye at. Kentville seems to be buying into it's own reputation & that's certainly not going to do anything to change it.
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Tina MacKinnonJune 18, 2014 - 20:14
If anyone is blocking the sidewalk or entrances they can be asked to move. If they are harassing pedestrians, they need to stop. Are they biking or skateboarding and weaving in and out among pedestrians? Hanging around doesn't strike me as a problem, we've got to state what they are DOING (if anything) that's so problematic or it's just a power trip against citizens that can't fight back.
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Bill BoydJune 18, 2014 - 18:15
Surely a complete over-reaction! People afraid to visit the downtown core of Kentville! Have been in the downtown core at various times of the day and the night and never experienced any problem. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself - methinks. And shame on you Mayor Corkum for buying into this. There are other more pressing priorities about town that warrant your attention. Let' s not jump so quickly on the "tough on crime" bandwagon.
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Nick SternJune 18, 2014 - 17:27
I would love to see a commissionaire stop me from taking a quick break to have my lunch outside in a public place!! Since when is Kentville run by a dictatorship? I can understand not to hang around an entrance to a business, but for the kpd to judge us on the way we dress? How about some of is have dirty jobs so we wear old clothes... Better than the paper pushing desk jockeys that on most occasions don't get their hands dirty. Mayor Corkum is a very nice man but I'm starting to double guess his decisions lately..
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Gloria MalleyJune 18, 2014 - 13:14
Really how ridiculous, this is my home town and people have a right to choose where they go , it's getting out of the house for some, chatting up with friends, or they just like watching what's going on. It's the people you don't see who you should be worried about. And if you hate it that much move away and stop your whining about the small stuff. As kids we all hung out downtown and most of us are quite successful in life etc. doctors , teachers, lawyers etc. News flash we don't have dictator leadership here or do we ? Grow up and find somthing else to waste tax payers money on
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BarbaraJune 18, 2014 - 12:23
Perhaps you should get the Town to speed up the necessary permits for Open Arms so that people have a place to go.
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concerned KentvillianJune 18, 2014 - 18:40
Don't hold your breath on that one Barbra. There was also the 'Housing First ' initiative last year to help some of these unfortunate people but the local bureaucrats took all the money and unfortunately those that the grants were issued to help got absolutely nothing ?
Jennifer KirkeyJune 18, 2014 - 10:50
Are the "loiterers" harassing people or vandalizing property or threatening the community? If they're doing any of those things, then they should be arrested and/or fined for breaking various laws. Otherwise, why is this a problem? Don't Kentville business owners have more important things to be worried about than whether I spent too much time standing on the sidewalk outside of the bank?
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John AndrewJune 18, 2014 - 10:12
Anecdotal stories without names and details do not carry much weight. There were times forty years ago, however, when my mother held me close when shopping downtown Kentville - has it really changed so much? Thank you Mark Mander for pointing out the obvious prejudice that targets a certain segment of the population. If people are dressed a certain way, they are treated like garbage.
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Gloria MalleyJune 18, 2014 - 10:09
Being born and raised there , what a small minded town you are. People should have the right to come and go as they please, if they want to stand and check out traffic, get a coffee, socialize with others, or walk the square 20 times they can. Stop worrying about the ones you see and worry about the ones you don't . You only antagonize the young people which leads to other issues. We all wandered the town square growing up everyday and hung out and wow we all managed to become teachers, doctors , etc. Don't sweat the small stuff and stop dictating to the people, I'm positive you have more important things going on in the town
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Brent O'ConnorJune 18, 2014 - 09:38
Chief Mander's comments about downtown being many people's back yard is correct. If you are unemployed or on disability and live near the core of town, there is no place to simply spend time. Kentville council needs to come to terms with the fact that we are the hub of social services in the area, and that people who access those services are citizens too. They deserve the support of council. Their landlords provide them with no access to green spaces, and no ability to gather socially, yet they take the rent money. Council needs to reinvest the taxes paid by these landlords into infrastructure to support the many renters who are citizens on Kentville just like the rest of us.
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Coldest Night walk-Annapolis Valley NS
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"Walk A Mile In My Shoes"
(As recorded by Joe South)
If I could be you and you could be me for just one hour
If we could find a way to get inside each other's mind
If you could see me through your eyes instead of your ego
I believe you'd be surprised to see that you'd been blind.
Walk a mile in my shoes, walk a mile in my shoes
And before you abuse, criticize and accuse
Walk a mile in my shoes.
Now your whole world you see around you is just a reflection
And the law of common says you reap just what you sow
So unless you've lived a life of total perfection
You'd better be careful of every stone that you throw.
Walk a mile in my shoes, walk a mile in my shoes
And before you abuse, criticize and accuse
Walk a mile in my shoes.
And yet we spend the day throwing stones at one another
'Cause I don't think or wear my hair the same way you do
Well I may be common people but I'm your brother
And when you strike out and try to hurt me its a-hurtin' you.
Walk a mile in my shoes, walk a mile in my shoes
And before you abuse, criticize and accuse
Walk a mile in my shoes.
There are people on reservations and out in the ghettos
And brother there but for the grace of God go you and I
If I only had the wings of a little angel
Don't you know I'd fly to the top of the mountain, and then I'd cry.
Walk a mile in my shoes, walk a mile in my shoes
And before you abuse, criticize and accuse
Walk a mile in my shoes.
JOE SOUTH- " WALK A MILE IN MY SHOES "
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoznjbKVnmw
--------------
"Walk A Mile In My Shoes"
(As recorded by Joe South)
If I could be you and you could be me for just one hour
If we could find a way to get inside each other's mind
If you could see me through your eyes instead of your ego
I believe you'd be surprised to see that you'd been blind.
Walk a mile in my shoes, walk a mile in my shoes
And before you abuse, criticize and accuse
Walk a mile in my shoes.
Now your whole world you see around you is just a reflection
And the law of common says you reap just what you sow
So unless you've lived a life of total perfection
You'd better be careful of every stone that you throw.
Walk a mile in my shoes, walk a mile in my shoes
And before you abuse, criticize and accuse
Walk a mile in my shoes.
And yet we spend the day throwing stones at one another
'Cause I don't think or wear my hair the same way you do
Well I may be common people but I'm your brother
And when you strike out and try to hurt me its a-hurtin' you.
Walk a mile in my shoes, walk a mile in my shoes
And before you abuse, criticize and accuse
Walk a mile in my shoes.
There are people on reservations and out in the ghettos
And brother there but for the grace of God go you and I
If I only had the wings of a little angel
Don't you know I'd fly to the top of the mountain, and then I'd cry.
Walk a mile in my shoes, walk a mile in my shoes
And before you abuse, criticize and accuse
Walk a mile in my shoes.
JOE SOUTH- " WALK A MILE IN MY SHOES "
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoznjbKVnmw
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SOME GOOD NEWS... HUGS AND LOVE HARLEY ...
Garden planned in memory of Harley Lawrence
Plans for the Harley Lawrence Memorial Garden were announced at a public meeting held in Berwick last week.
The first draft of plans for the site, which will be located at the intersection of Commercial and Union streets, was presented at the community meeting held to explore the issues of homelessness and mental health, both of which affected Lawrence during his lifetime. The 62-year-old man died under suspicious circumstances in a bus shelter fire last October, after living on the streets of Berwick for several months.
Berwick community development director, Julie Glaser, said the wheelchair-accessible open space, located across the street from Lawrence’s preferred spot in town, was designed with a restful theme. It will feature a pathway and a bench surrounded by vegetation and a garden of healing herbs.
“It will not only honour Harley’s memory but also be a place for people to reflect and remember their lost ones,” Glaser said.
Read more about Lawrence's death here.
Land for the memorial was donated by Serenity Lindsay Funeral Homes. Country Stoves and Sunrooms will provide a concrete bench and landscaping plans have been prepared courtesy of Harvest Design. Funds to help develop the site are being contributed by Bargain Harley’s.
Glaser said a timeframe for developing the garden will be weather-dependent. She plans to invite those interested in contributing volunteer gardening assistance to help the project along.
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Imagine- John Lennon- London Summer Olympics- fitting song sung by children... thinking on u Harley Lawrence... and promise we won't 4get u and all the homeless and mental healing we must do..... it's time Canada... it's time... Mental wellness and healing matters.... our homeless matter.... disadvantaged and broken souls matter.... darn it
Imagine- John Lennon- London Summer Olympics- fitting song sung by children... thinking on u Harley Lawrence... and promise we won't 4get u and all the homeless and mental healing we must do..... it's time Canada... it's time... Mental wellness and healing matters.... our homeless matter.... disadvantaged and broken souls matter.... darn it
FEBRUARY 24 2014- THE GOODNESS OF NOVA SCOTIA FOLKS... IMAGINE...
The Coldest Night of the Year walk, which took place Saturday, raised over $78,000 for Open Arms. It was supported by well over 500 people – from church groups to local politicians.
Second annual Coldest Night walk raises more than $79,000
John DecostePublished on February 26, 2014
CCA Compassionistas, a group of 23 Kingstec CCA students, set off on the Coldest Night of the Year walk Feb. 22. The event raised over $79,000 for Open Arms. – John DeCoste, www.kingscountynews.ca
With 530 walkers, 64 teams, over 200 volunteers and more than $79,000 raised, the second annual Annapolis Valley Coldest Night of the Year fundraising walk was a huge success, says the event organizer.
“A lot of it is awareness,” says John Andrew, chaplain of the Open Arms shelter, which is the main beneficiary of the walk. The 2014 event represented a dramatic rise in numbers over last year’s inaugural event and raised 158 per cent of the $50,000 goal.
The tragic death last fall of Harley Lawrence, a homeless man living in Berwick, also did a lot to increase awareness of both homelessness and mental health issues.
“There’s no question Harley’s death was something that woke people up, but even without that, awareness and support seemed to be growing,” Andrew said. “Before, it was easier to just not think about it.”
Mandy Clark from Aylesford did the inaugural walk last year, and was back for this year’s event, planning to once again walk five kilometres.
“I had heard about John’s ministry, and thought it sounded like a really good cause,” Clark explained. “I was asked to be the captain for our team (the Parishes of Aylesford and Berwick), and I did that gladly. I had fun last year, and I’m already having fun this year.”
Clark felt the Harley Lawrence tragedy “might have made a difference, especially in terms of participation from our end of the Valley.”
Former Kings South MLA David Morse is on the Open Arms board and was one of the volunteers taking registrations.
“I don’t think anyone should have to sleep in the cold or be without shelter,” he said.
Morse, who also worked at the 2013 event, was “gratified to see this kind of a turnout. Originally, I thought $20,000 last year would be a success, and we ended up with $60,000. This year, we’re already higher than that, and we’re not finished.”
He added, “I find people here in the Valley aren’t afraid to stand up for the homeless and marginalized. We have more than 200 volunteers taking part here today, and over 500 walkers. Those are strong numbers.”
Shirley Samson, who walked with the St. Joe’s Sno-Bunnies, one of the more than 60 teams who walked anywhere from two to 10 kilometres, said she was there to support Open Arms. Along with husband Gene, she volunteers at the shelter.
“The need is definitely there, and all the organizations – Open Arms, Inn From the Cold, and the food banks – that are trying to help all deserve our support,” she said.
It was the community support that touched Open Arms chairperson Sheila Lawrence.
“To me, all the money that’s coming in is great, but what I find the most gratifying is how the community comes together to support a worthy cause. Everybody sets aside what differences they might have, and comes together to support the hungry, the hurting and homeless,” she said.
http://www.kingscountynews.ca/News/Local/2014-02-26/article-3627094/Second-annual-Coldest-Night-walk-raises-more-than-$79,000/1
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We are going 2 change the world... one homeless - hardtimes - kid- aged-disabled-youth at at time.... O Glory... yes we will- believed this in the 60s ... and still stand by u...
Stand By Me | Playing For Change | Song Around the World
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Harley
Lawrence's legacy will teach community "many lessons": Glavine
Nancy
KellyPublished on February 24, 2014
Close
to 60 people gathered at the Lions Hall in Berwick on Feb. 17 to talk about
ways to make communities in Kings County “more inclusive and caring.”
The
workshop, a joint venture between the Town of Berwick and the Municipality of
Kings County, was hosted to discuss the issues of homelessness, discrimination
and mental health. The issues came to the forefront in Berwick and the wider
community of Kings County after the Oct. 23 death of Harley Lawrence, who had
been living on the streets of Berwick for several months at the time of his
death.
The
Kings RCMP say Lawrence's death is still under investigation.
“After
Mr. Lawrence’s death, we realized we needed to follow up with input from the
community. That’s what this is all about,” Berwick Mayor Don Clarke said in his
opening comments.
Read
more about Lawrence's death here.
Berwick’s
community development director, Julie Glaser, echoed the mayor’s comments,
adding that the exercise was about “finding a way forward for our town and
other communities.”
The
meeting attracted a mix of local and municipal leaders, members of Lawrence’s
family, representatives of the local community health board, some Berwick
school students, a group of Berwick Pathfinders and Kings District RCMP
representatives.
“For
a man who didn’t want anything to do with many people, Harley made an enormous
impact on the people of Berwick and others throughout the county, the province
and country,” Glaser said.
Working
in groups of eight, participants listed ways in which local communities are
currently addressing discrimination and were tasked with identifying actions
youth and adults can take to build inclusion in their communities.
Speaking on behalf of his family, Ron
Lawrence, Harley’s brother, said it was “interesting to see how (Berwick) is
coping with this. We are doing the same thing.”
Health
minister Leo Glavine, who was also in attendance, shared the Liberal
government’s plan to amend aspects of the provincial mental health strategy.
“We
need to make sure we have (mental health) providers, clinicians and ordinary
citizens trained to help people move through their mental health issues,”
Glavine said.
He
reported the province is currently reviewing 100 recommendations to strengthen
Nova Scotia’s Mental Health Act by balancing the rights of an individual and
what should be done in their best interests.
Referencing
Lawrence’s experiences with mental health issues, Glavine added, “the drifter
who came to town continues to teach us many lessons. That is perhaps the
enduring legacy that Harley will leave us.”
The
town also announced plans for a lasting memorial to Lawrence at the meeting.
Read more here.
-----------------
Old Dogs and Children and Watermelon Wine
-------------------------
Hey Nova Scotia- Hey Canada- LET'S BE UTAH....
NEWS ALERT ...NEWS..ALERT
Four months after Harley Lawrence’s death, police remain tight-lipped about the circumstances surrounding the tragedy that rocked Berwick and other communities in Nova Scotia and beyond.
No news on Lawrence death: Kings RCMP
Four months after Harley Lawrence’s death, police remain tight-lipped about the circumstances surrounding the tragedy that rocked Berwick and other communities in Nova Scotia and beyond.
At the community meeting held Feb. 17 in Berwick, Kings District RCMP Inspector Chris MacNaughton provided an update on the Lawrence investigation, which to date has yielded no suspects or arrests.
Lawrence, who had been living on the streets of Berwick at the time of his death, perished in a bus shelter fire on Oct. 23. His death has been ruled as suspicious.
MacNaughton, joined at the meeting by Kingston RCMP detachment commander Sgt. Jamie Greene, issued a statement on the status of the case, but declined to take any further questions about the file.
“We appreciate the community is concerned and has questions,” MacNaughton said.
“This is an important case to us and we are working bring it to a successful conclusion.”
She added the focus remains on “determining facts, analyzing evidence and piecing together the events,” that occurred on the night that Lawrence died in a bus shelter fire on Berwick’s main street.
Ron Lawrence, Harley’s brother, says his family is satisfied with the progress of the investigation.
“The family is working with the RCMP. We have to be patient. We support what they are doing.”
Ron also cautioned the public against putting any stock in rumours about his brother’s death, noting they have the potential to “destroy a lot of people in a hurry.”
Open Arms has new home
Feb 05,
2014
|
Municipality
of the County of Kings
|
February
22nd will be the coldest night of the year for a team of councillors and
staff from the Municipality of Kings when they hit the streets to raise money
for a local emergency shelter. Participants will join thousands of Canadians
who will bundle up for a 5-or-10-kilometre walk for the Coldest Night of the
Year event. All of the money raised for the Annapolis Valley walk will
support Open Arms, a Kentville-based organization that serves people living
with poverty. Click the link above to find out more!
|
Locations
Choose your location from the list below.
British Columbia
|
The Prairies
|
Ontario
|
Quebec + Maritimes
|
The North
| |
Abbotsford
Campbell River
Chilliwack
Cloverdale
Kamloops
Kelowna
Langley
Maple Ridge
Nanaimo
Salmon Arm
Surrey
Vernon
Victoria
White Rock
|
Calgary
Edmonton
Lethbridge
Lloydminster
Saskatoon
|
Belleville
Brampton
Brantford
City of Kawartha Lakes
Cornwall
Etobicoke
Guelph
Hamilton
Hamilton Mountain
Huntsville
Kingston
Kitchener/Waterloo
Lincoln
London
Markham
Milton
Mississauga
|
Newmarket
Niagara Falls
North Bay
Oakville
Orillia
Oshawa
Ottawa
Peterborough
Sault Ste. Marie
Scarborough
St. Catharines
Sudbury
Thunder Bay
Toronto
Uxbridge
Welland
Windsor
|
Annapolis Valley
Charlottetown
Halifax
Moncton
Montreal Downtown
Montreal West Island
New Glasgow
Saint John
St. John's
|
Yellowknif
|
FEBRUARY 22- COLDEST NIGHT OF THE YEAR- WALKING 4 THE HOMELESS... hugs and love Harley Lawrence....this one's 4 u
CHRONICLE HERALD
Councillors, staff set for walkathon
KENTVILLE — A team o f staff and councillors from the Municipality of the County of Kings will participate in the Coldest Night of the Year walkathon Feb. 22.
All proceeds from the Valley event will go to support Open Arms, a Kentville organization that serves the poor.
More information about the national walkathon can be found on the municipality’s recreation services Facebook page.
KENTVILLE — A team o f staff and councillors from the Municipality of the County of Kings will participate in the Coldest Night of the Year walkathon Feb. 22.
All proceeds from the Valley event will go to support Open Arms, a Kentville organization that serves the poor.
More information about the national walkathon can be found on the municipality’s recreation services Facebook page.
------------------
Hey Annapolis Valley- we need 2 tap this up 4 February 22, 2014 THE COLDEST NIGHT OF THE YEAR walk.... come on... let's do it 4 Homeless Harley Lawrence - Murdered down on Main Street Nova Scotia.... come on... let's get that $50,000 folks... if u can't walk, run, roll, crutch... we can always donate....
@coldest_night
http://coldestnightoftheyear.org/location/annapolisvalley
Let's get this done Nova Scotia- Annapolis Valley- Coldest Night of the Year Feb 22- Let's do this 4 Homeless Harley Lawrence.... we can always donate.... anyone can donate.... http://www.nsnet.org/openarms/
God has brought u home brother.... fly high.... waunder the righteous mountains and hills ..... soar brother... we will remember u Harley....... and we will fight 4 the homeless down on main.... in ur honour b rother... in ur honour.... like our troops and all soaring the heavens... Harley protect God till us tarnished angels and tattered old warriors join u...... Peace at Last... Peace at Last... hugs brother... hugs, love and prayers...
------------------------
- Harley Lawrence, 62, died in a fire in a bus shelter in Ber wick on Oct. 23.Image_23
Public meeting set after Ber wick man’s death in bus shelter fire
GORDON DELANEY VALLEY BUREAU
gdelaney@herald.ca @ch-gdelaney BERWICK — Harley Lawrence died in a bus shelter in Berwick more than three months ago, but the aftermath is still being felt.
So much so that a public meeting has b een planned for the town later this month.
“It’s a chance for the community to get together and discuss some of the issues around Harley Lawrence’s death," Berwick Mayor Don Clarke said Thursday. “We want to hear from p eople on the issue of homelessness."
Lawrence, 62, died tragically in a fire in a bus shelter in Berwick early in the morning of Oct. 23.
Homeless and suffering from mental health issu es, he had arrived in Berwick in the spring and was sleeping in the bus shelter as the weather turned colder.
Police are still investigating his death. One man was brought in for questioning and later released. No charges have been laid.
The town has b een working with the Municipality of Kings on an action plan to eliminate racism and discrimination, which also addresses issues of poverty and homelessness, the mayor said in an interview.
A group of students at Berwick and District School recently had a one-day working session on the issue and plan to make a presentation at the public meeting.
Lawrence’s family has been invited, along with John Andrew, pastor of a Kentville-based dropincentre for homeless people.
There will be someone from the provincial Health Department to speak on how to get help for p eople with mental health issu es but who refuse assistance.
“It’s for anybody who has comments and thoughts," Clarke said.
“We hope there will be some good discussion and positive input."
He also hopes the meeting will be cathartic and that people will be able to move on from the incident. “Maybe move on with the idea that there are some things that we could do better," he said.
But he said the town doesn’t want the meeting to b e a forum about the police investigation.
“People have asked me what the police know. This meeting is not to talk about that."
He said he has not heard anything new from police, other than Lawrence’s death is still considered suspicious and the investigation is ongoing.
A bench was presented to the town as a memorial to Lawrence.
“We’ve done some work on that, and we want to involve the community on where it’s going to go and what it’s going to look like."
Serenity Funeral Homes has offered a piece of land for the memorial, near the lo cation where Lawrence died on Commercial Street.
His family is urging people to be patient. “We have full confidence in the RCMP," his brother,Ronald Lawrence, said in a recent interview.
“We’ll get to the bottom of it sooner or later."
The meeting is scheduled for 6-8 p.m, Feb. 17, at Berwick and District School.
----------------------
U are a child of the universe- no less than the trees and the stars- u have a right 2 be here....
CHILD OF THE UNIVERSE (Lyrics) Desiderata by Max Ehrmann
Desiderata
Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and ignorant; they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be critical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy.
Max Ehrmann 1927
--------------------------
UPDATE: JANUARY 17 2014
Students brainstorm solutions in wake of Harley’s death
Published on January 23, 2014
Read more coverage from Lawrence's death.
“It was probably one of the best community development meetings I have been part of,” said Julie Glaser, Berwick’s director of community development. With the help of graphic facilitator Corrie Melanson, participants shared their reactions to Lawrence’s life and passing, noting that they were at times frightened about the rumours surrounding the man’s death, which is still under investigation by the RCMP’s South West Nova Major Crimes Unit.
“They said they felt unsafe, responsible and were ashamed of their community,” said Glaser, who sensed students welcomed the chance to voice their concerns about the incident.
Berwick School vice-principal Cindy Dickie said Lawrence’s death was “an emotionally-charged issue” for the school community.
“Berwick is small town, and everyone, including kids, had seen or had some personal experience with him. As educators, we bear responsibility to help (students) process this type of event,” said Dickie.
She anticipates the session will serve as the beginning of a process for the school community in creating a legacy of positive social change.
“Ultimately, it is about creating good stewards of the community,” Dickie said.
Students’ suggestions for positive change included stepping in when someone needs help, not spreading rumours and becoming more involved in community volunteerism, especially to support those in need. In-school sharing opportunities are now being planned and some of the students will present at a public session being planned by Glaser for Feb. 17.
--------------------
UPDATE ON HARLEY LAWRENCE- MAKING THE BEST OF THE WORST- AND FEAR OF CRUELTY.....IN... ACTION...
EDITORIAL Three months later, questions linger about Harley
Three months ago, a man living on the streets of Berwick suffered a senseless death in an early morning bus shelter fire. Harley Lawrence’s Oct. 23 death rocked the community and broke through the public consciousness with issues about mental health and homelessness on a local, provincial and national level.
While police are being tight-lipped about the investigation into Lawrence’s death, the Town of Berwick wants to start a conversation about the circumstances that contributed to his homeless lifestyle and untimely passing and begin the healing for the community at large.
The discussion began Jan. 15 at Berwick and District School, where 13 youth gathered to confront some of the issues that surfaced after Lawrence’s death.
“They talked about what they learned,” said Julie Glaser, Berwick’s director of community development, the day after the session. She was impressed with students’ awareness about a variety of societal issues, their suggestions for dealing with them and willingness to continue the conversation with their peers.
On the policing side of the matter, the RCMP is not sharing much about the ongoing investigation. They understand the community remains rife with rumours about Lawrence’s demise, but cite protocol in protecting the investigation as it proceeds. An RCMP spokesperson recently offered assurances the investigation has not become a cold case and that leads are still being pursued. But until there are suspects named or arrests made, there will be no public discussion of the investigation.
Waiting for such answers is hard for a small community that has little experience dealing with a tragedy of this magnitude. Residents of Berwick want and deserve answers about the incident that cost a man his life and left them shocked and fearful that the potential for such violence exists in their community.
Whether Lawrence’s death is ultimately deemed to be the result of criminal activity or accidental in nature, officials with the Town of Berwick deserve kudos for not being afraid to encourage public discussion of some very uncomfortable topics that linger months after the incident.
---------------------
GOOD STUFF: FEBRUARY 2014- Help when u can.... a nice payback
Trade food for paying fines at Valley libraries during February
During the month of February, the Annapolis Valley Regional Library is partnering with Valley food banks and Feed Nova Scotia for Food for Fines. From Feb. 1-28, for every item of non-perishable foods delivered to a library branch, up to $3 in overdue book fines will be forgiven.
There is no limit on the number of fines that can be pardoned. However, the program is only applicable to overdue book fines; it cannot be used with lost book fees, damaged materials or other miscellaneous fees, such as printing or photocopying.
All food donations received at Annapolis Valley Regional Library service points (branches and/or bookmobile) will go to a Feed Nova Scotia member agency food bank serving that library’s community.
Organizations:
Annapolis Valley Regional Library, Feed Nova Scotia for Food for Fines
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-------------------
One Solitary Life- Dr James Allan 1926
He was born in an obscure village
The child of a peasant woman
He grew up in another obscure village
Where he worked in a carpenter shop
Until he was thirty
He never wrote a book
He never held an office
He never went to college
He never visited a big city
He never travelled more than two hundred miles
From the place where he was born
He did none of the things
Usually associated with greatness
He had no credentials but himself
He was only thirty three
His friends ran away
One of them denied him
He was turned over to his enemies
And went through the mockery of a trial
He was nailed to a cross between two thieves
While dying, his executioners gambled for his clothing
The only property he had on earth
When he was dead
He was laid in a borrowed grave
Through the pity of a friend
Nineteen centuries have come and gone
And today Jesus is the central figure of the human race
And the leader of mankind's progress
All the armies that have ever marched
All the navies that have ever sailed
All the parliaments that have ever sat
All the kings that ever reigned put together
Have not affected the life of mankind on earth
As powerfully as that one solitary life
Dr James Allan 1926.
One Solitary Life
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jdt_K-MEBw
This is a narration called One Solitary Life done by James A. Francis. It is put to pictures showing the impact one life made. Jesus' life!
------------
DECEMBER 9 2013
Finding ways to help the homeless
Death puts spotlight on battle to assist mentally ill who shun shelter
MICHAEL TUTTON THE CANADIAN PRESS
KENTVILLE — When Doug Greene heard his homeless friend had died in a burning bus shelter in a small town in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley, it reminded him of his own vulnerability.
“It could be me," said the resident of Kentville about the nighttime death of Harley Lawrence in Berwick on Oct. 23.
“It’s just that simple."
Greene, 48, said his own depression and alcoholism caus ed him to resist s eeking shelter and treatment in the past.
He joins other Nova Scotians, from the province’s health minister to street outreach workers, who say Lawrence’s death — deemed suspicious by police — has left them wondering how to bring p eople in from the cold when they’re suffering from mental illness es and addictions.
“I know there’s help there but unfortunately due to mental illness I really don’t want to go," said Greene, his hand clasping a cup of steaming coffee provided at a drop-in centre.
“Sometimes being by yourself and being isolated is better than having everybody else know."
Greene says he is living in a rooming house, but he once slept outdoors in rural Nova Scotia. He became friends with Lawrence a few years ago, he says, and saw him sleeping under stairwells.
Lawrence’s brother Ronald says Harley was never formally diagnos ed with a mental illness, but in his mid-20s he became increasingly reserved and paranoid, wou ld drift from town to town and refus ed contact and help from his brothers and sisters when they approached him.
Chaplain John Andrew, the director of the Open Arms emergency shelter in Kentville, says Lawrence’s case shows the need for street outreach workers in rural areas and highlights the lack of low-rent rooming houses and apar tments.
He also says the province’s Involuntary Psychiatric Treatment Act should be altered to give families, p olice and mental health staff more say on identifying and sending a person to receive psychiatric care when sleeping outdoors becomes dangerous.
Andrew estimates he’s dealing with six to 12 people in the eastern part of the Annapolis Valley who are homeless and are unwilling or unable to seek shelter due to their deteriorating mental health.
“We are powerless to make any decision on their behalf," he said.
“I have a problem with that because we make decisions on behalf of our children, we make decisions on behalf of our elderly family and friends when they become incapacitated."
The act requires a person to be “likely to suffer serious physical impairment or s erious mental deterioration or illness," and have recently posed a serious harm to themselves or others before being involuntarily committed to care by a psychiatrist.
Andrew says in practice this often means severely mentally ill homeless people have to either commit crimes or become physically injured before they’re taken by p olice and paramedics for ass essment .
Greene says he would have been angry about such an intervention, but adds: “I would have realized after some time it would have been the best thing to happen to me."
The Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness, a national advocacy organization, has said the numb er o f homeless Canadians ranges between a federal estimate of 150,000 people up to one million , dep ending on how the condition is defined.
Sam Tsemberis, a homelessness advis er to a federally funded research group, said estimates on the percentage of homeless people with some form of mental illnesses range from 30 to 50 per cent, and those who live on the street are more likely to experience addictions and illness es.
Health Minister Leo Glavine, who represents the riding where Lawrence died, said the death has heightened his awareness of the need to help p eople who are living on the street and suffering from mental illness.
He’s reviewing about 100 recommendations from a twomember panel on involuntary treatment and expects this will lead to an “overhaul" of the act.
“We need to find a mechanism and a means and a directive within the act that is more open to a stronger community supportive approach," he said in an interview.
But Tsemberis says the existing wording on involuntary treatment is adequate in Nova Scotia, and Lawrence’s story is the “tip of the iceberg" that reveals a need for deeper fixes.
While Ronald Lawrence says he appreciates the push to find ways to avoid further tragedies, he also says there’s no single nor simple s olution .
Lawrence says it’s hard to know if involuntary treatment, an apartment or a persistent street worker would have saved his brother’s life.
“It might help, it might not," he said. “He might have disappeared again, as he did over the years. It’s a catch-22. . . . But it’s worth a try. Anything is worth a try."
--------------------
UPDATE DECEMBER 2 2013
Project to help 'the Harleys of the world' getting 'heartwarming' results
Jennifer HoeggPublished on December 02, 2013
Staff at Lawton’s in Kentville, including manager Jill Bricker, Rebecca Doyle and Annemiek De Lang, are collecting clothing to help Janie Morse’s project to distribute warmth to homeless men. – Jennifer Hoegg , www.kingscountynews.ca
By Jennifer Hoegg jhoegg@kingscountynews.ca KingsCountyNews.ca
A New Minas woman’s wish to help homeless men in the Valley and Halifax is drawing support.
Three weeks ago, Janie Morse put out a call for donations of winter clothes, sleeping bags and tarps for men living on the streets. She said she was touched by the fate of Harley Lawrence, a 62-year-old man who died in a fire in a Berwick bus shelter where he was sleeping, and wanted to help “the Harleys of the world.”
Collection is “going very well,” Morse said Nov. 28.“We’ve got some nice things donated.”
Emma Jones, who offered her Daisy Roots shop as a drop off location, says the project has been warmly received and a number of people have come in to contribute. Other businesses are also aiding the project.
“I went out to Frenchys yesterday to fill in some of the gaps and they donated what I had chosen,” Morse said. Lawtons’ employees in Kentville are also pitching in.
“There was an elderly lady who had lost her husband,” Morse said. “She read the story in the paper (and) felt the need to donate her husband’s winter clothes.”
Morse said the community support her project has garnered was “heartwarming.”
“I’m feeling people’s love for the homeless people and the care people do have for others,” she added.
Morse, her two grown sons and their partners, will begin distributing what they have gathered to men in need soon.
“We’re going to head out and see if we can build some trust.”
She said the family plans to continue their efforts after the holidays.
“Christmas is covered. People always volunteer at Christmas,” Morse said.
It will be January and February, when everyone is tucked in their warm home, when help will be needed, she added.
“We’ll just do what we can do,” she said.
To help, call Morse, 670-7257, or drop off donations at Daisy Roots, 19 Aberdeen St., Kentville. Warm gloves are most needed, but Morse is still collecting hats, scarves, warm socks, large men’s winter jackets, sleeping bags, tarps, heat packs and large long underwear.
UNDATE DECEMBER 1 2013
Nove Scotia's Homeless Harley Lawrence murdered down on Main- has headstone and grave site donated- the amount of heart, love and giving by the people of Berwick and Nova Scotia truly inspires and overcomes all the crap news about a ditzy Mayor and dumbed-down senate and commons elected spolit brats who are way in2 'me, me,me' - 2 even see the real Canada and Canadians... these are the thousands and thousands of beautiful things that happen all across Canada... God bless our beloved troops... on this day as well as every day....
Headstone donated for Harley Lawrence’s grave
November 30, 2013 - 6:24pm Gordon Delaney Valley Bureau
HANTSPORT — Ronald Lawrence knelt beside his brother’s grave Saturday with tears in his eyes.
Other family members joined him to view the donated headstone on Harley Lawrence’s grave at Riverbank Cemetery in Hantsport.
The stone arrived Friday and was placed on Harley’s grave Saturday morning in time for a handful of family members and a dozen or so friends of the family to hold a short unveiling ceremony and prayer at the site.
The plot in the cemetery was provided by an anonymous donor. Not even the family knows who it was.
The headstone was donated by Reed Allen of J. Wilson Allen Funeral Home in Summerville, Hants County. And the work on the black granite stone was donated by Demone Monuments and Granite Products Ltd. of Lunenburg.
Harley died tragically in a fire in a Berwick bus shelter early on the morning of Oct. 23. Homeless and suffering from mental health issues, he had arrived in Berwick in the spring and was sleeping in the bus shelter as the weather turned colder.
Police are still investigating his death. One man was brought in for questioning and later released. No charges have been laid.
Ronald Lawrence said in an interview at the gravesite Saturday that he and his brother Maynard had been out pricing headstones.
“Reed Allen just looked at me and said, ‘You know what, I’m going to donate that to you. It’s for a good cause.’ We were flattered that they would do something like that and we thank them from the bottom of our hearts.”
In addition to Harley’s name, date of birth and date of his death, the stone depicts a cabin in the woods with smoke coming from the chimney and fir trees in the background.
On the other side is a man with a pack over his shoulder and the words “Always Remembered, Still Wandering.’’
Harley liked the outdoors, Ronald said.
“We used to have a camp when we were kids. And he was always going from place to place, so we thought a nice figure of a traveller. It’s representative of Harley.
“We made the design up and we’re really pleased with the workmanship,” he added.
After the ceremony at the gravesite, family and friends went to Hantsport Baptist Church, where the family presented 13 certificates of appreciation to people who helped the family out after Harley’s death.
“We just wanted to say thank you from the family,” Ronald said.
He added that he has been in recent contact with police but they are not telling the family much about the investigation.
“I understand that they can’t give out information about that,” he said. “We just have to be patient and wait.
“We have full confidence in the RCMP. But people in Berwick need to stop the rumours and get on with their lives. We’ll get to the bottom of it sooner or later.”
http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/1171074-headstone-donated-for-harley-lawrence-s-grave
COMMENT:
The entire community deserves our respect for their embrace of a man who wasn’t quite able to rise to community expectations. Some were featured in the media as caring about him before he died, and afterwards, and I wish I had been there to show
my support to them. Whoever the anonymous donor of the grave plot is, I thank
you for doing what I only thought about doing. To Reed Allen for generously donating the headstone that marked Harley’s valuable time here with us as a Nova Scotia son, and Demone’s careful recording in stone of his life, I say thank you for what I wish I had done. How perfect that an entire community came together in this matter. It reminds me of the words of Edmund Burke: “Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little.” Harley would be so happy, finally!
-----------------------
UPDATED Headstone donated for Harley Lawrence
Published on November 30, 2013
Harley Lawrence's brother, Ron, kneels beside a headstone that was placed in a Hantsport cemetery in Harley's memory Nov. 30. The headstone was donated by a community member. Harley, 62, died in a fire in a Berwick bus shelter in October. - John DeCoste“We deeply appreciate all the generosity,” says brother Ron Lawrence
jdecoste@kingscountynews.ca
KingsCountyNews.ca
The late Harley Lawrence now has a tangible, lasting monument to his memory.
On Nov. 30, a grave marker was dedicated to mark Lawrence’s final resting place in Riverside Cemetery in Hantsport.
Harley, who lived on the street in a number of Nova Scotia communities, died in Berwick Oct. 23 as the result of a fire in the bus shelter in which he was sleeping.
Family members, friends and community members gathered at the graveside for a short dedication service. Afterwards, the family presented certificates of appreciation to individuals, groups and businesses for their support.
Among those present for the ceremony were Harley’s brothers Maynard, Bob, Ron and Bruce, sister Ruth and half-brother Lester Fisher.
“We thought this was the proper way to thank these people and businesses for all they’ve done for us,” said family spokesperson, Ron Lawrence of Windsor.
Among those receiving certificates were Reid Allen, owner of J. Wilson Allen Funeral Home of Summerville, Hants County, and Paul Himmelman and Karen Logan of Demone Monuments in Lunenburg, who donated and constructed the headstone.
“It’s a very nice gesture on Reid’s part,” Ron Lawrence said. “Maynard and I were pricing grave markers, and when we spoke with Reid, he quoted us a price and then offered to donate it.”
For his part, Allen said it was “quite an honour to be part of this.”
“I was touched by the whole story,” Allen said. “My friends at White’s (Family Funeral Home in Kentville) donated Harley’s funeral service; I would have done the same if it had been in my area. When I was approached, I decided it was my chance to do something for the family.”
Allen called Himmelman, who agreed to pitch in on the headstone’s cost as well as constructing it.
The attractive stone includes Harley’s name, his dates of birth and death, a picture of a camp in the woods, a wandering man with a bundle on a stick and the inscription, ‘Always Remembered, Still Wandering’.
Ron Lawrence explained the family had input into the design of the stone.
“The cabin is a camp our family had when we were children. The travelling man represents Harley travelling from place to place,” Ron said.
He added that “an unknown donor” donated the grave lot. William Caldwell dug the grave and filled it in afterward. Kelly Grant organized the candlelight vigil for Harley in Berwick and several Berwick businesses donated candles and other supplies.
“We’d like to thank everyone for being here today, and for all their help and support to us as a family through this. It’s been a learning curve for all of us, but we’re getting through it with your support,” Ron said.
Brian Bishop, a Hantsport resident who knew Harley well when he lived there, was presented with a photograph of Harley as a boy.
Also receiving a certificate was John Andrew, founder of the Open Arms shelter and ministry in Kentville and Berwick, who befriended Harley and tried to help him.
Andrew said the publicity surrounding Harley’s life and death “has motivated a lot of people, and awakened them to a lot of issues in the community, including mental health and homelessness.
“Many things have happened because of Harley. It’s strange, in a way, that someone who wasn’t really a social person could end up being such a catalyst for change.”
See a slideshow of photos HERE.
http://www.kingscountynews.ca/News/Local/2013-11-30/article-3525830/UPDATED-Headstone-donated-for-Harley-Lawrence/1
comment:
- It’s so nice to see that we still have some great upstanding citizens. Job well done.
November 22- there are a lot of nice things happening- like.. following:
Group’s goal: Homes for all
Thursday, November 21, 2013 - 7:44pm | By THE CHRONICLE HERALD
United Way Halifax is heading up a new partnership working to end homelessness in Halifax Regional Municipality by 2019. The group wants to find ways to provide affordable housing for the homeless, those at risk of homelessness or those living in...
BUT HARLEY LAWRENCE DIED HORRIBLE AND CRUEL- AND NO ANIMAL OR HUMAN SHOULD SUFFER- WE WANT JUSTICE 4 HARLEY LAWRENCE- will other aged innocents be burnt alive??? alone???? helpless??? We want justice???
November 14, 2013- news updates- Harley Lawrence- Nova Scotians stepping up
New
Minas woman helping homeless men after Harley Lawrence' Nov 14th
KingsCountyNews.ca
Janie
Morse was moved by the story of Harley Lawrence to try to offer a bit of warmth
to those out in the cold.
After
a candlelight vigil for the 62-year-old homeless man who died Oct. 23, the New
Minas woman wanted to do something tangible to help other men in need.
“I
didn’t know Harley. I went to the service in Berwick because it touched my
heart,” Morse said.
“My
father was a very outreach man. He always helped the homeless men of the world.
(He) would not pass them on the street without offering help.
“I
saw that growing up and I haven’t done it and I felt ashamed,” Morse said.
“I
couldn’t help Harley,” she said, but “there are lots of Harleys. There are
thousands of Harleys. I can help some other Harley in a very small way.”
Morse,
along with her two adult children and their partners, decided they would
collect winter clothing for homeless men in Halifax and the Annapolis Valley
instead of having a huge, holiday celebration of their own.
“My
kids don’t really want to celebrate Christmas in a way that we go overboard
with gifts, so we decided we would do something for something for somebody
else.”
However,
they aren’t waiting for Christmas to offer the help. Morse said as soon as the
family has collected have enough warm clothing to share, they will start
handing it out.
She
is hoping to distribute clothing locally through Open Arms and soup kitchens,
but foresees a challenge: “I’m looking for the Harleys of the world: the men
who don’t come out. The men who won’t seek that warm meal.
“I
can’t change the world. I can’t change them. I won’t try to change them,” Morse
said, “but I can help them be warm if they are cold, I can get them something
to eat if they are hungry and I can show them compassion.”
Morse
hopes her effort will inspire others to show more compassion to their fellow
human beings.
“Go
to McDonalds, spend $5 and buy a kid (on the street) a meal. Don’t tell them to
go get a job. Stop judging,” she said. “We’re not all the same; we’re all
different.”
While
Morse’s project is just getting underway, Emma Jones has already offered up her
Kentville shop as the first drop off location. Daisy Roots, a vintage clothing
store on Aberdeen Street, will be accepting donations.
“It’s
a great thing she’s doing,” Jones said of Morse’s effort.
Anyone
who wants to donate or offer their business as a drop off location can call
Morse at 670-7257.
Wish
list
Hats
and gloves
Hats
and scarves
Warm
socks
Large
men’s winter jackets
Sleeping
bags
Small
and medium size tarps
Heat
packs
Large
long underwear
Other
ways to help
Open
Arms’ pastor John Andrew says the Kentville-based street ministry was pleased
to hear of Morse’s program.
He
said the centre does keep a supply of warm coats and clothing on hand.
“We
distribute the coats received at Vail’s Dry Cleaning ‘Coats For Kids’ program,”
he said. “That is the right place for coats for people of all ages.”
Open
Arms will also accept small appliances, beds, dressers, couches, tables and
chairs in good condition. It no longer accepts TVs or electronics.
“Storage
is always our issue with regard to taking to much,” he noted.
Andrew
said he knows people want to make donations of goods and Open Arms are grateful
for it, but they should check first with Open Arms to see what is most needed.
“Cash
is always the best kind of donation we can get,” he said, adding it can be used
for whatever is needed, including emergency housing in motels.
Volunteers
for Inn From the Cold, the winter emergency shelter program run with local
churches, and Open Arms’ drop-in programs are also needed.
“We
could probably use another dozen people,” he said.
“The
big needs are always money and people (volunteers), but there are of course
other ways people can help. We are open to creative ideas.”
For
information on how to volunteer or donate, call the Open Arms office, 365-3665.
Coldest
Night of the Year campaign
Watch
for the launch of the second local Coldest Night of the Year fundraiser.
Beginning
Dec. 1 and leading up to the nighttime walk event Feb. 22, the Annapolis Valley
event will be recruiting teams and funds.
Last
year’s novice effort included more than 300 people in the Valley and raised
more than $60,000.
“Our
target for 2014 is to have a larger and permanent outreach centre in
Kentville,” Andrew said. “Kentville really is the epicentre of need for a lot
of people live on the edge.
“A
large fundraiser makes that sort of thing a possibility,” he said. The
enthusiasm of participants in last year’s event and its success “really speaks
to the nature of our community,” he added.
The
event is also growing nationwide, he said.
“Last
year there were 38 shelters and outreaches across Canada that participated this
year they’re hoping to hit 70.”
Weblink
coldestnightoftheyear.org
---------------
Raised
the 2nd $$$$$ amount in Canada- little Annapolis Valley Nova Scotia... so let's
do it in 2014
COLDEST
NIGHT OF THE YEAR- WALKATHON- goal
$35,000 ACTUAL $64,446
------------
UPDATE: NOVEMBER 2013
Homeless man’s family seek clues to his death
Police say fire death suspicious but information scarce on cause
THE CANADIAN PRESS
KENTVILLE — The brother of a homeless man who died in a bus shelter fire in rural Nova Scotia says his family is anxious to find out what happened to their relative, but respect the police investigation.
Ronald Lawrence said Wednesday that the family is eager to learn what happened to Harley Lawrence, a 62-year-old drifter who died on Oct. 23 in Berwick.
Police say the death is suspicious, but have not released the findings of an autopsy done to determine the cause of death.
The Mounties also have not said whether the fire at the bus shelter at about 2 a.m. on that day was accidental.
Ronald said his brother drifted away from the family when Harley was about 25 years old and wouldn’t accept help from anyone.
He said he would disappear for years before anyone heard from him .
He said he last saw him about seven years ago when Ronald tracked him down to let him know their mother had died.
“He just shoved us away and it was very heartbreaking," he said, as his brother Maynard — the oldest in the family of nine kids — looked on.
Ronald said he trusts that the police are doing a sound investigation into the incident .
“We’re anxious to find out and the family wants answers but the thing is, we gotta be patient," he said of the ongoing police investigation.
“They have to make sure they do their job right and the family respects that."
Ronald said he learned o f the fire on the radio and wondered instantly if it was his brother.
He said he believed his older brother had a mental health problem that wasn’t diagnosed.
Some residents of the small community had trouble accepting the man who had b ecome a controversial figure in a town that wasn’t used to seeing people living so visibly on its streets.
Lawrence usually sat outside the local Tim Hortons and the bus stop or wou ld wander down Berwick’s main street with his belongings packed in a large plastic bag .
It was a sight many in the community of about 2,500 people did not like, according to Mayor Don Clarke, who fielded several calls from residents who wanted to know if anything could be done to make him leave.
Some who knew Lawrence said he resisted help and showed little interest in taking advantage of programs set up to aid the homeless.
He had always rebuffed efforts by volunteers at the Evangeline Club to have coffee or come for a visit, said the club’s co-ordinator Candy O’Brien.
Chaplain John Andrew met Lawrence in 2005 through the Open Arms emergency shelter in nearby Kentville, but said he still knew little about him.
Andrew, who is the managing director of the shelter, has said the man had b een living in various locations throughout the Annapolis Valley over the years, but also spent time in Dartmouth and possibly Western Canada.
A man and a woman who were delivering newspapers on Oct. 23 said they saw two young men fill a container with gas at a station in Berwick about 10 minutes before the fire started.
Shannon Taylor and her boyfriend had finished bundling their papers outside a gas station and were heading down the town’s main street when she saw flames rising from inside the shelter.
Police wouldn’t comment on the claims.
photo
Ronald Lawrence talks about the life of his brother, Harley Lawrence, at the Open Ar ms emergency drop-in centre in Kentville on Wednesday. ANDREW VAUGHAN • CP
--------------------------
JUST IN- OCTOBER 30-2013- 5:47pm
COMMENT:
The most heartache, 4 many of us tarnished angels, is the fact that this Canadian son with demons many of us go through.... and our troops have woken the world up 2 the global plight of homelessness like never be4.... but my tears and prayers are filling my soul 4 the horrible nightmare that Harley Lawrence may have died in great torture by monsters that troll and hurt people because they think they can...... we want justice 4 Harley Lawrence..... many of us have taken the time 4 tarnished angels like us... who have our souls haunted and fears spewing over reality..... but the big shake up... is this Homeless man died on Main Street Nova Scotia... and very well might have died horribly at the hands of cruelty.... our world is fragile 4 many like us.... we all have some harley in us.... and we should.... but am praying real hard... that Harley did not become a victim of a cruel, vicious and evil act.... there are millions of wounded and fragile souls in Canada... and we comfort each other... sometimes just a gentle look.... but many of us feel something went horribly wrong.... 2 a decent man who fought his demons the best way he comfortably could. Peace brother.... and may u be free at last 2 wonder the wilds of the heavens with joy, salvation and happiness.... BY THE BY... A BEAUTIFUL WRITTEN ARTICLE...
Harley touched us more than we touched him’
October 30, 2013 - 4:35pm By GORDON DELANEY Valley Bureau
Man who died in bus shelter fire remembered in funeral service
A police escort leads the family and hearse containing Harley Lawrence’s cremated remains through Kentville following his funeral service Wednesday. (GORDON DELANEY / Valley Bureau)
.
KENTVILLE – Family and friends paid tribute Wednesday to a quiet, shy man who chose to spend his last years living on the hardscrabble streets, despite the many efforts to help him.
“Harley was Harley,’’ Ron Lawrence said about his older brother, Harley Gordon Lawrence, 62, who was fondly remembered at his funeral service in Kentville.
“Everybody knew he had problems. He pushed us away, but deep down we all loved him.’’
“I would like all to know that you were a human being,’’ Harley’s sister Marie, wrote in a letter to Harley, read out loud by Pastor John Andrew during the service.
She added that she will remember Harley was a hard worker who loved the outdoors.
“This has not been an easy time in our community, for many reasons,’’ Andrew, chaplain for the Open Arms street ministry in Kentville, told the 200 or so people attending the service.
He cautioned against seeing Harley as just a symbol for homelessness and mental illness. Andrew urged people to look closer. “He was very human.’’
He asked people to look deep within them and to treat all people with dignity and respect, no matter what their circumstances.
“Harley abandoned a normal life out of mental illness and fear,’’ Andrew said. “Sickness robbed him of that choice.’’
He added, “We need to learn and open our hearts to others …We’re no different than Harley, every one of us here.’’
Following the service, the funeral procession drove to River Bank Cemetery in Hantsport for a private burial, not far from where Harley grew up.
Harley will not leave a typical legacy Brian Bishop of Hantsport said following the service. Harley touched a lot of people, and his death has sparked much discussion and raised the issue of homelessness.
“The food banks are likely to benefit in the coming months, shelters and soup kitchens will benefit. I think in the short term those are the things that Harley’s legacy will be,’’ Bishop said.
“I think in the long term that people heard the message that we all need to be more compassionate to people who are struggling in life. They don’t need necessarily to see us as a friend, but we need to be friendly.’’
He added that for many people “Harley touched us more than we touched him.’’
“This service was about community and it was about family,’’ Andrew told reporters following the funeral. “And it was about beginning the healing process for family and friends and the people who really knew Harley Lawrence.’’
He said people shouldn’t demonize Harley or make him a saint or a poster boy for homelessness. “This was a son and a brother and an uncle, who in many ways led a life that was very painful for him and for others.’’
Andrew said the family wants to tell its story and plans are in the works to speak to the media next week. Harley has four brothers and four sisters, along with two half-siblings.
Carl Colbourne, a volunteer with Open Arms for the past six years, knew Harley. He said homelessness is not unique to the cities. “We need to be vigilant … to people who are living under bridges and in the woods … it’s very prevalent.’’
Colbourne was homeless for a time, but with help was able to get a job and off the streets.
He said 75 people have sought shelter at Open Arms in just the past few months.
“It’s happening in all our communities. And it’s not just young people. We’re seeing more seniors now.’’
“Everyone of us wants to have a good life … But mental illness robs some people’s ability to achieve that,’’ Colbourne said as he left the funeral chapel.
Lawrence died Oct. 23 in a fire while sleeping in a small bus shelter on Commercial Street in Berwick. Police say the fire is suspicious and have not ruled out foul play.
Some witnesses say they saw two young men buying gas and heading in the direction of the bus shelter minutes before the fire broke out around 2:10 am. There have been no arrests in the case.
An autopsy was performed last week, but police have not disclosed any information.
Donations in memory of Lawrence may be made to the Nova Scotia division of the Canadian Mental Health Association.
(gdelaney@herald.ca)
http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/1163960-harley-touched-us-more-than-we-touched-him#.UnFkUL9jzBh.facebook
JUST IN - OCTOBER 30- FUNERAL 4 HARLEY LAWRENCE- FROM MAGIC 97-AVR COUNTRY RADIO- KENTVILL NOVA SCOTIA
Harley Lawrence funeral details
By MNN. Last updated: 2013-10-29 05:17:18The obituary for homeless man Harley Lawrence, who died in a suspicious fire in a Berwick bus shelter early Wednesday morning, says the man was raised in Hantsport, and was one of nine siblings, but wound up in Berwick six months ago.
His funeral will be held 11:00AM Wednesday, and was donated by the White Family Funeral home.
Police, who are still awaiting the results of an autopsy haven't commented on eyewitness reports of two young men filling jugs with gasoline and approaching the shelter just prior to the fire.
Donations in Lawrence's memory can be made to the Canadian Mental Health Association.
News stories from 2013-10-28.
Go Rest High On That Mountain- Vince Gill- never met u Harley- my loss... and the tears and prayers make me ache.... by the by u can watch the service on the Internet at White's Funeral Home.... May u find peace brother... from another tarnished angel.
Harley G. Lawrence
1951-2013
Harley Gordon Lawrence - 62, of Berwick, passed away Wednesday, October 23, 2013 in Berwick. Born in Windsor, he was a son of the late Gordon Fisher and Mary Frances (Lawrence) VanAmburg. He was raised in Hantsport and attended Hantsport School. In his early years, he had been employed in the farming community and enjoyed being in the woods. In recent years, he made his home in several communities across the country. He is survived by four sisters, Lillian Whalen (Carl Morgan), Sydney Mines; Ruth Lawrence, Beaver Bank; Marie Spinney, Sunken Lake; Bernice Lawrence, Bedford; four brothers, Maynard (Deborah), Glenhaven; Robert (Paula), Beaver Bank; Ronald (Vera) and Bruce (Tammy), both of Windsor; a half brother, Lester (Bernice) Fisher; a half sister, Josephine Best; many nieces and nephews; numerous acquaintances in many communities. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by a brother-in-law, Gordon Spinney; half brothers and sisters. There will be no visitation, by request. A funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, October 30, 2013 in the White Family Funeral Home, Kentville, Pastor John Andrew officiating. Burial will take place in the River Bank Cemetery, Hantsport. Donations in memory may be made to the Canadian Mental Health Association. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the White Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Kentville. Online inquiries may be directed to www.whitefamilyfuneralhome.com.
BEAUTIFUL ARTICLE... BY A PURE NOVA SCOTIA JOURNALIST...
WENDY ELLIOTT: Rest in peace, Harley Lawrence
The whole Valley was justifiably shocked last week by the tragic death of a homeless 62-year-old man, Harley Lawrence, on the streets of downtown Berwick. His sad demise, which RCMP are calling suspicious, has brought our area national attention.
Writing the Cruiser report over the past six months, I feel like I got to know Harley a bit, although he was nameless in the police reports. People complained at least once a week that he slept in doorways, spit on the sidewalk and yelled.
Some members of the community clearly wanted him removed from the downtown, but police were hamstrung. Harley rarely broke the law. As one police officer commented, “they can’t be roasted out of the community because they don’t look right.”
One day early on, I had a long telephone conversation with a woman who felt badly about Harley. She was looking for intervention, but the man himself wasn’t keen. We never did figure out how to help Harley.
What worries me is Harley wasn’t the sole homeless person turning up in the crime reports. There is a homeless woman who is continually reported bedding down in bank lobbies. She has been the object of complaints 59 times since 2008. Lately she seems compelled to randomly cross busy roadways.
There’s another fellow, long accustomed to living in substandard housing, who has totally frustrated family members. He spent part of the summer in a tent by the old rail bed.
John Andrew, street pastor at Open Arms, knows there are more homeless people. He is aware there are no easy solutions for people who might choose to be homeless and can’t help being mentally ill.
The Valley’s emergency shelter program, Inn From The Cold, has hosted nearly 600 Valley residents or passers-through over the past ten years. Many others have been given assistance to locate apartments or rooms.
Inn from the Cold doesn’t start up until Nov. 1, so some people feeling the chill are likely sleeping in barns and derelict buildings now. The seven local churches and 150 volunteers who keep the program going are unsung heroes.
Read more special articles:
UPDATED: Autopsy to be performed after Berwick death
UPDATED: Open Arms pastor, mayor concerned homeless man victim of Berwick fire
Berwick cleaning up, remembering after tragic day
A last kindness for alleged Berwick fire victim
In British Columbia, the Campbell River Housing Resource Centre has found one alternative. The centre uses “cargotecture” - retrofitted shipping containers - to provide safe and dignified lodgings. They replace cardboard boxes, wet tents, and dirty blankets.
According to a story in the Courier Islander, these temporary shelters made of 40-foot containers house up to 16 individuals under a temporary roof on any given winter night. The containers are heated, have reading lamps, smoke detectors, a handicapped accessible washroom and two beds.Each container is staffed with two trained and caring individuals. They are open from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. to keep people alive.
The homeless can bring belongings, shopping carts, and even dogs into the space. When they leave, each one is welcome to go to a nearby church for breakfast.
Centre spokesman Paul Mason called the containers safe, low-barrier shelters, which are centrally located, mobile, and can be temporary measure during the winter. The funding for the project comes from BC Housing.
This same concept was used to house people in the floods in Hay River, Alberta, earlier this year.
Jean Vanier, who founded the worldwide L’Arche community, says what we really ought to do is meet people where they are and to give life. I hope that the loss of Harley Lawrence will prompt many discussions about how we might support the lives of the homeless around us.
http://www.novanewsnow.com/Opinion/Columnists/2013-10-26/article-3449288/WENDY-ELLIOTT%3A-Rest-in-peace%2C-Harley-Lawrence/1
And...
A last kindness for alleged Berwick fire victim
Nancy KellyPublished on October 24, 2013
Woman believes she may be the last person to see alleged fire victim alive
© Nancy Kelly - kingscountynews.ca
Harley Lawrence, who lived on the streets of Berwick since last spring, died ina fire on Commercial Street Oct. 23. RCMP consider the death suspicious.
By Nancy Kelly
nkelly@kingscountynews.ca
KingsCountyNews.ca
The first time Jennifer Gaudet saw Harley Lawrence, widely known as Berwick’s homeless man, may be the last time anyone saw him alive.
People in Berwick believe the 62-year-old man that died in an overnight fire Oct. 23 in a downtown bus shelter was Lawrence, who had been living on Berwick streets since the spring. Gaudet shares the same concern, despite the fact that RCMP have yet to identify the victim of the fire.
Gaudet was in Berwick for a hockey game on the evening of Oct. 22. When she dropped into the local Tim Hortons about 10 p.m., she saw a man huddled on the sidewalk between the coffee shop and the bank.
“I had heard about Berwick’s homeless man very recently and wondered, ‘is that him?'”
After confirming with Tim Hortons staff that Lawrence was living on the streets, the valley resident purchased him a hot chocolate.
“I just had this overwhelming feeling that I should do this for him. But when I came out, he was gone,” said Gaudet.
She saw Lawrence heading north on Commercial in the rain and followed him to the Kings Transit shelter, where he was settling in for the night and laying down on a cardboard mat upon her arrival.
“I offered him the hot chocolate, he asked what was in it, then accepted it with thanks.”
Gaudet said she wasn’t afraid and didn’t feel threatened in any way despite the fact the night was dark and no one else was out on the street at the time.
When she left Lawrence, it was 10:15 p.m. Little more than eight hours later, she learned of the fire and death in Berwick and of the community’s belief that Lawrence was the victim.
“It was such a gut-wrenching feeling to think I may have been the last person to talk to him or offer him a kindness.”
The body of a 62-year-old man was found in a burnt-out Kings Transit shelter outside Foodland on the town’s Commercial Street in the wee hours of the morning on Oct. 23.
Gaudet immediately contacted RCMP and was interviewed by them at 11 a.m. that morning. She recounted her previous night’s interaction with Lawrence to members of the Valley’s major crime unit, answering their questions about his dental features and whether or not she witnessed him smoking.
“I told them I didn’t see him smoking,” she said. “They said the fire was intense, perhaps that is why they were asking about his teeth, to make an identification through dental records.”
She said the RCMP did not imply the victim was Lawrence, but they discussed the man’s living conditions with Gaudet and the fact that they had a line on his next of kin, living in British Columbia.
“I guess if it turns out to be him, they know where his family is.”
On Oct. 24, Gaudet was still shaken by her encounter with Lawrence and saddened that many efforts to help him were unsuccessful.
“It is so terribly sad. I can still see his face looking up at me. When I left him, something felt not right and I just couldn’t shake this bad feeling."
Read more about the fire here.
http://www.novanewsnow.com/News/Local/2013-10-24/article-3444583/A-last-kindness-for-alleged-Berwick-fire-victim/1
----------------
Homeless Harley Lawrence- Peace be with u and may u find comfort and love and peace and freedom- we all should have done better by u..... we really should have...
The Reality.... 2013... and this is still the reality.....
Don't Laugh at Me
JOE DIFFE- SHIPS THAT DON'T COME IN..
CANADA- SOME Good news 4 r Homeless-
CANADA: Tory homeless plans praised
Group lauds focus on housing
LEE-ANNE GOODMAN THE CANADIAN PRESS
O T TAWA — The Conservative government is getting high marks from a non-profit group that fights homelessness, as an estimated 30,000 people sleep on Canada’s streets each night.
At a conference on homelessness, a keynote speaker had praise for an otherwise embattled government’s commitment to the issu e.
“The policy shift that the federal government announced in its budget this year is going to radically overhaul Canada’s response to homelessness," Tim Richter, head o f the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness, said Monday.
“It changes our efforts from simply a response to an emergency situation to one that focus es on p ermanent housing for chronically homeless people.
“We’ve not seen anything like it in the past. It’s really going to shape how communities respond to homelessness in the future."
Candice Bergen, social development minister since July, affirmed that solving homelessness remains a priority. “Our goal and our desire is to equip and emp ower p eople to lift themselves out of poverty and out of these difficult situations," she said in an interview.
“The ultimate goal is to see them fully participating in society and having the joy of full employment. That’s the desire of most everyone."
The critical piece o f the strategy, Bergen said, is Housing First, a program that finds residences for the homeless with no strings attached.
The government surprised anti-poverty advocates in its March budget by announcing a five-year renewal of funding for the Homelessness Partnering Strategy.
The bu dget cited evidence from a massive pilot project, run by the Mental Health Commission of Canada, that helped find and pay for homes for mentally ill homeless people in five cities across Canada. The pilot also provided recipients with as many social s ervices they needed to stay hous ed.
Bergen said that in Montreal, 80 per cent of those who enrolled in the program two years ago are still housed, and receiving treatment for their mental-health issu es.
Vancouver’s mayor, Gregor Robertson, launched a campaign Monday calling on the federal government to develop a longterm housing plan as polls suggest a third of Canadian families struggle to afford housing .
“Our cities and communities need a stable and secure housing market that creates jobs, attracts new workers, meets the needs of seniors and young families and keeps our most vulnerable citizens off the streets," Robertson said as he announced the campaign at the conference.
“The Housing First approach for homelessness is a promising start, but they need to back it up with real results and expand that action to other areas o f our affordable housing problem. Canada’s housing challenges are too big and too complex for any single order of government to solve on its own."
The Mental Health Commission of Canada estimates about half of homeless people in Canada have severe mental illnesses. A study in Toronto found that 71 per cent of people in shelters have a mental illness, an addiction or b oth .
http://thechronicleherald.ca/canada/1163521-tory-homeless-plans-praised
--------------
These 24 Famous People Used
To Be Homeless Before They Rose To Fame
Kris Kristofferson - Sunday
Morning Coming Down [1970, Original, HiFi Stereo Sound, Subtitled]
Homelessness
can affect anyone. No one is immune. Just take a look at these famous people on
this list. Before they rose to fame, these people were struggling hard to make
ends meet.
Some of
them weren’t only poor, but actually living on the streets not knowing where
their next meal was coming from, or where they’d rest their heads.
1. Col. Harland Sanders
Colonel
Sanders was homeless for most years of his life. He and his wife lived out of a
car while he was trying to convince restaurants to sell his chicken recipe.
Wikipedia
2. Sylvester Stallone
Stallone
lived in a NYC bus station for three weeks after being evicted.
Wikipedia
3. Cary Grant
He was
abandoned by his father when he was 10. His mother was in an institution, so
Cary spent his childhood in Southampton, England, sleeping in alley ways and
getting jobs where he could on the docks.
Wikipedia
4. Shania Twain
Shania
lived with her family in a shelter in Toronto so they would have enough food to
eat. She began singing in bars at the age of 8 to help support her family.
wcrz.com
5. Sam Worthington
Right
before playing Jake Sully in the movie Avatar and breaking several box office
records, this Australian actor was living out of his car.
Wikipedia
6. William Shatner
When Star
Trek drew to a close, William Shatner found tough times and was living out of
his truck.
Wikipedia
7. Kelly Clarkson
The
apartment she rented in Los Angeles after moving from Texas burned down on her
first day in town. She ended up sleeping in her car until she made it big on
American Idol.
Wikipedia
8. David Letterman
When he
moved to Los Angeles in 1975, Letterman was living out of his truck. He got the
break he needed when Jimmie Walker hired Letterman to write jokes for him.
Wikipedia
9. Jim Kramer
When a
thief broke into his apartment and stole everything, Kramer was left with
nothing and was forced to live out of his car early in his career. Now he’s the
star of Mad Money and advises people how to invest their money.
Wikipedia
10. Benjamin Franklin
He ran
away from home at the age of 17 and took a boat to New York City. He ended up
walking to Philadelphia. He lived on the streets until his future wife’s family
took him in and cared for him.
Wikipedia
11. Kurt Cobain
He lived
under a bridge and slept in waiting rooms at hospitals before becoming
Nirvana’s front man.
hollyscoop.com
12. Dr. Phil McGraw
He lived
out of a car with his father until they eventually got a room at the downtown
YMCA for $5 per week.
bornrich.com
13. Suze Orman
She lived
out of her van for four months back in 1973, but now she advises others on
their finances. Suze is worth $25 million.
recapo.com
14. Drew Carey
Drew lived
out of his car for 18 months while trying to get a spot on The Tonight Show.
starscolor.com
15. Sean Parker
Before he
launched Napster, Sean lived on other people couches and didn’t have a place to
call his own.
alaan.cc
16. Heather Mills
Because of
family issues Heather was forced to live in a cardboard box near London Waterloo
station at the age of 14.
alquds.com
17. Tyler Perry
Tyler
lived out of his car after his theatrical production failed. He kept rewriting
the script until it went big at the House of Blues.
Wikipedia
18. Halle Berry
She stayed
in New York to pursue her acting dream and after she ran out of money, she
lived in a homeless shelter before landing a role on ABC.
19. Jennifer Lopez
After her
parents didn’t approve of her decision to move to Hollywood, Jennifer ended up
couch surfing until she got her break first in Europe and later in LA.
Wikipedia
20. Djimon Hounsou
As a teen,
the African-born actor was homeless on the streets of Paris fighting for
survival and scrounging for food.
21. Daniel Craig
Before
landing the role of secret agent James Bond 007, Daniel couch surfed and slept
on park benches in London.
thetop7.com
22. Jewel
Jewel’s
family lived in a house without plumbing and she would write songs out of her
van before she made it big.
bestfan.com
23. Hilary Swank
She and
her mom lived out of a car and booked auditions using pay phones until Hilary
got some roles.
Wikipedia
24. Jim Carrey
When
Carey’s family fell on tough times, they lived out of a van. He got a job as a
janitor and in his spare time he went to open mic night. He eventually landed
the lead role in Once Bitten.
Wikipedia
via list25
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