Province, city too slow to secure housing for people living in encampments, North Point Douglas residents say
Marcus Daniels-Francis, 26, has been living in a riverbank encampment near the North Point Douglas neighbourhood for the past two months. He says he's known about four or five people who have found housing through the provincial Your Way Home strategy.
The province says 59 people have been placed into housing since the strategy was introduced in January. About 90 per cent of people have moved into social or affordable housing, with 10 per cent going to private, market-rate housing.
In a statement to CBC News on Saturday Housing and Homelessness Minister Bernadette Smith, who is the MLA for Point Douglas, said the government is working with the city and Main Street Project to "move people from tents into housing with wraparound supports."
Smith said all 59 people are still housed.
"From what I've seen, the government definitely has been helping people out, getting people off the encampments. But they aren't helping enough people yet," Daniels-Francis said.
"It's a slow pace," he said.
Daniels-Francis, who is a member of Long Plain First Nation, said he will be moving into his own apartment on Aug. 1, without help from the provincial program. He said he is enrolled in school and will be studying to become a welder. He said he will also be undergoing treatment for alcohol addiction.
He said ongoing support for addictions and mental health should be a key part of the government's strategy, otherwise people will fall into the same patterns — as he has in the past —of getting and losing housing.
"It'll be nice. I'll be able to cook my own food. I'll be able to sleep when I want to go to sleep, wake up when I want to wake up," Daniels-Francis said, adding it can be difficult to sleep in the encampment due to loud fights and other noise from his neighbours.
North Point Douglas resident Howard Warren said he has been struggling to sleep for two weeks as noise from a nearby encampment has kept him up at night. He said it's the "seventh summer of absolute chaos" living in his neighbourhood.
Despite feeling encouraged that the province's strategy has found housing for some, Warren said it's not helping people fast enough and "we have to do more."
"We want the best for them … we're very sympathetic to the situation," he said.
Over the past few summers, Warren said he has been woken by a man trying to enter his home at 2 a.m., had property stolen, and even had a gun pointed at his head after trying to provide water to a woman on the riverbank.
Last week, he wrote a letter to Mayor Scott Gillingham and city council asking for help.
"This is such a regular, ongoing daily, nightly occurrence ... When you reach the end of your tether, you kind of snap. I thought I really need to address this in a different way than it has been so far," Warren said.
In his letter, he questioned what he calls the outreach approach of Main Street Project, a local non-profit organization that received an exclusive contract from the city to handle all outreach calls at Winnipeg encampments earlier this month.
Warren wondered why outreach group St. Boniface Street Links was cut off from municipal funding. The city had previously split outreach funding between Main Street Project, St. Boniface Street Links, and Resource Assistance for Youth.
Warren previously spoke to CBC News in May after he said he witnessed Main Street Project workers set up an encampment along the riverbank in his community.
"Following the 'human-rights approach,' as Main Street Project puts it, I don't see that as alleviating either the suffering and misery of the unhoused folks or the communities that are greatly affected by it," Warren said.
Earlier this month, Coun. Cindy Gilroy tabled a motion to ban encampments from some public places like parks and pools. This week, Coun. Jeff Browaty said he would like to see tents barred beside major roadways as well.
Mynarski Coun. Ross Eadie, whose ward includes the North Point Douglas neighbourhood, responded to Warren's letter on Friday in a document viewed by CBC News.
Eadie wrote that he will allocate funding to St. Boniface Street Links and the city should do the same.
"I am making the decision right here to use up the rest of the Mynarski Ward Community fund balance for this organization to deal with encampments in the Mynarski Ward. I shouldn't have to as other needs in my ward need this money, but my residents have spoken," Eadie wrote.
Warren told CBC News he was "extremely encouraged" by Eadie's response and planned to write back thanking his councillor.
He was also encouraged that Manitoba's Your Way Home strategy had housed 59 people since January. But at less than 10 people housed per month over the last six months, Warren said the province must pick up the pace.
"It just fundamentally sounds like they could be adopting more of a model to get people in houses and get people the help they need, they desperately need," Warren said.
"I know it takes a big ship a long time to turn, but it's seven straight summers of this and it's going throughout the winter now too."
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Canadian wildfire smoke will continue to foul Michigan's air into Saturday at least
Canadian wildfire smoke continues to foul Michigan's summer air. A statewide Air Quality Advisory for all Michigan counties, initially set to expire July 31, has been extended into Saturday, August 2. Canada, plagued with major wildfire seasons in recent summers, currently has 608 active fires across the country, including more than 430 fires burning out of control, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. Many of the largest wildfires are occurring in the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and northwest Ontario. Winds out of the northeast are bringing Canadian wildfire smoke over the entirety of Michigan − and high pressure and a stable layer of air is keeping the smoke near the surface and limiting dispersal. Many Michigan cities on Thursday, July 31, measured in the "Unhealthy" range on the Air Quality Index, a level meaning everyone exposed to the air may begin to experience health effects, and members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects. Among those cities with air quality ranking Unhealthy were Detroit, Lansing, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Benton Harbor and Traverse City. More: Canada's wildfires, smoke became a problem for the U.S. More: Canada looks to centuries-old indigenous use of fire to combat out-of-control wildfires The nonprofit American Lung Association provides the following health tips for dealing with bad Air Quality Index days: Reduce both the time you spend outdoors, and the intensity of your outdoor activities. Consider wearing a well-fitted N95 or KN95 mask if you must go outdoors. Keep windows and doors closed. Run air conditioning on a recirculate setting. Use a portable HEPA air cleaner. If it's difficult to maintain clean air in your entire house, consider making a clean air room. For any alarming new or recurring health symptoms, consult a health professional. Contact Keith Matheny: kmatheny@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Canadian wildfire smoke to foul Michigan's air into Saturday
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
What are the best and worst ice cream bars for your health? Ranking frozen treats — from Drumsticks to frozen yogurt bars
They're all tasty. But are any actually good for you? Whether they're eaten on a long weekend family roadtrip or enjoyed in the backyard after a tasty BBQ, ice cream bars are one of summer's most-loved treats. Given the portability and nostalgia, it's not surprising Canadians are obsessed with these yummy indulgences. But how do these frozen delights stack up nutritionally — especially if you're trying to watch your sugar and fat intake? Below, we run down how some of the country's most popular frozen treats — including ice cream bars, frozen yogurt and sorbet bars — stack up. This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Contact a qualified medical professional before engaging in any physical activity, or making any changes to your diet, medication or lifestyle. Frozen yogurt bars Frozen yogurt bars have gotten a major glow-up over the past decade. These days, grocery store shelves sport frozen yogurt treats enrobed in chocolate and featuring jammy fruit swirls. Brands like IOGO offer a little something for your sweet tooth in both dipped and non-dipped varieties. They'll set you back around 100 calories and about 14 per cent of your daily recommended sugar intake. It's worth noting that unlike un-frozen yogurt, most of these treats don't add much nutritionally to your diet. For example, other than being scant on sugar and fat, the nutritional breakdown of Chapman's frozen yogurt bars clocks only 2 per cent of your daily recommended calcium intake. If only the real deal will do? For roughly the same amount of fat and calories, you could chow down on a mini-sized ice cream bar. The takeaway: Frozen yogurt bars are great to scratch the ice cream itch without costing you too much of your daily caloric intake. But they don't have much of an edge in terms of added nutrition. Frozen fruit and ice bars Chapman's also sells a frozen sorbet stick dipped in chocolate that looks luscious and stacks up similarly to yogurt bars nutritionally. Del Monte, meanwhile, makes bars that are mainly frozen fruit puree bars (with a few additives, of course). Each of these bars — which are smaller in size than other brands — are 50 calories a piece, making them a lower (if not the lowest) calorie treat. They're fat-free and even provide a small amount of vitamin — around 5 per cent of your recommended daily value of vitamin C, for example. You might also be surprised to find out one bar has only 10 grams of sugar. Compliments brand also offers fruit puree bars that are similar nutrition-wise: 80 calories and sugar ranges in the teens — but almost double the size of their Del Monte competitors. Chapman's Lil Lolly bars are possibly the best-scoring treat: For a mere 40 calories and no fat, you can go for a Popsicle vibe that only has 8 grams of sugar. Considering these bars are essentially frozen flavoured water, this nutritional profile makes sense. It's up to you if the icier texture of this genre of treat outweighs the numbers: Sometimes that texture is more refreshing, but sometimes you might prefer something richer. The takeaway: Frozen fruit bars are often the healthiest option you'll find at the grocery store — Del Monte's frozen fruit puree bars are only 50 calories and even have a small amount of vitamin C. Dipped ice cream bars Haagen-Daaz. Magnum. Chapman's. This category belongs to the heavy-hitters: Decadent ice cream covered in chocolate, nuts or candy. Naturally, no diet frontrunners are here, but that doesn't mean you need to swear off your favourites. Haagen-Daaz, the epitome of grocery chain luxury, offers its classic takes — like vanilla in a chocolate-almond coating or vanilla in dark chocolate — in mini form, which carry an almost-identical nutritional breakdown to the average fro-yo bar. Full-size bars — which are 88ml instead of a mini's 55ml — are a different story. They can be around 300 calories and a quarter of your daily recommended sugar intake. Then there's the maximalist Haagen-Daz EXTRAAS bars: Flavours like key lime pie and salted caramel crunch are slightly smaller than the brand's original line, but carry similar nutritional info, with enough carbs and sugar content to make those calorie-conscious people take note. Magnum, another high-end treat, carries about half your daily allotment of saturated fat per bar, as well as nearly 20 grams of sugar. The brand's mini bars also have more calories and fat than other bite-sized bars from most competing brands. Chapman's ice cream bars fare surprisingly similar to their frozen yogurt counterparts; one bar has around 150 calories and 10 grams of sugar. They fall closely in line with Nestle's Parlour dipped bars, which have a mere seven grams of fat, giving more of a middle-road indulgence. The takeaway: Much akin to the above fro-yo bars, dipped ice cream bars don't offer a ton in terms of adding nutrients to your diet, but unlike those dieter's dreams, these treats generally are more of a spend in terms of calories, fat and sugar. Frozen ice cream cones Nestle's Drumsticks — possibly the most iconic in the frozen cone genre — feature more than 15 grams of fat and 20 per cent of your daily sugar allotment. Chapman's Super Cones fair marginally better, but if you're looking for a waffle cone with something to sink your teeth into on top, you'll be looking at a fat content in the teens and sugar in the low 20s. The takeaway: The fat, sugar and calorie content of these tasty treats makes them a great occasional indulgence. Like their dipped ice cream counterparts, these treats offer little-to-nothing in terms of added nutrients. The bottom line So, what to do when your sweet tooth conspires with sultry summer heat to make reaching for ice cream the only option? If you're looking to watch your sugar and fat intake, we suggest going with a frozen yogurt bar or frozen fruit stick — or sticking with a mini size of your favourite ice cream bar. That said, there's no harm in enjoying the occasional full-sized ice cream bar or Drumstick if you indulge in them as part of a balanced diet.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
A Calgary woman was unable to complete a breathalyzer test. Now, she can't drive
A Calgary woman says she had her driver's licence suspended after being unable to complete a breathalyzer test — and some experts say the situation is more common than you might think. Pam Lacusta, 58, was driving on Stoney Trail in April when she was pulled over by Calgary police, who administered a breathalyzer test. Lacusta attempted the test 30 times and couldn't complete it. The officer handed her an administrative penalty for failing to provide a proper breath sample — a penalty that carries the same consequences as driving while impaired. Now, Lacusta must complete a driver's education course and install an interlock device in her car before she can drive again. Her prior insurance now refuses to cover her. "I feel like I'm being punished for something that I never did," said Lacusta, who said she doesn't drink for religious reasons. Later on the day she was ticketed, Lacusta took a urine test at a private clinic at her own expense to prove she wasn't drinking. She sent CBC News a copy of the negative results. Edmonton-based paralegal Sandra Weber said she hears of situations like Lacusta's fairly regularly. Weber said people may struggle to complete a roadside test due to medical conditions like lung cancer or asthma, compounded by the stress of completing a test in front of an officer. Once someone has received a penalty for failing to complete a breathalyzer, she said, it can be difficult to fight. "It's up to the recipient … to prove that there was something wrong with the machine or something that the police had done wrong," said Weber, who works with Moreau Law. "It's a very challenging situation and without any medical evidence it's very difficult to overcome these types of tickets." Lacusta did appeal her penalty with a provincial adjudicator, who turned her down. Lacusta said her difficulty with the test may have been due to a recent Botox injection that kept her from making a proper seal with her mouth. She also later learned that she had two suspected rib fractures, but not in time to include that information in her appeal. 'Not enough puff' Recent research out of the University of Sheffield in the U.K. suggests there may be people without severe lung or breathing problems who nevertheless struggle to complete breathalyzer tests. "There is a small, but significant, subset of people who just don't have enough puff to be able to operate the machine successfully," said lead researcher Galen Ives, who noted that older people, short people and women are more likely to struggle. Ives said police should be more willing to offer blood or urine tests as an alternative to people who try and fail to complete breathalyzer tests, though he acknowledged there would be practical hurdles to testing at a second location. A spokesperson for the Calgary Police Service said she couldn't comment on Lacusta's situation, but said anyone who believes they are medically unable to complete a breathalyzer test should tell the officer at the scene. A spokesperson for the provincial minister of justice said if people can't provide breath samples they may be asked to provide blood or urine samples "where certain legal requirements are met." Lacusta said blood and urine tests were not offered in her situation, and she believes they should be more widely available to people who can't provide a breath sample. For now, she's relying on her friends and her bicycle to get around the city, but still hopes to fight her penalty and have her clean driving record restored.