Day two of treadmill and no alcohol. A good and crazy multi-purpose day included the best chocolates from one of my young clients who knew I was sad yesterday and thought they might help. How truly old school and lovely of him. And it worked! I also finally received the two pair of shoes I ordered a couple weeks ago. They looked so tiny but fit and I really like them. There is weird stitched letters on the grey ones that did not show in the ad but I kind of like it. My jailbird shoes. The other pair has the cutest soles.
I was glad to see the front page of the paper today as somehow I had managed not to make it downtown to see the ice x-wing.
There was an item before city council last night to rezone an old gym into a homeless shelter. It passed but our mayor and one councilman voted against it. It has been an interesting read in social media. The opinions are strong. One local business owner wrote a beautiful piece on FaceBook and I believe it warrants sharing:
Fear and danger are not the same thing.
I’ve really contemplated posting all this because I’m learning this whole “If you own a business, keep your mouth shut” business. But this topic eats at me. It hits too close to home.
I truly believe that tonight you will see City Council approve the rezoning, allowing for the development of a supportive location for our vulnerable community members. While I am no longer on Council, I have taken the time to read many of the letters of support and letters of opposition. Some letters have had me in tears, for better and for worse.
My husband and I are both downtown business owners. We are both impacted by the prevalence of homelessness. We have discovered members of our vulnerable community sleeping in our dump trailer, entering our business high and more. The liability is concerning.
I am also a mother. My teenage daughter works for me at my restaurant. These individuals struggling with homelessness have made my daughter and my servers uncomfortable at times. Often actually. Myself included.
Yet, I am in support of this rezoning.
Over the past year, as the issue of homelessness grows, I have had to face my own discriminative attitude multiple times. As a business owner and as a mother. I have had my own moments of judgement as I assume they’re doing drugs in our bathroom. I have faced my own frustration with vulnerable community members coming in high or coming down in my restaurant.
I had to face the fear. Fears that I had no idea I had.
We serve coffee to the vulnerable community at my restaurant. Our guests pay for them and we serve them. It’s a great program. We become familiar with our vulnerable community. We get the opportunity to interact with vulnerable community and face our own preconceived notions. We get the opportunity to become uncomfortable. We get the opportunity to learn.
In 2013, my children and I couch surfed and camper trailer surfed for four months until I could find a home, after my divorce left me without a home for a short period of time.
I had seven years of post secondary. I was the top student in COTR and UVic in 2008 and 2011 respectively, a certified teacher in the Province of BC and in 2013 I was couch surfing with three kids from April to August. How does that even happen?!
It was awful but we made the best of it. We were able to make the best of it because I had strong enough mental health (boy it wasn’t perfect tho!). I was open to asking for help and had an available support system. Those were the only difference between my situation and the situation of those who will benefit from this shelter.
When this is approved and I truly believe it will be, please remember that fear and danger are not the same thing.
It’s okay to be afraid of what will happen. What will happen to my business? What will my children see? What will come of our community? Those are rational fears. The unknown creates a rational fear.
But they do not equate to danger.
I am still getting past my fears of the unknown. I have taken the time to familiarize myself with members of our vulnerable community. I can admit I have a long ways to go in the area of judgement. I still catch myself assuming that if a homeless person is in our bathroom, they must be doing drugs (often they’re cleaning themselves up, using the washroom, or simply hiding to warm up).
I still have fears but do I think I’ve ever been in danger? Not for a moment.
If the rezoning happens and I believe it will, challenge yourself to look at your fears.
It’s so easy to say, “but our kids will find needles!” Well, they’re already finding needles. We have a serious drug problem in Cranbrook. This shelter alone isn’t going to solve or worsen that. That’s a drug issue, and a whole entire topic I can passionately sound off about. Shelter or no shelter, teach your kids about needles and why not to touch them and who to call if they find them.
It’s so easy to say, “but they’ll be aggressive to our kids!” If there is aggression toward your children, it’s not because of their proximity to an arena. That is a mental health issue that can happen anywhere. In front of Mt. Baker. Inside a business. On a street corner. That’s a mental health issue. This shelter alone isn’t going to solve or worsen that.
This shelter is going to give people a place of warmth. This shelter is going to give people a place of hygiene. This shelter is going to give people a place of nutrition. This shelter is going to give people a place of basic human dignity.
As a business owner and a mom, I hope that this rezoning is approved. I am confident that there are at least four Councillors within our City who will look past the fears and do what’s right. When that happens, I truly hope that we can all be supportive. I truly hope that we can all be a community of good citizens and look out for one another.
– Danielle Eaton
So well stated, I appreciate her very much.
Once home I made some special tea and dinner.
I watched Pacific Rim, which is a ‘guy flick’ for sure and I was grateful that I didn’t see it in a theatre as it was rather intense. I enjoyed it and Charlie Hunnam but can’t say i am interested in seeing more of them. Moved on to something completely different and started watching Bridgerton which I am quite enjoying.
triumphgal 