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Plan To Turn Fez Batik Lounge Into Shelter Met With Opposition

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Plan To Turn Fez Batik Lounge Into Shelter Met With Opposition Wednesday March 28, 2007 Residents and business owners in Toronto's entertainment district haven't always gotten along, but they appear to be united against a plan by the city to turn the space that used to house the Fez Batiz lounge into a homeless shelter. A new downtown shelter is needed because one located on Edward St. closes at the end of April, to be replaced by affordable housing. City officials suggest the Fez Batik space could be perfect, because it could hold 40 beds, has high ceilings and open spaces, and already contains a commercial-size kitchen. The site, at the corner of Richmond and Peter Sts., is also close to transit and major thoroughfares. But business owners and people who live in the area aren't convinced it's the best spot for a shelter. "I think it's entirely inappropriate," asserts Randy Woolgar. "There's seven clubs within 150 metres here. Things get cranking up later in the week all through the night, and I just don't think that the mix for the residents here is going to be the right one." Businesses are worried it'll cut into their profits by chasing away customers, and residents are questioning the wisdom about putting a shelter in the midst of a popular party hangout, with its access to drugs and alcohol. If the plan is approved, the shelter could be open by the end of the summer. "Is there some negative reaction? Yeah. There's some positive reaction. It's just as easy to find as the negative reaction. People tend to get all scared of the homeless as if somehow they're not there already," said city councillor Adam Vaughan. The City is holding a community meeting at Metro Hall Wednesday at 6:30pm to discuss the proposal.

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Well, what do you guys think. Is having a shelter smack in the middle of the entertainment district a good idea? It's too bad Fez Batik went under, and with a prime location like that! I find it hard to believe that none has bought the space and started another business. A place with a huge outdoor patio like that shouldn't go to waste.

I wonder what club is next?

"Is there some negative reaction? Yeah. There's some positive reaction. It's just as easy to find as the negative reaction. People tend to get all scared of the homeless as if somehow they're not there already," said city councillor Adam Vaughan.


i would like to know how this guy would feel if city wanted to put a shelter around the corner from his house. How comfortable he would be knowing his kids have to pass by the shelter every day to get to and from school. his wife takes a afternoon walk in the park, to which the access is just pass the shelter. Lets see how good of an idea he thinks that is.

Ofcourse homelessness is a problem and it is good to see that the city wants to do something about it but they can easily find another place away from the craziness of Entertainment District.

i seriously question the intelligence of the folks who come up with these ideas and would like to know how they got a spot in the government office

I think that it's great that they're tryin to do something to help the homeless, however personally I don't think that's the best location. I can an increase in drunken fights

I REALLY hope that this doesn't happen. I work at the club directly across the street from fez batik, and I really don't think its a good idea. from an employee point of view, it's actually quite stupid. the earliest that the industry employees get off work is 2:30am, most people later. and a lot of us end up walking home. why would they put a homeless shelter in the one place where people are leaving work at probably the most dangerous time to be on the streets by yourself? just doesn't seem logical.

and it will become a huge pain in the ass and problem for bouncers who have to man the line outside. I live about a block away from comfort zone, where there isn't a homeless shelter but there are quite a few homeless people, and I get asked for money and sometimes they get pretty angry about 10 times a day. on a saturday night, 2 of the hottest places right now are cantina charlies (the club I work at) and lot 332, so they have the longest lines and constantly have drunk people going in and out. can you imagine the amount of homeless people asking for money and pestering people in line? I know that homelesness is a problem and we do need to address it, but the reality is a lot of the people on the street do act in ways that will be more destructive in the entertainment industry then somewhere else.

and now the more I think about it the more I'm worried! I'm gonna ask my manager tomorrow if there is a petition we can sign or something, lol.

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Originally posted by heavenisblue I'm gonna ask my manager tomorrow if there is a petition we can sign or something, lol.

excellent idea D. if all the folks in the area get togather and make some noise about this hopefully the city officials will come to their senses.

Call me cynical, but since when did the City care about the entertainment, specifically clubs?

Less of these dens of sin, drugs and techno, better the city will be, right?

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Originally posted by TranceGrooves excellent idea D. if all the folks in the area get togather and make some noise about this hopefully the city officials will come to their senses.

yeah there are quite a few clubs just at that corner that I'm sure are upset. and we can make noise. we can make lots of noise. hell that's what we're paid to do, haha!

and Tanya also just reminded me about tourism. the entertainment district has become a popular tourist spot. actually, I meet a lot of tourists at work from all over the world..not smart to put a homeless shelter in the middle of a tourist attraction.

I'm really upset about this if you can't tell, lol

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Originally posted by *~LiSa-LoO~* I think that it's great that they're tryin to do something to help the homeless

LOL classic lisa!

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Originally posted by TranceGrooves i seriously question the intelligence of the folks who come up with these ideas and would like to know how they got a spot in the government office

I feel the same way, this actually reads like a joke. Like are they fucking serious?

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Originally posted by jon jon LOL classic lisa!

tbh I don't see what's so funny in the fact that I think it's great that they're at least thinking of helping other people rather than how they can make more money.

Is it the best location? Probably not.

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Originally posted by *~LiSa-LoO~* tbh I don't see what's so funny in the fact that I think it's great that they're at least thinking of helping other people rather than how they can make more money.

Don't kid yourself Lisa.

Homelessness will always be a problem, and the govt knows that there's no effective solution for it.

The little they do is just for PR so that the bleeding hearts feel good for something little being done for the homeless

walking/driving through richmond and peter on a friday or saturday night is already bad enough. throw in some waiting lines for the shelter and panhandlers into the mix of drunken partygoers and edgy cops... what a recipe for disaster.

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Originally posted by *~LiSa-LoO~* tbh

BAHAHA

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Originally posted by EvilTree The little they do is just for PR so that the bleeding hearts feel good for something little being done for the homeless

that is probably their strategy. they know this is not going to fly. so if a shelter doesn't get built, it was the fault of the area residents and business owners and not of the idiot politicians who proposed this spot in the first place.

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Originally posted by EvilTree Don't kid yourself Lisa. Homelessness will always be a problem, and the govt knows that there's no effective solution for it. The little they do is just for PR so that the bleeding hearts feel good for something little being done for the homeless

I see what you're saying and I agree that's probably what the government is doing.

But what I get from your post is that you're basically saying that if a problem is that big, there's no point in even trying to aide the situation. There will always be poverty, there will always be ppl with addiction problems, there will always be people dying of diseases...should we not bother trying to go what we can to help even just 1 person?

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Originally posted by jon jon BAHAHA

wow

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Originally posted by EvilTree Call me cynical, but since when did the City care about the entertainment, specifically clubs? Less of these dens of sin, drugs and techno, better the city will be, right?

haha...I'm surprised no one else said that right away too.

I think that's a prime (re: taxable) piece of real estate and should remain a commercial establishment.

find a not-so-prime location and build a shelter there...the costs of building a proper shelter should easily be offset by the property and consumption taxes taken in by leaving the Fez site as a commercial property, no?

not to sound uncaring, but why is proximity to transit and major thoroughfares a benefit to a HOMELESS shelter?!? Doesn't it make a wee bit more sense to have COMMERCIAL establishments in such locations?

this strikes me as laziness on the part of the city in finding a suitable location rather than the Fez site being a 'perfect' for a shelter.

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Originally posted by *~LiSa-LoO~* I see what you're saying and I agree that's probably what the government is doing. But what I get from your post is that you're basically saying that if a problem is that big, there's no point in even trying to aide the situation. There will always be poverty, there will always be ppl with addiction problems, there will always be people dying of diseases...should we not bother trying to go what we can to help even just 1 person?

For this situation, yes. (since we're not talking 3rd world countries)

I'm no expert on how people become homeless, but in Canada, people have places to go to for help. We have welfare.

I don't see any good reason why a person who is willing to work to survive has to resort to homelessness to survive.

Making homelessness a viable survival option and there will be people who aren't willing to work hard to live be a bum.

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Originally posted by MarkT I think that's a prime (re: taxable) piece of real estate and should remain a commercial establishment. find a not-so-prime location and build a shelter there...the costs of building a proper shelter should easily be offset by the property and consumption taxes taken in by leaving the Fez site as a commercial property, no? not to sound uncaring, but why is proximity to transit and major thoroughfares a benefit to a HOMELESS shelter?!? Doesn't it make a wee bit more sense to have COMMERCIAL establishments in such locations? this strikes me as laziness on the part of the city in finding a suitable location rather than the Fez site being a 'perfect' for a shelter.

agreed.

Building homeless shelters in general is a bad idea. Building them at taxpayer expense is worse. Building them at taxpayer expense in the middle of a big city's dense entertainment district is just fucking retarded. Then again, Miller is fucking retarded so this isn't a surprise to me.

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Originally posted by EvilTree For this situation, yes. (since we're not talking 3rd world countries) I'm no expert on how people become homeless, but in Canada, people have places to go to for help. We have welfare. I don't see any good reason why a person who is willing to work to survive has to resort to homelessness to survive. Making homelessness a viable survival option and there will be people who aren't willing to work hard to live be a bum.

I actually volunteer in Windsor at a church that provides baby formula to people on welfare...and I've seen the checks that these people get for welfare, mother's allowance etc. There people live in subsidized housing as well....and to be honest...I have no idea how the fuck these people life. There are lots of people on welfare who are living good lives, but there are others that are almost better off living in shelters.

Keep in mind as well that a lot of homeless people are immigrants who can't get jobs b/c they don't have the qualifications, can't land an interview b/c they don't have professional attire, have trouble speaking english, don't have an education.

People do have places to go for help....like SHELTERS - which we need.

And don't tell me that you won't complain if our taxes go up to pay for 100 thousand more people on welfare b/c you didn't want a shelter built.

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Originally posted by *~LiSa-LoO~* Keep in mind as well that a lot of homeless people are immigrants who can't get jobs b/c they don't have the qualifications, can't land an interview b/c they don't have professional attire, have trouble speaking english, don't have an education.

Who let these people in? Dumb ass Immigration officials.

I don't buy that these people can't find jobs. Yes, they'll have hard time getting a job b/c they lack qualifications, can't speak English well, etc, but for most minorities, they have a sizable communities where they can get a job, even if it's not the most spectacular job.

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People do have places to go for help....like SHELTERS - which we need. And don't tell me that you won't complain if our taxes go up to pay for 100 thousand more people on welfare b/c you didn't want a shelter built.

This is a bit off to the side, but actually having your own home, even if it's rented, improves the quality of living for a person, b/c for most would care about their home.

It's a place where they can come home every night to sleep, eat, spend time, entertain guests, have a bit of privacy, etc. It gives a person a measure of self worth, unlikes a shelter which is temporary and you don't care for it b/c ppl running the shelter does that stuff.

I personally would not mind if govt runs an effective housing program and taxes have to go up for it.

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Originally posted by DigiNut Building homeless shelters in general is a bad idea. Building them at taxpayer expense is worse. Building them at taxpayer expense in the middle of a big city's dense entertainment district is just fucking retarded. Then again, Miller is fucking retarded so this isn't a surprise to me.

+1

I feel bad for mentally ill people who can not work, but there is also help for a lot of these people in Canada. I feel no sympathy for any person who just chooses not work and wastes our money keeping them alive. The majority of the country works to survive so why can't they? Even if it's a job at Mcdonalds or somewhere shitty, it's better than no job at all, and it's their own money instead of taxpayers'. They should realize how fortunate they are to live in Canada and actually have access to some kind of decent paying job unlike other places in the world. My point being is help the mentally ill, but for the bums who just choose to be bums, they don't deserve any help and I(call me an asshole if you want) could care less if they have nowhere to sleep or nothing to eat. Make your own money and earn your living like the rest of the world does.

Worst idea ever! Like someone said, how the hell did they kind of people get jobs in the government??!?!

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Originally posted by EvilTree Who let these people in? Dumb ass Immigration officials. I don't buy that these people can't find jobs. Yes, they'll have hard time getting a job b/c they lack qualifications, can't speak English well, etc, but for most minorities, they have a sizable communities where they can get a job, even if it's not the most spectacular job. This is a bit off to the side, but actually having your own home, even if it's rented, improves the quality of living for a person, b/c for most would care about their home. It's a place where they can come home every night to sleep, eat, spend time, entertain guests, have a bit of privacy, etc. It gives a person a measure of self worth, unlikes a shelter which is temporary and you don't care for it b/c ppl running the shelter does that stuff. I personally would not mind if govt runs an effective housing program and taxes have to go up for it.

There are plenty of people out there that DO try to find jobs yet can't find them. Hell, I know friends of mine who are working their asses off to find jobs and are having a hard time...so think about people that basically have no resume.

I'm not going to argue this anymore Yohan. Perhaps you'll understand what I'm saying when you start volunteering to help the homeless and welfare aided people. You may change your mind when you see what I see.

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Originally posted by *~LiSa-LoO~* There are plenty of people out there that DO try to find jobs yet can't find them. Hell, I know friends of mine who are working their asses off to find jobs and are having a hard time...so think about people that basically have no resume.

Oh I don't disagree with you that there are those who are trying hard to get off the streets.
But there are more who just don't care and content with living on the streets that are the problem.

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I'm not going to argue this anymore Yohan. Perhaps you'll understand what I'm saying when you start volunteering to help the homeless and welfare aided people. You may change your mind when you see what I see.

Welfare... Well, my family went through some hard times and did live on welfare for a while.

Volunteering with homeless, did that few times. It was... an interesting experience. (though I don't claim to have as extensive experience as you, Lisa)

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Originally posted by EvilTree But there are more who just don't care and content with living on the streets that are the problem.

These ppl I have no sympathy for and don't agree with helping them. The problem is that there's no effective way in separating those from the ones that really do need help. It's the same with people who live on welfare b/c they can...not b/c they need it. I hate those people.

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Originally posted by EvilTree Volunteering with homeless, did that few times. It was... an interesting experience. (though I don't claim to have as extensive experience as you, Lisa)

One of the things I thought was pretty crazy is that at the place I volunteer currently, they have to show us their monthly income to prove they need assistance. There have been women that come in that I honestly don't know how they live. They have 3 kids, pay $500 in rent not including utilities, and yet are only given $700/month.

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