Communities without Encampments

After over a month of full-page ads from the Ontario government in this excellent local newspaper, I am still outraged every time I see one. Are communities or parks “without encampments” really where our focus should be?

The Ford government thinks these ads resonate with the population, and it certainly must with some people. But I know most Ontarians – and particularly rural Ontarians in Frontenac County – are better than this. We don’t punch down. We care for each other through churches and service clubs. We know better than to blame the most vulnerable among us for problems created by a corrupt government and its rich benefactors.

We need our Ontario government to do more to make life easier for everyone, including our neighbours who are suffering through poverty or addictions. Tax the wealthy, invest in health care and education, and no one will have to live in encampments.