PAC Approves Bishop's Court As Emergency Shelter
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FEBRUARY 2019 THE NEW BRUNSWICK ANGLICAN / 1 Reports from the My Journey Finding love The monks of Diocesan Council North, in the diocese Canterbury retreat Part I Pages 12-13 Page 15 Page 6 & 7 Page 11 A SECTION OF THE ANGLICAN JOURNAL FEBRUARY 2019 SERVING THE DIOCESE OF FREDERICTON PAC approves Bishop’s Court as emergency shelter BY GISELE MCKNIGHT conditions, making the com- mittee’s decision easier. The About 90 people crowded into conditions included a monthly MISSION IN MOTION: shelter the gallery at City Hall in Fred- meeting with neighbours, a ericton Dec. 12 to hear the Plan- telephone number they could ning Advisory Committee vote call with concerns, operational on whether to allow Bishop’s hours from 8 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. Court to continue operating as daily, the provision of a smoking an emergency shelter. area and daily inspection of the After about 10 speakers, all grounds. of whom except one spoke in Faith made a presentation favour of the shelter, the com- at the PAC meeting, where she mittee voted unanimously to noted that in the 11 nights open, allow the variance. That means there had been 35 different the 20-bed shelter will continue people who spent 191 collective to operate until March 31 in the nights in the beds. large house designated as the “That’s 191 nights people bishop’s residence at 791 Bruns- didn’t spend on the street,” she wick St. told PAC members. Bishop David Edwards had Also in the 11 days, there offered the empty house to the had been zero ambulance calls, Community Action Group on zero police interventions, zero Homelessness in November as a bylaw enforcements, and zero way to alleviate the urgent prob- direct complaints. There had lem of people sleeping outside in been, however, 18 letters of sup- Fredericton as winter came on. port from neighbours, and 120 Faith McFarland, who runs volunteers had come forward. CAGH, applied for the variance Volunteers plus two shelter in late November after it became employees are at the house each clear, despite assurances from night. The workforce is backed the city, that Bishop’s Court up by two registered nurses and would not open as planned on one social worker. Nov. 29 due to zoning issues. The gender ratio in the first That led to the city asking the 11 days was 60 per cent male province for a letter of indemni- and 40 per cent female, and ty to allow the house to operate from ages 18 to 70. in violation of zoning rules until Two clergy from the local the PAC meeting on Dec. 12. It United Church of Canada spoke CATHY LASKEY PHOTO granted the request and the shel- in support of the shelter. A few ter opened temporarily Dec. 1. people, some homeless and BISHOP DAVID EDWARDS IS INTERVIEWED BY THE CBC’s Gary MoorE after the Planning Advisory City staff reluctantly recom- some formerly homeless, also Committee meeting at Fredericton City Hall on Dec. 12. About 90 people pack the gallery to hear the mended to PAC that a one-time arguments for and against a temporary variance to allow Bishop’s Court to function as an emergency shelter variance be granted, with several PAC continued on page 2 until March 31. Layreaders, volunteers lead a weekly hospital Sunday service BY GISELE MCKNIGHT the 1980s. waaksis, and volunteers, began crowd is too big, into a larger ‘They look forward It took a few more years to an interdenominational Sun- room, for a service of readings, to seeing us and If you want to go way back to actually get it up and running, day service at the Fredericton music and a short sermon. the beginning, it was Marjorie and no one is quite sure exactly hospital. They use a well-worn hand- we look forward to Butler-Gray and the Rev. Canon when that was, but suffice it to Every Sunday at 10:30 finds a book with these words at the Ted Eaton who first began talk- say, it’s been more than 20 years small group of layreaders lead- front: “Dedicated to the memory seeing them’ ing about the need for a Sunday since layreaders from St. John ing the service, and volunteers of the Rev. Canon Ted Eaton, service at the Dr. Everett the Evangelist Church in the escorting patients from their Chalmers Hospital. That was in Parish of Douglas and Nash- rooms to the chapel, or if the Service continued on page 4 “SHARING HOPE & HELP” 2 / THE NEW BRUNSWICK ANGLICAN FEBRUARY 2019 d i o c e s a n s y n o d n e w s Only one person spoke against shelter location at PAC meeting PAC continued from page 1 picking up empty bottles — not person on income assistance spoke. liquor bottles, just mouthwash. receives $537 a month. “We are all just a tragedy or a I’ll pick up the bottles. But I can’t The CAGH has been working loss away from experiencing this see the needles.” to build micro homes on small issue,” said one young woman. She fears for her daughters, pieces of land in an effort to alle- “People just need hope and help. and asked why people can’t sleep viate the high number of people You are in a position of power in city hall or the public library needing emergency shelter. That right now to change lives.” at night. initiative continues. A veteran of the Canadian Bishop David was in at- Armed Forces, Valerie Chabas- tendance but did not speak. sol is now a student of pho- Afterwards he was interviewed THE TWO PHOTOS AT RIGHT show tography. She described how as several media outlets were on the packed gallery in the council she’d spent the past two months hand to report on the decision. chambers of city hall, indicating taking photos of the homeless “I’m glad the PAC was able to the huge interest in allowing population in the city. She held grant the variance for Bishop’s Bishop’s Court to go ahead as an up large prints of the photos as Court. This is a good outcome emergency shelter. Many who she spoke to the committee. for the homeless in the city,” he spoke had been homeless at one “Everybody deserves to sleep said. time and pressed for the need to in a bed at night,” she said. “But we should also get approve the variance, which the “These are the people I’ve grown ourselves into a place where Planning Advisory Committee to love.” this conversation doesn’t have did with no nay votes. Two neighbours spoke in to happen again at the end of favour of the shelter, while one, 2019.” who lives next to Bishop’s Court, He was referring to the need expressed misgivings. for more affordable housing in “All of a sudden, it’s like liv- Fredericton, known for high ing next to a 40-unit apartment rents and low vacancies. The building,” said Catherine Mc- average rent for a one-bedroom Cain. “Since day one I’ve been apartment is $710, while a single MCKNIGHT PHOTOS FROM THE EDITOR… MISSION IN MOTION: shelter This month, and every month hereafter, readers will notice a tag on stories and pictures that says “Mission In Motion.” We’ve decided to tag those items in the NB Anglican that illustrate a key component in DEADLINE for news and photos our diocesan strategy — mission. for the March edition of the New Brunswick Anglican is Feb. 1. If you’ve been paying attention, especially to the bishop, you will have Send submissions to gmcknight@ noted this diocese has a passion for mission. Our bishop lives and diofton.ca breathes it, our last diocesan synod committed to it, and we learned about the BELLS model of mission from the Surprise the World book by Michael Frost. The tags on stories and photos are a good reminder — and an inspiration — to keep that vital concept at the top of our lists as Christians. This month, you’ll see Mission In Motion tags on several stories, like www.anglican.nb.ca Advent Talks, the Bishop’s Court emergency shelter story on page 1, OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE DIOCESE OF FREDERICTON and the feature on layreaders at St. John the Evangelist Church who A SECTION OF THE ANGLICAN JOURNAL have officiated a service every Sunday morning at the Dr. Everett The Rt. Rev. David Edwards Bishop and Publisher Chalmers Regional Hospital for two decades. Gisele McKnight Editor You’ll also see the tag on many articles and photos sent in by par- ishes: Christmas carolling in the parishes of Bright and New Bandon; Published 10 times per year. Price of subscription $10.00 Mothers’ Union passing out cookies to stressed university students Please send news and photo submissions to during the exam period; an Alpha report from Saint John and a gift to 115 Church St., Fredericton, NB E3B 4C8 PWRDF in the Parish of Cambridge & Waterborough, to name a few. Phone: 506-459-1801; E-mail: [email protected] Please send subscription renewals and changes of address to: We hope you enjoy these stories and photos, grow used to the tags, The New Brunswick Anglican recognize them as a reminder of our mission commitment, and take c/o Anglican Journal Circulation Dept., 80 Hayden St, Toronto, Ont. M4Y 3G2 that commitent to heart. Gisele McKnight Printed & mailed in North York, Ontario By Webnews Printing Inc. “SHARING HOPE & HELP” FEBRUARY 2019 THE NEW BRUNSWICK ANGLICAN / 3 t h e b i s h o p ’ s p a g e p r i n c i p a l e n g a g e m e n t s A book that began a journey of change January 27 n November I promised a se- your neighbour.