24 Hours for Homelessness

FEBRUARY 14 2020 VOL. 25 NO. 2 THE CENTRETOWN BUZZ A thirst to reduce single-use plastics, 7 Tired of ice and snow, gonna talk about ‘em anyway, 5 24 Hours For Homelessness Eric Bollman Ottawa residents un- Still, none would com- new friendships, a sense of They all learned some- woman at the cor- pare their 24 hours with the community solidarity, and thing, and they all taught ner of Bank and derstand the complex experience of a homeless the bonding that only a dif- something as well. And all A Gloucester is talk- nature of homelessness youth in Ottawa. They are all ficult shared experience can indications are that the pub- ing to Hydro Ottawa vol- a lot more, now. very aware of the warm bed produce. They already know lic itself is learning. unteers, who are getting that awaits them when this is a lot about homelessness. After speaking with the ready to spend the night Many 24 Hours partici- over, and of the temporary Tonight is about the limits of Hydro Ottawa volunteers outside as part of Op- pants already work directly nature of their discomfort. what they can know. for a good 20 minutes about eration Come Home’s 24 with Operation Come Home: There is just no compari- mental health, housing, in- Hours For Homelessness there’s Jonathan, a volunteer son between this brief win- come inequality, fentanyl, fundraiser. She says: doorman with an enormous, dow into the life of someone Tonight is for under- safe injection sites, and the bushy beard, who has been with no place to stay and standing that homeless- remarkable success of Op- active in the fight against doing this same thing night eration Come Home’s social “This housing crisis is poverty for years. after night, in good days and ness is, literally, unimag- enterprises, the woman head- really frightening, isn’t John, from the United bad, through the worst cold inable until we have to ed back to work, with these Way, and Eric, from the Ca- snaps and the freezing rain endure it. It should be words: it?” nadian Psychological Asso- storms and the blizzards that “It’s actually all very dis- She is talking knowl- ciation, are both board mem- make up an Ottawa winter. equally unimaginable tressing, isn’t it? Every bit of edgably about the shortage bers. Katie runs the OCH that we, as a community, it.” of affordable housing, and drop-in, and Lindsay runs It can't be imagined by can allow it to continue. about how a minimum-wage the Youth Workforce Initia- The fundraising cam- job is not enough to pay for tive employment program. those who haven't had an apartment in Ottawa any Katie and Lindsay will to endure it. The 21 participants who paign remains open: more. tell you, as they are telling stuck it out raised just over OperationComeHome.ca A few years ago, unless passers-by today, that addic- In the end, that’s the feel- $13,000 for Operation Come housing troubles had affect- tion and mental health are ing these volunteers will Home, slightly short of the ed her personally, she might the same issue. take with them, along with $15,000 goal. not have stopped at all. The conversation around They’re explaining that homelessness is changing, in large part thanks to volun- the bulk of youth who teers like these. come to OCH don’t end This is the 17th year of the original 24 Hours For up on the street because Homelessness, an event cre- of drugs. Almost always, ated by Operation Come they end up on drugs Home (OCH) back when it was Operation Go Home, because of the street. operating out of a tiny office on Rideau Street. And they'll continue to In those 17 years OCH hammer home the three pri- has grown by leaps and orities for combatting home- bounds: in 2003 we were lessness: housing, ending a service that reconnected poverty, and mental health runaway youth with their services. families and provided the There have been colder homeless youth of Ottawa a years than 2020. A low of breakfast. -8 overnight and a high of 0 Katie, Lindsay, and Taylor ERIC BOLLMAN/THE BUZZ Jessalyn and Lisa ERIC BOLLMAN/THE BUZZ during the day is positively Today, we offer wrap- balmy for late January–in previous years the windchill around services: that at this event has reached -46. same hot breakfast, but Still, none of the participants also programs for hous- will sleep well this weekend. ing, employment, addic- It will take time to get tion counselling, mental back to normal after health assistance, and 24 hours outside, even social enterprises. in these relatively mild There is even a full- conditions. service school upstairs at the OCH building at 150 Gloucester. First-timers Alex and The awareness portion Kevin from the Public Ser- of 24 Hours For Homeless- vice Alliance of Canada, ness has had major results as Jesslyn from The Dementia well: at one time, passers-by Society, and Sara Weiss, the would lecture participants “Sass Boss”, are all finding it about the dangers of drugs, harder than they imagined it or about how all homeless would be. Young performers from School of Rock create some heat DEBORAH ROSENLUND/THE BUZZ youth needed to “get a job.” 2 AT THE HEART OF OTTAWA FEBRUARY 14 2020 Fenruary 14, 2020 — Vol. 25, No. 2 The good, the bad, and the bumpy: five that get it right Ryan Lythall cessible bathrooms, easier- in the lobby, also wheelchair albums, rare albums, and ev- THE to-read signage for displays, accessible. erything else. They also sell or several months better lighting, and more ex- music-related merchandise CENTRETOWN I’ve been writing hibit space. Beyond The Pale Brewing and tickets for small, local about places in Cen- They’re also financially Company events. BUZZ Ftretown that aren’t wheel- accessible: the museum is 250 City Centre, Unit 106 Staff are knowledgeable, chair accessible, so this free to visit every Thursday The two front doors are friendly, and happy to help. AT THE HEART OF OTTAWA SINCE 1995. month I want to talk about from 5-8 p.m., with a fee for a little tight, but once inside, five places that are doing the special exhibits. If you it’s all good. Babylon Nightclub 101-210 Gloucester St. accessibility right—and not require an aide or companion Fully accessible, includ- 317 Bank Street Ottawa, ON just wheelchair accessibil- due to your disability, they ing the dining room and the Babylon has a portable K2P 2K4 ity. are always admitted for free. special events room in the ramp, and security and other Phone: 613-565-6012 I’ve been to all of them at back. Bathrooms are single- club staff are more than hap- least once and checked their Ottawa Art Gallery person gender-neutral and py to bring it out for you. features out myself. Some 50 MacKenzie King Bridge include a large accessible Security are great about www.centretownbuzz.com also offer accessibility infor- 10 Daly Avenue. single bathroom. checking up to make sure twitter.com/centretownbuzz mation on their websites— oaggao.ca/access-0 If you’re looking for a you’re okay. facebook.com/centretownbuzz no unpleasant surprises on For ParaTranspo: use 10 fun dining and drinking ex- At the end of the night, arrival! Daly. perience look no further than they always keep an eye out BUZZ Staff I love this place. Not just Beyond The Pale, Ottawa. for my ride and make sure Canadian Museum Of Na- because of how physically Not only do they have a wide I’m able to exit the club Managing editor ture accessible it is, with push- variety of food and beer, but safely. Marna Nightingale | [email protected] 240 Metcalfe. buttons at entrances, well- you can also arrange to get I consider Babylon a nature.ca/en/plan-your- placed elevators and wide a tour and learn about how safe space for everyone, and Associate editor visit/services-visitors/ac- open spaces, but because of they make beer, though I typically the crowd is very Eleanor Sawyer cessibility social accessibility elements haven’t taken it and can’t say diverse, which suggests I’m A beautiful building that such as gender-neutral bath- if it, too, is fully accessible. not alone in that. City Editor: looks like a castle: from the rooms and the fact that is it You can see a variety of Robert Smythe | [email protected] outside this can give you the typically very quiet, which is Vertigo Records acts at Babylon: burlesque, impression it won’t be very important if you have a soft 193 Rideau Street live bands, DJs spinning mu- Distribution manager: wheelchair-friendly, as many voice, as I do, or if you have There’s a single step sic... I always have lots of Archie Campbell historical buildings aren’t, sensory issues which make but they do have a portable fun. [email protected] but in this case, that impres- noise challenging or pain- ramp, and a staff member is The bathroom stalls sion would be false. ful, or even if you just want generally at the cash register aren’t very big, which is an The museum undertook to escape the loudness of the right by the door. issue for some people. a major renovation in 2010, world for a bit. If you’re on social media In coming months I’ll do ACKNOWLEDGEMENT which included improved ac- It’s also a great, quiet you can tell them you’ll need more lists of accessible busi- cessibility for all.

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