On August 21, 2023 Margaret's discontinued their meal and coffee distribution services at the 21 Park Road site. These services are now being offered at facilities that are better suited to offer a full range of supports for their client group. Margaret's will continue to distribute harm reduction supplies on an as need basis.
What changes has the end of the meal program brought to our neighbourhood? As soon as the meal program ended a sense of calm flowed through our community. Interviews with local residents, the staff at Rabba, and the security team at the Hudson's Bay Centre all noted a significant drop in anti-social behaviour, vandalism, and crime. As a community we will still need to be vigilant and send to reports of any issues to the Councillor's office or the Police.
It is important to recognize that the social issues that impacted our lives for the last six years have not disappeared. All three levels of government will need to work together to find effective programs to help those struggling with homelessness, addiction, and mental health issues so that our City works for all residents. We have Councillor Saxe and her team to thank for this change to the programming at 21 Park Road.