4 days after a brutal attack near the Integrated Care Hub (ICH) and Belle Park Encampment took the lives of 38-year-old Taylor Wilkinson, 41-year-old John Hood, and critically injured an unidentified woman, questions remain about what’s next for the ICH and Consumption Treatment Services (CTS).
Following the attack by 47-year-old Andre Wareham, who is in police custody, Mayor Bryan Paterson took to social media to call for the immediate closure of the ICH, saying the safety of the community is at stake.
“It’s clear the safe injection site and the ICH need to close immediately. It is no longer safe for people to use the CTS and we need to respond,” Paterson wrote.
“There are community partners and advocates who have fought the city on every attempt we’ve made to clear this encampment and ensure public safety for those living there. I will not stand by and wait until more people die – enough is enough. We need to clear the encampment, close this safe injection site and the ICH until we can find a better way to support our most vulnerable residents and work with the province to provide treatment and housing solutions.”
While Paterson’s post -which drew support from many commenters on the post- calls for safer solutions for the residents of the encampment, community organizations in Kingston accuse the mayor of using the tragedy as an opportunity to pass policy that has been fought at every turn by members of the community.
Mutual Aid Katarokwi/Kingston (MAKK) posted a statement in the wake of Paterson’s calls for clearing the encampment and closing the ICH, accusing Paterson of being disingenuous with his post.
The group says what he’s suggesting will cause more harm than good.
“More alarming still is the way in which Paterson ties this violent act to the presence of the CTS, ICH, and the encampment, despite the fact that the attacker was housed, not a resident of the encampment,” MAKK’s post reads.
“Paterson’s response, which links the violence to these services, reflects a broader failure to acknowledge the systemic nature of the crisis. Evicting encampment residents or closing harm reduction sites will not create safety—such actions will merely displace people, making it even harder for them to access critical support.”
As of now, residents of the encampment still can not access their tents or belongings, with Kingston Police continuing their investigation of the crime scene.
On Saturday, police sent out a release saying rumours that they would be bulldozing the encampment were incorrect, but on Monday stated that they remain on scene continuing their investigation.
“Police are still in the process of gathering valuable evidence from the crime scene,” the statement from Kingston Police reads.
“This crime has impacted the community immensely. Investigators are focused on conducting a thorough investigation.”
Wendy Vuyk, Interim CEO of Kingston Community Health Centres, did not respond to requests for comment, nor did Trellis HIV and Community Care.
