Downtown Timmins BIA board chair Cory Robin, who is also a Ward 5 councillor, sent the following letter to members after last week's community safety town tall.
Last Thursday, June 15 the City of Timmins hosted a town hall meeting regarding community safety. There were an estimated 2,000 people in attendance with more than 4,000 watching via social media. I noted many of you in attendance, and many of you speaking.
I would like to thank and acknowledge the courage it took for our community to stand together and fight for a better and safer place to live, work and shop. It takes a lot of determination and bravery to talk about these issues that make our community vulnerable, and I applauded each of you for your drive and unity. Many heartfelt stories, concerns, and great suggestions were brought to the table. It’s important to note that the Downtown BIA hears your concerns, and we are advocating for a safer downtown for everyone to enjoy.
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It would be thoughtless to not recognize the effort our mayor and my fellow councillors made to hear our community’s concerns. The emotions voiced last week cannot be discredited and are valid. Unfortunately, homelessness is not just a Timmins issue, it’s worldwide, and it exists in every community.
The community wants answers to problems that do not have solutions yet, and these solutions will take time. The BIA is committed to advocating for safety downtown, the city has recently issued a security RFP to increase private patrols in our neighbourhood. Also, as chair of the MAT (municipal accommodation tax) committee, I am working on funding outreach using MAT funds. Outreach will aid you when policing or security is not appropriate. The BIA is still going to hold events and street art projects because you, our valued members, deserve to feel some normalcy during these hard times.
We recognize the amazing work being done by our Downtown BIA members, and we would like to thank you for your patience, while we develop solutions for a healthier and safer downtown.
Sincerely,
Cory Robin, Councillor
President, Board of Management Downtown BIA
