Reading your front page article on the homeless hub makes me question whether it should have been published, at this time.
My concern is that some 40 to 60 minors have now had targets placed on their backs. While the general public did not know of this situation, now everyone knows that a large number of minors are living rough, behind the dike, behind the school district office.
I appreciate that the schools and students have been secured, that a clean sweep is being done daily, so as not to add to the problem, in addition to noon-hour supervisors.
As this has been known since spring, why are we only questioning now whether the Ministry of Children and Family Development is involved?
That they are not under parents’ care, or in ministry care, as they are supposed to be, 80 per cent female, 20 per cent male, and drug addicts — why have they not been rounded up and secured somewhere safe?
Where these minors might have felt safe as a group, they are now exposed, due to the location advertised by this article.
They are isolated, by choice of location, to begin with, there are no sightlines of surrounding neighbours in time of need.
I expect the same applies to being able to call for assistance in time of need. In time of trouble, they are trapped by the dike and fencing, and I expect only one exit at the end of either the school district office and the two fenced off schools. I believe that water restricts movement for a whole lot of area. This has left them even more vulnerable to predators.
Various agencies, if this is not a new problem, why are we not on top of it?
I would guess that studies have been done in the past; why do we not have a working solution now? If 80 per cent are supposed to be in care, why aren’t they?
Karen A. Chaster
Duncan
