By Janessa Bishop
Ottawa’s homeless community may soon replace begging with business, if a new proposal is passed by the city. Part of the proposal would allow the homeless to sell arts, crafts and jewelry in designated areas downtown.
The crafts would be of a certain quality, says Somerset Coun. Diane Holmes, and the location would be supervised and cleaned. The city is looking to convert a section of the pedestrian walkway at Rideau and Colonel By for the homeless to sell their goods, says Holmes.
Currently under the Safe Streets Acts, the homeless cannot stay in one location for long periods of time.
The proposal, by the Task Force for Homelessness, has been met with mixed reactions. Some of Ottawa’s Business Improvement Areas (BIAs), which are commercial areas, say they are not aware of the idea.
Ottawa has several BIAs that would be affected by the proposal, including Rideau Street, Bank Street, and Somerset Village.
“I don’t appreciate the fact that the business community wasn’t consulted,” says River Ward Coun. Maria McCrae. “It’s bad policy.”
Many local businesses do not support the idea because they think the homeless will drive away potential customers, says Task Force member Karen Dawe. Competition is not a valid concern, she says, because they would not be selling comparable goods.
The homeless would most likely compete with street vendors, but would not pay for the space used to sell their products. At the corner of York and Dalhousie, street space can cost more than $400 a month in the summer.
Some vendors might worry about the competition, says Brian Tinkess, owner of the Blooming Onion chip wagon on York Street. He says a little friendly competition is good, and he would not have a problem with the homeless selling art beside his chip wagon.
Ottawa has many talented people living on the street, says Susan Howe, who works at the Ottawa Mission. Many of them are creative and could use art as an outlet, she says. Some of the homeless said they were interested in the idea, but that they probably wouldn’t participate. It may help those who are talented, but most people don’t have the patience for arts and crafts, says David Michel, who was staying at the Mission.
“Let’s get serious, I can draw stickmen,” says Michel. “I don’t think I’m going to sit and draw a nicer stickman.”
Those who participate wouldn’t necessarily profit, says James Payette, also staying at the Mission. A former tattoo artist, Payette passes the time by writing poetry and drawing pictures. He would probably sell his work if given the chance, he says.
Ottawa Centre MP Paul Dewar says he thinks the recommendation is a good idea, but the name of the project should be changed because of the word homeless.
“I like the idea, but I’m concerned about the stigma that could be tied to it because of the nomenclature,” says Dewar.
But restricting people to certain areas would rid other areas of the cultural contribution of the vendors, says Task Force member Andrew Nellis, who is also the organizer of the Ottawa Panhandler’s Union. Nellis says he sees the proposal as a replacement for panhandling, and to a way to help get people off the streets.
“We are opposed to a designated space (for the vendors), and we have the right to use the streets the same way anyone else does,” he says.
Nothing is for sure, says Coun. Diane Holmes, because the city has to address everyone’s concerns.
“It’s a long process to determine the use of public space,” says Holmes.