A group with experience doing local outreach is signing on for a one-year pilot project with the city.
The Mushkegowuk Fire Keeper Patrol has been awarded the $260,083 contract for providing outreach services in Timmins for the next year. Timmins council approved it at the Aug. 8 meeting.
A minimum of two workers per shift will patrol from 4 p.m. to midnight seven days a week, connecting people with housing services and other support to help people move from living on the street or couch surfing into long-term housing, said Timmins CAO Dave Landers.
The project was approved in the 2023 budget as one of two new programs, the other being the overnight security contract, which was recently awarded.
The contract is higher than the $125,000 budgeted.
However, the city is partnering with the Cochrane District Social Services Administration Board (CDSSAB), which is also contributing $125,000.
The city portion is being paid for by its share of the municipal accommodation tax (MAT). "The difference in budget versus cost will be addressed through a scope reduction or funding under the community safety and well-being budget," reads the report.
The Fire Keepers program started back in 2020 with a small group of people who started going to high-risk areas, talking to homeless people with addictions and handing out snacks. When Mushkegowuk Council learned about the initiative, it submitted a proposal for a street outreach program.
In 2021, the program received federal and provincial funding.
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The Downtown Timmins BIA is the organization that pitched the outreach and security pilot programs to the city.
Coun. Cory Robin, who is also the board chair of the BIA, asked if there will be a focus on the downtown.
One of the requirements of the contract was for outreach vehicles so that it's not just a foot patrol, said Landers. There will be a focus on the downtown core, though he said that the workers could also go to different sites that pop up.
While Coun. Bill Gvozdanovic is supportive of the program, he says funding should be coming from upper levels of government.
He also questioned if the different agencies offering outreach are coordinating to know what areas need attention.
With organizations having different mandates, Landers said there isn't a full coordination of services.
"There is informal discussion that is happening but it’s not a fully integrated or coordinated system,” said Landers.
The Fire Keepers Program will report to the City of Timmins.
