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City staff release list of 14 viable service depot locations to serve encampments | CBC News

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City of London staff have released a list of viable service depot locations for consideration by council, with all the potential sites located in the city’s east end. 

Service depots are sites where staff regularly show up to provide basic services for people who sleep outside. Staff at the sites typically provide food water and harm reduction supplies. The depots also include access to port-a-potty washrooms while staff are on hand to provide wellness checks and information about other services. 

Some of the encampments serviced by the depots have triggered complaints from residents concerned about drug use, garbage and other issues. 

Earlier this month, council directed staff to come up with a list of service depot locations with buffers of 50 to 100 metres from nearby residential properties. Staff were also instructed not to concentrate the potential locations in one ward. Council heard that service depot locations and the encampments they serve are overly-weighted to downtown locations, such as Watson Street Park and Ann Street Park. 

For sites that meet the 100-metre residential setback, 123 locations were identified. However, only nine of those were identified as viable depot locations by staff.

For sites that met the 50M residential setback, 239 locations were identified with 14 locations being viable for a service depot. 

It’s notable that none of the service depot locations are located in Ward 13, which covers most of London’s downtown core and includes frequent encampment locations such at Ann Street Park, Watson Street Park and a green space along the Thames River south of Nelson Street known as the Wellington Valley.

In addition to the council-approved setbacks, city staff had other parameters to work around, including: 

  • No service depots within 150 metres of schools. 
  • No service depots in flood-prone locations.
  • No service depots on sidewalks, paths or under bridges.
  • No service depots a list of 15 parks, including Gibbons Park, Victoria Park and Harris Park.

Community gardens, cemeteries and dog off-leash parks were also excluded as potential service depot locations. 

Four service depots started operating in London in July 4, i ncluding this one in Watson Park along the Thames River. (Andrew Lupton/CBC)

There is the list of 14 proposed locations located 50-metres away from private property, broken down by ward: 

Ward 1

  • 2115 River Rd. 
  • 15 Tommy Hunter Way/15 St. Julien St.
  • 170 Helena Ave
  • 50 Sycamore St (Silverwoods).
  • 1139 Hamilton Rd 1.

Ward 2

  • 1475 Brydges St.
  • 650 Sovereign Rd.

Ward 3

  • 1375 Clarke Rd & 1369 Clarke Rd.
  • 769 Baransway Dr.

Ward 4

  • 39 Connaught Ave & 77 Connaught Ave.
  • 656 Elizabeth St.

Ward 8

Ward 12

Ward 14

City council will consider the proposed list of service depot locations when they meet Tuesday as the strategic priorities and policy committee. The staff report says once council selects the sites, the city will begin an engagement process with residents. 

More to come

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