Monthly Archives: December 2015

I got a trouble call last night, there are people working in the area and they have reported Fred’s house and we worry now that she will be moved.

It is so troubling.

It has me worried.  So I have been down to check on her today 8 times, just going by, not bugging her.  I want to be sure that she is safe and that no one is messing with her.  It is cold today here so this last trip, I brought Fred a warm meal.  She is inside with no coat, so it is warm inside, and this made me feel really happy.  Just the candle heater and her body is enough to keep it comfortable when we are hovering around zero.

This morning an email came from one of the volunteers who also made a donation.  This morning she arrived at work and found that there is boy who is living in the dumpster at her work place.  She asked if he could be next.  He needs a house too she said.  I wonder if this community can do it again?  This time, it will cost less because Lowes wants to help us.

Do you know, when we (myself and the other volunteers) were there building Fred’s house, so many of her neighbours stopped to say that they help her.  It was beautiful as far as I am concerned.  And today again after worrying the last 15 hours away, I arrived to find that there are Christmas gifts left for Fred outside her house. Little bags of wrapped gifts, beautiful hand knitted mittens, toiletries.  Thoughtful gifts, given with love.

I spoke to Fred just a moment giving her the food and she thanked me.  But then I went to the car and I cried.  You know these small kindnesses make me weep. Her neighbours there care about her. I hope we can find a way to help her stay.

We turned the corner to come home and there was a homeless man using two cups to get water out of a puddle.  We stopped and got him something to eat and a Tim’s card but he did not want this, but took the Tim’s card to give to someone else, he said.  He shook our hands and blessed us.

He blessed us.

If any of this has you thinking about what you can do what about a blessing bag filled with things like this?

Care package for homeless neighbours. Please also include a card so they can get a hot meal.

What else can you do… Write to your leaders and show your approval of this. your local counsellor, your mayor, the MP, the MPP, the minister of housing, the Prime Minister. Copy them all. Ask for more. While Fred’s house is a GOOD bandaid solution… in that living in an insulated room with a door and window beats living in a pile of pallets, what is needed is lots of small (200 -400 square foot) up to code housing with running water and toilets. We are a rich nation but we have left behind the poorest and most vulnerable members of our society. We not only forget them but we make structures that are small/tiny and affordable illegal. This MUST stop. Poor and vulnerable people need to live in dignity and safety as well.

Thank you to Lulu for sharing this information with us.  She wrote to the mayor of Wasaga beach regarding the square footage of building in the area and below is the response.  I share this so that others will know that Clearview allows 400 square foot minimum which is a right sized house for many of you.

Good afternoon Lulu: Further to your last email and as promised, I have been in touch with the Manager of Planning and Development Review. During our conversation, it was suggested that he have staff reach out to the nearby Municipalities to determine their zoning requirements for minimum gross floor area for single detached dwellings. The minimum gross floor areas range from a minimum of 400ft2 in Clearview to 1,290ft2 in the Town of the Blue Mountains. Note that in Wasaga Beach, the Zoning By-Law stipulates a minimum g.f.a. of 1,000ft2 for single detached dwelling. Of the nine municipalities surveyed, the average minimum g.f.a. is 916ft2.

Doug, the Manager of Planning, has commented that in Wasaga Beach, there have been a few instances where land owners have applied to the Committee of Adjustment for a variance to the Zoning By-Law to recognize long existing cottages which were constructed at less than 1000ft2 before the Zoning By-Law was adopted. There have not been applications submitted to permit the construction of new single detached dwellings at less than the minimum 1000ft2. In the absence of a demonstrated need, there is no current impetus for the Town to perform a general policy review on minimum dwelling sizes. Individual landowners do however have the option of submitting an application for Zoning By-Law Amendment along with a planning justification in support of such a proposal. Each application is judged on its individual merit and fit to the surrounding neighbourhood.

At this point, I would encourage you to speak directly with Doug if you wish to pursue the matter and submit an application for Zoning By-Law Amendment. Please let Doug know if you have a specific property in mind as this will help with the discussion. He can be reached at  (removed by THO to avoid spam bots ******)

Trusting that this has answered your questions.

Best regards,
Brian Smith
Mayor
Town of Wasaga Beach

Here is an example of a 400 square foot floorplan

Donations total: $1668*

Cost of materials: $1603**

This is what Fred’s house looks like now:

December 15, 2014

So, we currently have $68 to put toward the items that we do not have.  Which are:

heater

propane tank and fuel

pipes for venting the heater

thimble (which is the part where the heat vent goes though the wall)

gas line

kitchen cupboards (24 inch max) lower and upper would be nice.

butane cooker

butane cartridges

a pot

a cup

a bowl

a tub to wash dishes in

a tub to take care of personal hygiene

_______

*Plus roughly $300 in materials by Lowes, solar light and chair by private donation

** Returned ice and water shield because I had enough left over from a previous project so I donated this.  Also I returned a few pieces of wood.  The total of these returns was $93

There is still work to be done, but she is in from the outside now.

Here is the financial picture

Donations

1203 – You Caring donations from our communities

315 – Private donations from friends and family

1318 – TOTAL

Costs

692 – Arruda and Lowes

100 – Walmart

735 – Lowes

50   – Mattress

123 – lock, door knob, adhesive and flooring Lowes

1600 TOTAL

We also had roughly $300 in materials and the delivery van donated by Lowes in Hamilton.

A solar light was donated by Susan Dunkley, of Lowes

A gorgeous little antique school chair was donated by Mary Harris

Bedding was donated by Wendy Young and by Hj and I.

We have not covered all the costs so far and we do not have the heater, propane tank and fuel, pipes for  venting the heater, thimble (which is the part where the heat vent goes though the wall), or gas line.

We do not have a kitchen cupboard (24 inch max) lower and upper would be nice.  We do not have a butane cooker, or butane cartridges, a pot, a cup, a bowl a spoon and a tub to wash dishes in.

DONATE HERE

Still one panel trim, roofing, solar light and paint to go on the outside, but…

She is in!

Candle heater that I bought the materials for and donated. This will provide enough heat in the tiny space when it is above zero. So this is her heat source for now and it is significantly better than nothing.

I have sent an email or private messaged  all the people who are coming to volunteer on Saturday (I HOPE).  If you did not get the message please send me a reminder here or on Facebook with your email address.  We are meeting at 9:00 at my house in Hamilton.  December the 12th.

Please bring if you have them:

Cordless drill/driver

Cordless saw

Measuring tape

Hammer

Staple gun

Caulking gun

level

gloves

step-ladder

AND someone else to help!  If you know any other good people that is.

We’ll start at 9.  and with all of us this should be a four-five hour job.

If anyone as a spare base kitchen cupboard 24 inches wide that is in reasonable condition, I would really love to see one donated.  I have a piece of counter top that will fit it.