Downtown Mission moving to erect fence around property

The Downtown Mission is moving to install a safety fence around it's facility in Windsor.

A request for quotes is being issued to build a safety fence around the perimeter of the facility at 875 Ouellette Ave.

The move is in response to a Town Hall meeting in March hosted by Ward 3 City Councillor Renaldo Agostino and attended by neighbourhood residents.

"What we heard from our neighbours, is that they support the work of the Downtown Mission, but they are experiencing a reduction in vibrancy of their neighbourhood. We understand their concerns and believe this fence is the first step in improving the quality of life for the families living near the Mission while keeping our Guests safe,” said Rukshini Ponniah-Goulin, Executive Director.

Ward 3 Councillor Renaldo Agostino says the fence will help prevent garbage from flying all over the street.

"A lot of food that gets passed around and eaten in that parking, or given because there's a food bank there at the mission, when you have that stuff going on, a lot of garbage just seems to fly around. Nobody literally throwing garbage around, it just gets picked up in the wind," he says.

Agostino says it's also going to keep out some of the bad actors from going in.

"There's a lot of bad players that take advantage of those people that suffer in need at the mission. It's not just about keeping people in but about keeping people out," he adds.

Ponniah-Goulin says they definitely have more people coming to the mission for daytime services.

"I think having a fence around our back parking lot will definitely help our guests, and people coming to the mission, safe," she says.

Ponniah-Goulin says they think the fence could cost $30,000 to $40,000.

"What we're trying to do is find partners in the community who are either in the fencing business or construction business somehow that might be able to offer services or materials to help with this project, or even financial support," she says. \

The Downtown Mission is fundraising for this Capital Project and will be reaching out to donors, foundations, businesses and the labour community for donations to complete this upgrade to the property. 

Donors who want to support this project with a gift can designate a donation at www.downtownmission/donate.

With files from The Shift