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  • Home
    • Connecting with our WR Municipalities & Local Democracy
    • Human Rights - Leaning in & Learning >
      • A Human Rights approach to encampments - What does this mean?
      • Exploring the Key Principles of "A National Protocol for Homeless Encampments in Canada"
      • Draft Policy – Encampments on Region-Owned Public Lands
    • Living Rough >
      • Living Rough: Warming & Cooling Centres
      • Info Page: Living Rough: Encampments
      • Living Rough: Victoria/Weber Encampment 1.0: Summer Recap
      • Living Rough: Washrooms
      • Unsheltered: Living the Experince
    • Advocacy - Nickles and Dimes >
      • Open Letter: ​Seeking aid for Unsheltered in face of current Extreme Weather Crisis
      • CAEH Conference Ottawa 2024
      • WR Women's Shelter - What's going on? Regional Council Meeting
      • 519 Community Collective: Enough is Enough
      • Me Proposal Jan 13th 2020 Details
      • Unsheltered Campaign Letters to Local Municipalities
      • Unsheltered Campaign 2022 Municipal Candidate Pledge
      • My "nickel": Victoria and Weber Encampment
      • Love, compassion and a whole lot of action!
      • As we start having more of the difficult conversations surrounding Unsheltered lives
      • Social Justice Housing Rally
      • On the right to adequate housing
      • Host Bob Jonkman connects with Regan Sunshine Brusse , Anti-Poverty activist with the Alliance Against Poverty
      • The Record: Letter to the Editor re: oneROOF Funding Loss
      • Community Forum: Videos
      • Alliance Against Poverty Supports Local Grassroot Plea For Aid
      • Blue Sky Horse Radio Segment - Martin Asling, Lesley Crompton, And Terry Kaan
    • Around here - Older content
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      • April 23, 2025 Regional Council Meeting & 100 Vic. Proposed Bylaw April 23, 2025
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      • June 22nd Regional Council Meeting
      • August 9, 2022 Regional Community Services Comittee Meeting
      • Region of Waterloo Council Meeting April 27, 2022
      • May 9. 2022 -Region of Waterloo Community Services Committee Meeting
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      • 2022 Budget public input session- Regional Council November 8, 2021
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YOUR CART

Emergency or Public Health Crisis?


Affordable Housing Initiatives Funding 
(Proposed to City of Kitchener Council January 13th, 2020)
Just prior to COVID onset, I found myself trying to better understand our local and provincial emergency response plans. I didn't (and still don't really) understand how our housing or drug poisoning crisis aren't considered adequate in severity/scale and citizen impact to merrit recognition and initiation of these local response mechanisms. From what is displayed as the definition of "Emergency" in our Provincial Acts and Municipal documents, from my first time reading through these documents, it has felt to.

As the scale of these situations has continued to rise over the last few years and the effects on the individuals at risk and too the community and local support services having escalated, my concerns, questions and thoughts in this direction have not  disappeared, but instead grown.   

As I shoot to better understand some portions of our local Emergency Response Plans (ERP's) and how a Public Health Crisis is deemed and determined, I'll toss up some of my questions, thoughts and links to information I stumble upon here too. Admittedly I am no expert in this realm by any means, so in large this will be my "sort through" of the information and insights, as best able sourced from those who better understand these topics. 

​Let's see what "this stuff" is all about. It feels time to discuss it, then again that's just my "nickle". 

Emergency?

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(Click image to view quote source)


​Provincial Act
  • Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act​
​Region of Waterloo 
  • Site Topic Page
  • Alert Waterloo Region - Provided by RoW Emergency Management Office
Regional Municipality of Waterloo Administration and Finance Committee - Tuesday, August 15, 2023 (video and info below)
  •  6.1.1 HRC-LRE-23-005, Region of Waterloo Emergency Management By-Law and Emergency Response Plan Adoption and Approval (Full agenda)
    • Meeting Minutes
    • Appendix C - Schedule A -Emergency Response Plan - Public Version 2023
    • Appendix B - By-Law 23-XXX By-Law Emergency_Managment Program for the Regional Municipality of Waterloo (PDF)​
      • (Prior) Emergency Response Plan - Dated 2019​
  • O. Reg. 380/04: STANDARDS​
​

Exploring "Appendix C - Schedule A -Emergency Response Plan - Public Version 2023"


A few Areas for consideration

As I sort this all further, I've decided to break things down into four main "areas". This may change, but for the moment, in identifying areas that may have value to consider in these particular policies....  
21/11/24
Operational Functions
Housing is not specifically identified as an emergency in the examples listed in the escalation charts (5.2). Rather, it is viewed more as a support mechanism intended to provide brief assistance in situations like those outlined in the examples.

​Additionally, the types of responses required and the protocols guiding them are primarily designed for individuals living in traditional brick-and-mortar homes. The approaches outlined and codified in these protocols are disproportionately framed from the perspective of individuals who are housed, overlooking the unique needs of those who may not have stable housing. 
Benchmarking in Triggering Mechanisms
The experiences of individuals vary based on many factors, including their living conditions. While the impacts and level of risk from emergency situations differ between those who are unsheltered and those in permanent residences, response protocols and the criteria for initiating action do not adequately reflect these differences. 

Example: Extreme Weather Declaration for Cold Weather

Environment and Climate Change Canada issues an extreme weather alert when temperatures drop to -30°C or wind chill is expected to reach minus ​-30° C for at least two hours.

Locally we initiate some of our responses much sooner. (point of reference and more info to follow)

However, for individuals without access to a warm shelter, we also know that the risks begin much earlier then when these criteria are met. A -30°C acting as the threshold for initiating operations and response  fails to account for the experiences of those without a permanent space to seek refuge. 

​
  • Criteria for public weather alerts - Canada.ca
  • Extreme Cold Weather | Region of Waterloo (PDF)
​
Previously as listed by Region of Waterloo - Updated info to follow:
Text seen quoted below sourced from the "Extreme Cold" webpage by Region of Waterloo
​
"Environment and Climate Change Canada will issue an Extreme Cold Warning for Waterloo Region when the temperature or wind chill is expected to reach minus ​30° C for at least two hours.
​

At this temperature, exposed skin can freeze in 10 to 30 minutes. Exposure to these temperatures and wind chill may result in frostbite or hypothermia. When an Extreme Cold Warning is issued for Waterloo Region, Public Health coordinates a community response and Warming Spaces are opened."

​Other municipalities use different temperature thresholds as the starting point for coordinated response measures, with many of them more equitably recognizing the associated risks and considering the impact of various situational factors in determining these measures metrics.

For example:


Hamilton:
"The Medical Officer of Health for the City of Hamilton issues a Cold Alert when:
  • The temperature drops, or is expected to drop below -15°C (5°F)
  • The temperature feels like -20°C (-4°F) with wind chill"
(Source)


Toronto:
"The City activates Warming Centres when temperatures reach minus five degrees Celsius and/or when Environment and Climate Change Canada issues a winter weather event warning."
(Source)


​London:
​
"Each winter, London experiences periods of extreme cold. The Middlesex-London Health Unit issues cold alerts in the following conditions, when one or more of these criteria are met:
  • Environment Canada forecasts low temperature of -15 C or lower;
  • Environment Canada forecasts wind chill of -20 or lower; or if
  • Environment Canada issues a 'Cold Alert' or 'Cold Warning'. 

When a cold alert is issued, the City of London will initiate our extreme temperature protocol, which may include opening warming centre for residents who require temporary shelter from the cold."
(Source)
Potential for provision of immediate releif and supports
  • ​Fall 2024 - Buses for Warming & Other Potential Concepts

​

Our Local ERP Documents: 

Appendix C - Schedule A -Emergency Response Plan - Public Version 2023

The "Emergency Response Plan Aim" (1.2) identifies the goals of these policies, overall aimed at mitigating communal health and property risks in times of crisis.

Too, as seen *highlighted*, in this area of these documents is that it is not necessary to make an official declaration of emergency to implement these measures. 

​


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​Section 8.1 identifes that there may be resources (or similarily allocated fundings) able to aid in some response expenses (ie: Fuel if mobile warming buses were initiated)

Unclear terms
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(Click image to view quote source)


​​The definition of an emergency (seen above) as used in the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act and our local Emergency Response Plans (ERPs)  confuses me given its own undefined terminologies. 

What equates to "a danger of major proportions" or "serious harm"? Are the situational factors of the "persons" and the disproportionate impacts these impose observed in its consideration? How many people constitutes "persons"? Is this deemed based on a percentage of the population or via another number or approach? 

This seems far too open to interpretation and thereby subject to bias within its application and initiation. The "lens" worn by anyone tasked with determining if these "terms" have been met adequately to merrit response, will clearly impact their decision. 

What is "an accident" or an "act"? Would our choices to date, those that have placed us in this volatile situation not be considered one of these two things? We "acted" when we  made the decisions that ultimately landed us where we are, with neighbours struggling and at risk. Would this not be some form "accident" whether "Intentional or otherwise"? 

Always left with more questions...

Whereas #homelessness itself, fr. my limited understanding at least, doesn't qualify as an emergency in and of itself in as much as our local ERPS, given this weather, and it's impact on these residents, perhaps it needs to atm (at least) & could? #AskingForMyNeighbour □

— Regan Sunshine Brusse (@ReganBrusse) July 17, 2024


​Unsheltered Campaign: 
  • Unsheltered Campaign: Letters and Recent Engagements
  • Candidate Responses on Housing and Homelessness
  • Unsheltered Campaign: 2022 Municipal Election Unsheltered Pledge & Town Hall​

Information Resources

Region of Waterloo links:
  • Extreme Cold Weather (PDF) 
  • Interactive Map of Cooling and Warming Centres in Waterloo Region 
  • Region of Waterloo Community Services Pocket Card
 
​Ontario (.ca)
  • Emergency management glossary of terms | ontario.ca
  • A Safe, Practiced and Prepared Ontario (PDF) - Provincial Emergency Management Strategy and Action Plan - Ontario.ca
  • Emergency Management Framework for Ontario
  • Emergency management glossary of terms

Other
  • Checklist in Consideration of a Declaration of Emergency - Burlington​
  • PEMSAP - A Safe and Prepared Ontario - Full Report 2023
​



Public Health Crisis?

  • ​Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion (Public Health Ontario). Ontario Health Profile Technical Appendix. Toronto, ON: Queen's Printer for Ontario; 2016.
  • FOCUS ON Precautionary Principle—Applications Relevant to Public Health Emergency Preparedness - Public Health Ontario
  • Emergency Preparedness - Public Health Ontario 
  • Extreme Weather Infographic - Public Health Ontario 
  • Public Health Ontario
  • Ontario Marginalization Index Map

@ROWPublicHealth - Quick question: Where can I find risk scaling that outlines based on longevity of exposure?

While current temperatures fall within clear range in your attached document, how are the risks by temperature considered over time? What increased risks exist?

— Regan Sunshine Brusse (@ReganBrusse) January 10, 2025

General definition of a public health emergency fyi.

Deaths and injuries are not in doubt, in Waterloo region and beyond.

Communities have been overwhelmed by the scale of the carnage for years. pic.twitter.com/NAQjQB6Btj

— michael parkinson (@Parkinson4WR) April 13, 2023

Local to Waterloo REgion (2023 Content)

View Media Coverage from 2023 Page updates
  • (18/11) Region stuck in a crisis that isn't going away - The Record News
  • (16/11) Hockey Helps the Homeless raises over 50K for Cambridge Shelter Corp - Cambridge Today
  • (16/11) Two deaths, 44 overdoses from tainted drugs prompt warning -- Cambridge Today
  • ​'These deaths will be on our hands': Advocates for unsheltered say winter supplies urgently needed - CTV News
  • Outreach workers race to get winter supplies to people in need - CTV News
  • (15/11) 'This is hell:' refugees say they've been sent to Cambridge to 'sit and wait'​ - Cambridge Today​
  • (15/11) A call to action, as homelessness worsens in Waterloo Region - Cambridge TImes
  • (12/11) A Better Tent City houses 50 people but volunteers say they need more cash to keep it going -CBC News
  • (8/11) New permanent emergency shelter in Waterloo region part of plan to end chronic homelessness - CBC News
  • (7/11) Region of Waterloo council endorses second managed camp - The Record News
  • (7/11) Regional staff unveil interim plan to end chronic homelessness - City News Kitchener​
  • (23/10) Well-being of people in Waterloo region tied to how much they pay for housing: Report - CBC News
  • (20/10) Report: Waterloo Region housing market amongst the worst in Ontario - City News Kitchener
  • (14/9) Homelessness in Waterloo Region could triple by 2028 - CTV News​​

"“We need a proper sanctioned encampment in Cambridge for our #Cambridge people because they’re our #people, they’re our citizens. They’re our cousins or brothers or fathers or mothers or sisters.” #Unshelteredhttps://t.co/K04Z6RXrlt

— Regan Sunshine Brusse (@ReganBrusse) November 14, 2023
REGIONAL COUNCIL MEETING SEPT 27, 2023 & SOPER PARK EVICTION

More "around here" Pages...

  • September 27, 2023 - Region of Waterloo Council Meeting & Soper Park Eviction 1.0​​
  • Proposed November 17th, 2021 to Regional Council in seeking temporary solution to homeless displacement - ​Content and related links​​
  • The Housing First Approach​
  • ​​The Criminalization of Homelessness
  • Housing: A Human Right

BEcause there must always be music...




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