The Huron Expositor, 1995-11-08, Page 3News and Views
PAT RAFTIS PHOTO
PROTESTING GOVERNMENT CUTS - About 25 supporters of Phoenix of Huron staged a demonstration in front of
Huron MPP Helen Johns' office on Main Street, Exeter on Friday. They were protesting funding cuts by the Harris govern-
ment to Phoenix House at the end of this year.
Protesters picket Huron MPP over cuts
BY PAT RAFTIS
SSP News Staff
Protesters demonstrating
against provincial government
cLits to second stage housing
programs brought bags full of
old footwear and symbolically
asked Huron MPP Helen Johns
to walk in the shoes of victims
of family violence.
About 25 supporters of
Phoenix of Huron 'staged a
demonstration in front of
John's office on Exeter's Main
Street, Friday afternoon,
protesting the elimination of
,Ministry .of Community. and .
Social Services funding for
Phoenix House at the end of
this year.
Pat Pietrek, president of the
board of directors of Phoenix _
of Huron said in an interview
that all staff at Phoenix's three
housing complexes in
Goderich, Clinton and Exeter
have received received notice
they will be Laid off Dec. 31,
when the cuts ($ 170,000 annu-
ally in Phoenix's case) come
into effect.
Second stage housing pro-
jects across the province cur-
rently provide subsidized
housing in secure buildings for
women and children who are
victims of family violence and
are attempting to move out of
the abusers' home. The pro-
gram provides a transitional
living environment between a
shelter and independent living.
However Arlene Timmins,
executive director of Phoenix,
questioned at the protest
whether Phoenix could in fact
provide second stage housing
to "high risk families," without
staff toprotect them. "Are we
making them sitting ducks if
we can't provide safety and
security," she said.
Johns, was not at her office
when the protesters arrived. A
member of her riding staff told
protesters the MPP was at an
out -of -province conference
with her husband. However,
she had apparently been
expecting -the demonstration
and had prepared a statement,
which was read by Johns'
staffer Angela Reid.
Johns' statement said that
although program funding for
second stage housing was to be
eliminated, "by this it is meant
that although housing will
exist for women and children
who are suffering mental or
physical abuse, the govern-
ment believes consulting ser-
vices are duplicated elsewhere
in the comipunity."
In her statement, Johns said
she met on Oct. 13 with with a
Phoenix representative and
suggested that she could only
evaluate the demand for sec-
ond stage housing in Huron if
she had the following informa-
tion:
1. Number of Huron resi-
dents at Phoenix House.
2. Occupancy rate of all three
homes for the past year.
3. Analysis of alternate ser-
vices and what services
Phoenix employees feel are
missing in Huron.
"If services, are not duplicated
and there is need, I will take
this information to Queen's
Park. To date, I have not heard
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back from Phoenix House with
the details; instead of bringing
facts, you bring shoes!" said
Johns in her statement.
Timmins, responded to the
statement by saying although
she was not present at the Oct.
13 meeting, which she called a
"drop-in" by Johns, the staff
member who talked to the
MPP said Johns never had
requested the information.
"She didn't ask for that infor-
mation or I would have gotten
it to her immediately.
Obviously I'm going to do
whatever I can to help make
sure the women and children
here are safe and protected,"
said Timmins.
However, Timmins came
armed with the Phoenix annual
report, which provided some
other information Johns
requested and she verbally
filled in the gaps.
Of the 34 women who used
Continued on page 7
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