Canada: Homeless hinder business, merchant tells Premier Harris
Tom Boland (wgcp@earthlink.net)
Thu, 22 Oct 1998 08:24:25 -0400
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=46WD Oct 20, 1998 Toronto Star Business Story:
BUSINESS OWNER RAPS HOMELESS
Harris told it's major problem
By Caroline Mallan - Toronto Star Queens Park Bureau
The homeless are fast becoming a hindrance to small business, a merchant
told Premier Mike Harris yesterday during a round table discussion.
Harris was in Bloor West Village [in Toronto] to launch a two-week
celebration of contributions made by small business.
He spoke later with a group of business owners about issues that concern th=
em.
Marc Crowe, who owns a construction business and, along with his wife,
also owns the Rustic Cosmo café on Queen St. W., said homeless
people sleeping in doorways drive away business.
``They are the biggest hindrance to business,'' Crowe said. ``The
municipalities can't handle the problem.''
As well, the shopkeepers are disheartened over the dire straits of the
city's homeless, Crow added.
Harris said the province funds emergency shelters and offers other housing
supports. A home is available for every homeless person in the province, he
said.
The housing ``may not be exactly within walking distance of where they're
standing at this moment,'' Harris said.
However, there is no point in returning to the old system of government
paying to build non-profit housing, he said.
``The old system was a waste of money; it was a rip-off,'' he said.
The funding was cancelled within weeks of the Tories taking office in 1995.
The province was lambasted two weeks ago when a task force of five MPPs
released their report on Ontario's homeless crisis. Critics said the report
provided no concrete answers.
The other main issue that Harris faced during yesterday's election-style
walkabout was property taxes.
Owners said many businesses will fold if projected tax increases of up to
500 per cent are put into place after the year 2001.
Harris assured store owners that they will not be forced out of business
by skyrocketing property tax.
``We've gone over the heads of municipal authorities on a number of
occasions to say, `You're not going to drive our small business people out
of business,' and I'm serving notice that I'll do it again if I have to.''
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<fontfamily><param>Geneva</param><bigger>http://www2.thestar.com/thestar/bac=
k_issues/ED19981020/money/981020BUS03d_FI-MIKE20.html
=46WD Oct 20, 1998 Toronto Star Business Story:
<bold> BUSINESS OWNER RAPS HOMELESS
Harris told it's major problem
By Caroline Mallan - Toronto Star Queens Park Bureau
</bold> The homeless are fast becoming a hindrance to small business, a
merchant told Premier Mike Harris yesterday during a round table
discussion.
Harris was in Bloor West Village [in Toronto] to launch a two-week
celebration of contributions made by small business.
He spoke later with a group of business owners about issues that
concern them.
Marc Crowe, who owns a construction business and, along with his wife,
also owns the Rustic Cosmo café on Queen St. W., said homeless
people sleeping in doorways drive away business.
``They are the biggest hindrance to business,'' Crowe said. ``The
municipalities can't handle the problem.''
As well, the shopkeepers are disheartened over the dire straits of the
city's homeless, Crow added.
Harris said the province funds emergency shelters and offers other
housing supports. A home is available for every homeless person in the
province, he said.
The housing ``may not be exactly within walking distance of where
they're standing at this moment,'' Harris said.
However, there is no point in returning to the old system of
government paying to build non-profit housing, he said.
``The old system was a waste of money; it was a rip-off,'' he said.
The funding was cancelled within weeks of the Tories taking office in
1995.
The province was lambasted two weeks ago when a task force of five
MPPs released their report on Ontario's homeless crisis. Critics said
the report provided no concrete answers.
The other main issue that Harris faced during yesterday's
election-style walkabout was property taxes.
Owners said many businesses will fold if projected tax increases of up
to 500 per cent are put into place after the year 2001.
Harris assured store owners that they will not be forced out of
business by skyrocketing property tax.
``We've gone over the heads of municipal authorities on a number of
occasions to say, `You're not going to drive our small business people
out of business,' and I'm serving notice that I'll do it again if I
have to.''
</bigger></fontfamily>END FORWARD=20
** NOTICE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is=
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*
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ARCHIVES <<http://aspin.asu.edu/hpn/archives.html> read posts to HPN
TO JOIN <<http://aspin.asu.edu/hpn/join.html> or email Tom <<wgcp@earthlink=
=2Enet>
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