The original plan was to build the structure to alleviate the issue of drunkenness and poor behaviour at Bovill Square.
Mayor Taylor Bachrach says the conditions aren’t right for the gathering place strategy to see any success.
Bachrach made the motion to end plans for the shelter saying there wasn’t enough support from the community.
“I think council is going to keep working to come up with approaches that address the root causes of the problem – to work with the community to ensure a compassionate response to the most marginalised members of our community,” says Bachrach.
“And we’re going to work with our partners in the community. We have a good working relationship with Northen Health with the social planning society…these are difficult social issues, and frankly, a lot of them rest in the jurisdiction of other levels of government.”
Councillor Gladys Atrill was the only one to vote against the motion. She says the gathering shelter was an opportunity to take a crack at the issue.
Bachrach and other councillors spoke of the vitriol, disdain and intolerance from some people in the community online regarding the gathering place plans and bovill Square problems.