The Canadian National Newspaper: City of Ottawa Councillors attack human rights of homelesspersons

In a maniacal frenzy City Council is busy annihilating homeless people with vicious discriminatory city bylaws and provincial laws and improper and unconstitutional applications of of these laws.

The latest in a serous of offensive bylaws is the vending on highways bylaw which is attached which was passed on August 24, 2005 without proper public consultation.

The vending on highways bylaw prohibits all street vending except hot dog stands and chip wagons. Specifically it prohibits the sale of arts and crafts, flowers, street papers and other literature, busking and street theatre.

The city advertised this bylaw as vending on highways when infact it is vending on all streets and and sidewalks everywhere in the city and rural area so the public did not realize the impact for the homeless. Furthermore, the city was suppose to receive public input on extending opportunity for street enterprise for homeless people from the Task Force on Homelessness and the Safe Streets Act before they passed this bylaw. They did not wait for the task force recommendations.

Then the City Council promised task force members and Homeless Action Strike and the Fostercare Council of Canada that they would make appropriate amendments to this bylaw under the designated spaces program bylaw. However, are not making exemptions and they still did not wait for the task force recommendations. Instead on Nov 10, 2005 Protective Service agenda item makes it clear that no such amendment is being put forward they are moving forward even though the task force has not yet finished its public consultation.

Further the city is planning to further attach vulnerable 16 and 17 year old homeless persons with a proposed city wide curfew which would make it unlawful for these homeless persons to be outside after a certain time at night.