Richmond Hill community “wants a divorce” from 360Kids following shooting on Crosby Ave.

The meeting took place a week after man was charged with attempted murder near the youth shelter

Yorkregion.com
August 6, 2019
Sheila Wang

Richmond Hill residents fed up with three years of constant disturbances and recently escalating violence from the neighbouring 360Kids youth shelter are split on what should be done to put an end to the ongoing issues in their backyard.

Nearly a hundred residents and businesses owners from Yonge Street and Crosby Avenue attended the meeting seeking a resolution to address the noise, trespassing and the recent shooting in the neighbourhood, which they believe was linked to the operation of the neighbouring youth facility.

The meeting, initiated by community leader Eric Wolf, was held just a week after a shooting took place in the back of a Beer Store near the youth shelter, which sent one man to hospital for non-life-threatening gunshot wounds.

A 20-year-old man has since been charged with attempted murder, according York Regional Police.

The community, shaken up by the incident and fearing for their own safety, came up with a wide range of proposals at the meeting: from erecting a tall fence to increasing security presence to removing the Beer Store.

360Kids is a non-profit York Region organization that's been providing assistance to homeless youths or those on the verge of homelessness for more than 30 years. In 2016, the youth shelter moved to the Richmond Hill community hub in the centre of the city.

“You have my word!” Regional Coun. Carmine Perrelli told residents at Elgin Barrow Arena, promising to bring their concerns and proposals to York Region Council in September.

Perrelli took over the two-hour meeting near its end after Coun. Tom Muench tried to lead the discussion for the most part by strictly sticking to his printed schedule.

The residents, who grew more impatient by the minute, had to bring the meeting back on track despite Muench’s attempts to shut down or interrupt questions from the audience members, including Coun. Karen Cilevitz.

At one point, Muench stood close to resident Jason Cherniak and threatened to kick him out for “misrepresenting” the Richmond Hill Board of Trade (RHBOT).

The concerned residents, undeterred by the interruptions, managed to have an extensive discussion about the proposals on the table.

“Nothing came out of it, like last time,” said Wolf, who organized the first community meeting last September where residents packed the room, joined by representatives from the city, the region and 360Kids.

They agreed to bring the key stakeholders to a roundtable meeting, which never happened. 360Kids has since adopted a few measures to address the concerns, but to little avail.

Unlike the last meeting, residents seemed to have a hard time reaching a consensus.

Some liked the idea of building a tall wooden fence to replace to current one, which youths keep climbing over.

But one resident had a different opinion.

“You can’t cage them like animals. Just leave them alone,” said Sherry Beals, a 17-year resident at Genesis Place, a residential building next to 360Kids.

Beals said the youth shelter itself isn't the problem, noting drug-dealing and trespassing happened there long before the facility opened.

Others suggested relocating the Home Base drop-in program from the youth shelter.

Currently, youths between ages 13 and 26 can drop in to the shelter from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends.

The program serves more than 150 youths every month and helps them address issues like family breakdown, food security and counselling, according to the website of 360Kids.

However, many people believe the program is a source of problems. When it closes, the shelter-goers, who have nowhere else to be, "hang out" near the facility, and every so often on the residents' property.

Drug trafficking, sexual harassment and break-ins were among many things that residents alleged these youth busy themselves with in the neighbourhood.

“The bottom line is that this is a marriage forced upon us and we want a divorce,” Wolf told The Liberal.

He said he wanted 360Kids gone.

However, this idea was not well communicated -- if at all -- at the meeting, where everyone seemed to be reluctant to mention it, Wolf said.

Wolf said the youth service should be relocated, and he encouraged others to speak out.

“Ultimately the program does have its merits and it helps the kids, but it needs to be somewhere away from residential areas,” Wolf said.

360Kids now serves more than 3,400 youths annually from the region, according to its website.

Representatives from YRP and 360Kids were asked to speak at the meeting. But neither was able to respond to any specific questions.

“I wish I could,” said Andrew Legatto, director of programs and services at 360Kids. “Because of the legal procedures, I can’t really speak about anything about what we can do and we can’t do. What I’m here to do is obviously listen to this and hear all the things you’re worried about.”

In April, Wolf and 42 neighbours filed a lawsuit with Richmond Hill Small Claims Court against 360Kids, Housing York Inc. and York Region over nuisance, trespassing and negligence from the youth shelter.

“It’s like a lion and tiger shoved in the middle of a residential area. It shouldn’t be here,” Wolf said.