Helping the Homeless during COVID-19 Shows Our Community’s Leadership – Net Newsledger
April 7, 2020
THUNDER BAY – OPINION – As I pen this editorial to address the delay in finding shelter for our homeless population in Thunder Bay, I am reminded of the words of Mayor Mauro after the reports of systematic racism in the city of Thunder Bay were released.
The Mayor relayed to citizens that one of his heroes was Martin Luther King Jr. and that if King could not fix the issue of racism, how could he be expected to do it here in Thunder Bay. The Mayor went on to say that Thunder Bay’s issues were no different than other communities in Canada and that our reputation had been unfairly tarnished.
During an interview on TVO with Steve Paikin on November 7, 2018, the Mayor further stated he saw “rehabilitating” the cities reputation would be one of his goals as Mayor.
In the past week, the Mayor has also relayed through the media that we are all ultimately responsible for the spread or containment of the virus COVID-19. The consistent core message of self-isolation and social distancing, although seemingly straightforward and achievable by a majority of citizens living in and around Thunder Bay, is not so achievable for the homeless population that exists here today.
