Article with sensationalist headline highlights only opposition to the shelter without mentioning community support.
As I have reported on in the past, there has been controversy surrounding a proposed -- and desperately needed -- homeless shelter in the South Etobicoke neighbourhood of New Toronto. The shelter would be located right on Lake Shore Blvd. W. and would be near various services such as a Job Start office and the LAMP community services centre.
Despite some misleading statements by opponents of the shelter, there are very few shelter beds in the community.
Yesterday, October 27, the popular GTA website Blog TO published an article with a headline that made a very bold claim about sentiment towards the shelter locally.
While it is certainly true that some members of the community don't want the shelter -- and the local BIA has been heading a shameful campaign against it -- there are many others who are very much behind it.
While the article mentions a petition with over 1,500 supporters opposing it from the "New Toronto Ratepayers Association" -- a rather mysterious group that appears to have been created solely to oppose the shelter and that did not even have a website when this debate began back in August -- it fails to mention a petition in support of the shelter that has nearly 1,000 signatures.
There have also been initiatives like a poster campaign backing the shelter by a local artist and community activist, Erin Panjer.
So while Blog TO's piece with the sensationalist headline delivers a story, it is not the whole story.