SAULT STE. MARIE — Sault Ste. Marie needs to quash a rumour that Toronto-area municipalities are giving individuals with substance use disorders free one-way tickets to our city, says Kevin Wyer, general manager of the local Delta Hotel.
"I don't know how that story got started, but I think the city needs to squash that and make sure that they realize that it's not the City of Toronto," Wyer told members of the city's tourism board during a recent discussion about downtown vehicle break-ins.
Other committee members said they had heard similar things in other cities, and there seemed to be a consensus that the rumours are a longstanding urban legend that could be damaging to local tourism promotion efforts.
"I dug in a little and, funny enough, people in Sudbury said the same thing," Wyer said.
"And I talked to the general manager at the Delta in London, and he said: 'Oh yeah, we hear that Toronto just sends all their drug addicts and all those people to London.' So I think it's just an easy way out.
"The city should make a statement about that's not where it's coming from, and this is far more organized than when [Hugh] Stevenson was the [police] chief and we were meeting about how to stop the bike thefts, because this is far more than the bike thefts."
Trying to learn more about the rumours, SooToday approached local police and Social Services, as well as Sault Ste. Marie Mayor Matthew Shoemaker.
"Our members do have interactions with people who are not from Sault Ste. Marie," said Lincoln Louttit, manager of corporate communications, planning and research at Sault Ste. Marie Police Service.
"However we wouldn't know how they travelled to Sault Ste. Marie," Louttit told SooToday.
"DSSAB [District of Sault Ste. Marie Social Services Administration Board] works quite closely with the homeless population," said Mike Nadeau, DSSAB chief executive officer.
"I do hear this perspective within the community and it is my understanding this belief also exists in both northern and southern cities, based on conversations from other service managers/jurisdictions.
"We are currently not aware of any formal strategy to offer free transportation to Sault Ste. Marie from southern Ontario.
"The homeless population is very transient. People tend to move from community to community and across the province and country and we do see new people present at the shelters frequently," Nadeau said.
"Like most others, I’ve heard this rumour as well," Sault Mayor Matthew Shoemaker told SooToday.
"I have not, however, been able to substantiate it with any specific evidence. I’ve raised the issue with other mayors and with people who work in social services, and there’s not been any concrete evidence or firsthand knowledge of this happening, though everyone has heard of someone who is allegedly sent here from elsewhere," Shoemaker said.
"If such a practice is occurring, it is something I would speak out against strongly.
"My focus remains on finding practical, collaborative solutions to address homelessness and mental health/addictions challenges here in Sault Ste. Marie, and on continuing to advocate for the resources and support our community needs from the provincial and federal governments, which are nowhere near enough to tackle the severity of the issue," the mayor said.