West Islanders pass through the Dorval bus station every day.
For most, it’s a brief pause on their commute to work, but for many of the West Island’s homeless, it’s a safe place to sleep.
“I’ve seen about two or three people sleep in here,” said commuter Travis Gabriel.
“I feel bad for them, you know?”
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This week, Action Jeunesse de l’Ouest-de-l’Île (AJOI) received a $109,000 grant to hire two councillors who will work with at-risk or homeless youth.
“Not only does it prove homelessness is a problem, but we can’t deny it,” said co-founder Benoit Langevin.
“It means there was some experts that analyzed our grants and research. Why wouldn’t we have homelessness if we have pockets of poverty?”
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While there are outreach organizations, there are currently no soup kitchens or homeless shelters in the West Island.
“I’ve actually seen homeless people in the West Island,” said Alex Orsini, who was en route home.
“Not a lot, but I’ve seen people without shelter looking for money or food.”
Matthew Pearce, president of the Old Brewery Mission, explained the organization is considering providing more support to the western part of the island.
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“For people that are homeless, there should be a place to go, but I don’t think it has to be in the West Island,” he said.
“There are services that exist, but it’s about giving them access to that. The Old Brewery Mission runs a shuttle service in the city core. Could we offer something to the West Island? That’s something we could be prepared to look into.”
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Neither Pearce or Langevin want to uproot at-risk West Islanders from the support systems and communities they have, but it is better than spending a night at the bus shelter.
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