TORONTO – Colin Stonehewer walks his six- and seven-year-old sons to their new school for their very first day.
Stonehewer and his family just moved to the Eglinton Avenue West area and his sons Nick and A.J. will be attending St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School.
“We had a choice of a couple schools and we chose this one,” said Stonehewer.
What he did not know when making his choice, is that a halfway house run by the John Howard Society of Toronto (JHST) is set to open steps from the elementary school.
“I’m just hearing about this, I’m not happy about it,” said Colin. “They shouldn’t do that within 500 feet of schools, right?”
The JHST purchased the property at 1669 Eglinton Avenue West in 2013 and the project to build a halfway house for federal offenders has been in the works ever since. The goal is to get it started before the end of this year.
“Somebody would apply to live here and then there’s an assessment team,” said JHST Executive Director Sonya Spencer.
“We would not accept anyone who we believed would pose undue risk to the community or the students,” said Spencer, when asked by Global News about the decision to house federal inmates around the corner from the elementary school, which is located at 636 Glenholme Avenue.
A spokesperson for Correctional Service of Canada, which is partnering with the JHST explained, “These facilities provide a bridge between the institution and the community. They work on a system of gradual, supervised release.
“Many offer programming for residents, which may include life skills, substance abuse, employment and/or crisis counselling.”
Stenehewer said “there might be a change” when it comes to his choice of schools for his two sons. He finds it concerning that federal offenders will be so close to young students.
The Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) sent a letter home to parents ensuring them that every precaution is being taken to make sure their children are safe.
“Because of the close proximity to the school, the Toronto Catholic District School Board has been in contact with Sonya Spencer, the Executive Director of the John Howard Society of Toronto who has reassured us of their continued commitment to community safety,” read a portion of the statement.