Today’s letters: We’re not ‘looking away’ from the homeless either

Thomas Cavasos and his cat, Phoenix, have been living rough on the streets of Ottawa for about two years. Photo by Bruce Deachman /POSTMEDIAArticle content

A helping hand for the homeless

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Cyril Butler’s excellent article has inspired me to share our recent experience with “not looking away.”

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First, a sincere thanks to Bruce Deachman for putting a “face to the faceless” in his extensive coverage of homelessness in Ottawa. Some of his articles featured Thomas Cavasos and his cat, Phoenix, who had settled on the corner of Lisgar and Elgin streets. Several of us had been independently helping Thomas when a decision was made to coordinate our efforts: six women, total strangers, young and middle-aged professionals, and retirees.

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We reached out to community resources and government officials. In the end, we did not succeed in getting Thomas housed in the long term as we had hoped. We did succeed, however, on our own initiative, in getting Thomas and Phoenix off the streets during the coldest months of January and February. With compassion and commitment and a healthy dose of patience and persistence, much can be accomplished.

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Millie Mirsky and friends, Ottawa

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Transparency at the public library

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Sonia Bebbington’s article on the Ottawa Public Library (OPL) celebrates access to ideas and the opportunity for personal growth, but avoids questions about OPL’s gatekeeping.

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OPL reported 11 requests to restrict books last year but offers no transparency on books it declined to purchase. What are the selection criteria? Are controversial perspectives excluded? And, to be provocative, does OPL acquire pornography in the name of “freedom to read”?

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Bebbington’s letter highlights libraries as “third places” for gathering, yet our residents travel farther to a branch than in other major cities. The average distance to a library branch within the greenbelt is 2.7 km — compared to 1.2 km in Toronto, 1.5 km in Montreal, 1.9 km in Vancouver, and even 2.1 km in Calgary. Some of our most underserved areas are those with Ottawa Community Housing and co-ops, where library programs could be most impactful. Meanwhile, one branch in a well-served area sits adjacent to two large cemeteries — an odd choice for a community hub.

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Libraries should champion intellectual freedom and community, but that starts with applying the same principles to their own collection and service decisions.

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John D. Reid, Ottawa

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