More than 100 area residents held a noisy protest outside the proposed site of a New Toronto homeless shelter while calling on City Council to find another spot and not one in a prime commercial location.

Area residents called for the shelter to be relocated or for smaller shelters to be created across the city rather that the use of so-called ‘mega-shelters.’

“This is a primary commercial site on our main strip and it is not the right place for a shelter,” says Vashti King, of the New Toronto Ratepayers Association, which organized the September 3 demonstration. “We support the shelter and propose alternate solutions.”

The group is proposing that Councillors create smaller shelters across the city rather than treat people in “mega-shelters.”

Toronto City Council are slated to vote to purchase the 2950 and 2970 Lake Shore Blvd. W. properties in a virtual meeting on September 30. A sale signals a shelter may be coming.

King says more than 300 anti-shelter letters have been sent to Mayor John Tory and others and more than 1,200 area residents voted against the proposal in an online survey. A slightly higher amount voted online for the plan.

Residents warn that there are about 14 social agencies in the area and ‘enough is enough.’

Rattan Gandhi, Treasurer of the Lakeshore Village BIA, was encouraged by the turnout of residents who showed up to voice their concerns.

“The community is very much concerned about this issue,” Gandhi says. “You can just see that by the turnout of people, which is very encouraging.

He believes property taxes may rise since the lack of taxes paid by the shelter will be passed on to local residents and businesses.

Debbie, a community worker, says there are long waits to access the local social agencies for people needing help.

“There are many families who cannot afford to pay rent,” Debbie says. “It is so bad that we are now giving away the highest amount of food vouchers that we ever have.”

News of the shelter, which will have rooms from COVID-19 patients, have split the community with businesses and homeowners calling on Council to relocate the facility.

The site is the former BiWay store and empty office building near Lake Shore Blvd. W. near Eighth St.