Business group asks Belleville council to help with noise, loitering downtown

By Thomas Goyer

BELLEVILLE – The association representing downtown store owners is asking Belleville council for help with problems of noise, loitering and other issues.

Kathryn Brown, chair of the Downtown District, appeared before council Monday to ask for its support.

“We are finding that we’re experiencing an increase of foot traffic of people who are not here to shop or dine but are loitering,” Brown told QNet News Tuesday. “In doing so, they’re creating an uncomfortable atmosphere for the people who do visit.”

Millions of dollars have been invested by the city in downtown revitalization in recent years. Brown said a lot of progress has been made, but making sure visitors have the best experience is of utmost importance.

“If people are coming to the downtown and are having a bad experience their first time, then typically they won’t come back,” she said. “They are likely to tell other people of their experience, and they won’t come either.”

Kate’s Kitchen owner Kathryn Brown, who spoke to council this week about problems downtown, said planters in front of her shopt have been damaged.” Photo by Thomas Goyer, QNet News

Brown, the owner of Kate’s Kitchen on Front Street downtown, said planters in front of her store have been damaged.

While she expressed support for the recently opened Grace Inn homeless shelter on Church Street and the warming centre in the Belleville Public Library on Pinnacle Street, both of which are to help the homeless population, she added that they have unanticipated side effects for downtown.

The homeless people who use the shelters tend to stay downtown during the day when the shelters are closed, she said.

After her presentation Monday, council referred the matter to city staff for more study.

“We were very pleased by council’s response,” Brown said.

“Unfortunately we had to expose the underbelly of downtown to get a dialogue started.”

But several people have pushed back against Brown’s message.

She told both council and QNet that another factor in the problem is a summer food program in Market Square that distributes hot meals to those who need them every night during the summer.

The food program is put on by Not Alone Team Quinte, an advocacy group for the homeless. 

Not Alone Team Quinte founder Debbie Pike responded to Brown’s comments on Facebook, saying: “We provided a much-needed meal program in the heart of downtown when no other programs were available.”

The Facebook page for Not Alone Team Quinte was filled this week with commenters saying Brown had pointed blame at the homeless during her presentation to council, and that this was unfair.

“As someone who owns a home in the downtown, works and pays taxes and spends money locally, I stand with those in most need of friends,” wrote one commenter, Sean McNeill.