Deputy Grand Chief concerned about proposed location for transitional housing in Timmins

April 4, 2025

Mushkegowuk Council Deputy Grand Chief Natasha Martin is questioning the message the City of Timmins is sending about homeless people by proposing to construct transitional housing units in a remote area near the Deloro landfill site, well away from community services located in the downtown.

Indigenous residents represent more than half of the homeless population in Timmins, according to the city’s own studies.

“As we are aware, many of the people in Timmins without adequate housing are members of Mushkegowuk First Nations,” said Martin.

The Deputy Grand Chief wrote to Timmins Mayor Michelle Boileau this week to express her concerns, not only about the location, but the fact Timmins council appears to have made a decision about an important service largely based on the results of a public survey.

“A decision should not have been taken based on popular opinion but rather on developing the best location and model to effectively serve the needs of the people involved,” Martin wrote. “The proposed location is highly problematic because of its inaccessibility to the target population of homeless people. In addition to the distance from downtown, there are no sidewalks or streetlights along the road, which can only lead to serious risk of harm to people waking along this road.”

She also noted the continuous streams of trucks hauling trash, garbage blowing around, the threat of toxic contaminants and leachate, and odours from the dump site in that area.

Martin suggested Mushkegowuk Council and other Indigenous organizations could have offered some valuable insights if they had been consulted on this project.

“The choice to develop housing based on the model of mining camps ignores the findings of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in Canada,” said Martin.
“This inquiry highlighted many of the issues this style of camp poses to Indigenous women and families.”

The Deputy Grand Chief concluded her letter stating, “I know that by working together we can build better solutions to challenges faced by the City of Timmins for the betterment of all citizens.”

For more information contact:   Ron Grech
Communications, Mushkegowuk Council Lands & Resources:   705-365-8308
e-Mail:    rongrech@mushkegowuk.ca

NT5