Content note: Mentions of verbal harassment and sexual assault

A couple of weeks ago, Kind Space was informed of a sexual assault that took place near 400 Cooper on their way home after a program. The individual who was assaulted was able to escape that situation, get home safely, and is receiving the care and support needed. This situation is an extreme version of what some have been experiencing over the last few weeks and months on Cooper St and sometimes directly outside of 400 Cooper. We have had conversations with various programs and community groups using the space over the last couple of weeks about leaving in pairs when exiting the immediate area at the end of the evening, and we informed the property managers of the assault. Below, we discuss the measures we have taken and will continue to take to reduce the risks of unwanted interactions. However, first, we would like to address a growing concern.

While not the sole cause of these unwanted interactions, we have noted over the years that the increased presence of policing in and mass displacement of neighbours from the Byward Market into Centretown, and the closure of Supervised Consumption Sites, pushing people to use drugs in more public areas for safety, has led many people to the Bank-Cooper corridor as a refuge. This push has also exacerbated the conditions for exploitation of those navigating addiction and homelessness, looking to meet basic needs of food and shelter. It feels that we have reached a moment where we have surpassed our current level of resources to address this more broadly. Our organization, like several others in the area, is once again put in a position of attempting to address safety concerns without the necessary resources, causing an over-reliance and overuse of security and policing to intervene in situations where properly funded outreach and intervention services like ANCHOR could be called upon. 

We take harm to our community members very seriously, and we don’t want that harm to be exploited into calls for increased policing, when the actual answer is an increase in funding to existing community-based interventions like Supervised Consumption Sites and access to the fundamentals of life – affordable housing, reliable public transit, food, sleep, etc. All of that is true, and Kind Space must and will respond with the resources that are currently available to us.

Kind Space will be taking the following measures to increase safety, until further notice:

• Temporarily have a volunteer stationed in the lobby for the first fifteen minutes of a program; depending on staffing, we may also have a volunteer on hand who can wait downstairs as people leave the building.

• We will begin adjusting in-person programs that begin at 7PM to 6PM, this aligns better with the 6PM end time for the Drop-In. This should be reflected starting this month.

• We’ve been exploring additional safety measures that include individuals and community groups who have practiced skills in safety walks, community defense, de-escalation, and intervention. 

We also encourage community members to:

• Show up at or just before the start time of a program. There will be a 10-15 minute period at the start for people to get settled before formal programming begins.

• Wait for ride shares, taxis, or arranged rides in the lobby or outside with a group/friends. 

• Walk together to bus stops/train stations if they are headed in the same direction.

While the property managers have increased security for the building over the last year —something that we don’t control— to try to provide a deterrence to particular behaviours, we worry that the ever escalating presence of security will lead to the profiling or mistreatment of community members inside and outside of 400 Cooper St, who are just trying to attend programs and access services. If you are in a situation where you have been harassed or had to interact with security/police in or immediately outside of 400 Cooper, please inform staff as soon as possible.

Kind Space remains committed to providing a safe and joyful environment for all our community members to seek community, rest, and resources in a dignified and affirming manner. For those who wish to have a deeper discussion about safety concerns or safety planning, please contact Carling Miller (carling@kindspace.ca) or Jade Peek (jade@kindspace.ca). 

Resources:

• Ottawa Rape Crisis Centre (24/7): 1-877-544-6424 (voice and text)

• Sexual Assault Support Centre of Ottawa (24/7): 613-234-2266 (voice)

• Trans Lifeline (Mon.-Fri., 1pm-9pm): 1-877-330-6366