A nearly century-old hardware store in the center of Toronto’s LGBTQ2S town is definitive if the safety scene in the neighborhood doesn’t improve.
Dudley Hardware Paint
After working in the workshop for more than two decades, owner Steve Dawson is the last workshop.
“I can’t handle this anymore,” Dawson told CTV News Toronto on Wednesday.
Dawson said Sunday morning, for the fourth time so far this year, that his window had been broken. In addition to common thefts, he said staff had been spat at and physically assaulted, adding that he had noted the Church-Wellesley community’s decline beyond a crisis.
Broken window in Dudley’s Hardware Paint
“Every time there is a ding dong, the hair on the back of the neck stands out, every time we have to say hello to someone,” he said.
“We’ve had other people in the back of the store who started shooting themselves, injecting themselves into the back of the store, splattering blood everywhere, and I’m lucky to still be my staff because the maximum just said, ‘I’m done.
Phil Parsons is helping organize a protest Saturday at noon against the build-up of violence, harassment and vandalism. He spent Wednesday handing out flyers.
“We are protesting for safety and security in our village,” Parsons told CTV News Toronto. “We want to draw attention to this domain and (the) village because there are days when we feel besieged. “
People will gather at the intersection of Church and Wellesley and hold an “old-fashioned sit-in,” Parsons said.
Some workers at Out On The Street, a clothing store that borders the north side of Barbara Hall Park, said they didn’t feel like eating lunch or visiting the AIDS memorial in the park.
AIDS Memorial at Barbara Hall Park in the village of Church-Wellesley. (CTV News Toronto)
Out On The Street store manager Derek Skrzynski rides his motorcycle toward Mimico’s paintings, and said he ran into trouble along the way because other people approached him to ask for or sell drugs, and noticed ambulances responding to overdoses in the area.
He said he proposed spending time in the park where trash and needles can be seen.
“It’s not the safest place. . . I think we want more from the city, more shelter,” Skrzynski said.
Employees who speak to CTV News Toronto need to see more facilities and in the park and outdoors 519.
“I witnessed a fight or a fight between 4 people, and there were security guards watching, but they weren’t committed, they weren’t desperate about the situation,” said Sam Keller, a local resident and clothing store employee.
William Ayers, owner of the Zendog puppy store, said the city and 519 took on more responsibilities.
“It’s nothing other than if I own a restaurant and I have an outside patio, I give them alcohol and they get belligerent, it’s my duty to keep this domain safe and the same thing happens to them, it doesn’t end with them just giving away odd meals,” Ayers said.
519 told CTV News Toronto that there are long-standing protection issues in the town of Church-Wellesley and east of downtown, adding that the solution goes through all levels of government.
“I think it’s everybody’s duty to make sure we have a netpaintings, we work a lot with the resident netpaintings, netpaintings ty table, the city, at the end of the day, there’s not much we can do,” the 519 said.
519 has some on-site security, however, the number of workers can vary from day to day and season to season.
Dawson said his store supports six families and the final decision is not easy.
Dudley Hardware owner Steve Dawson. (CTV News Toronto)
“The network wants us and we need to be here, but if things don’t change, it’s not sustainable,” he said.
Dawson said the challenge is not with other homeless people nearby, but with ongoing violence, harassment and vandalism.
In a statement, the city of Toronto said it is collaborating with network organizations to help Barbara Hall Park all park users and this spring introduced a pilot Community Safety Ambassador assignment for safety.
Among several ongoing projects are needle collection and Streets to Homes outreach staff stopping at least once in a 24-hour period.
“Dudley’s Hardware has been a fixture in this area for nearly a century. This is an example of how vital small businesses are to our community,” says a representative of the Church-Wellesley Village BIA. “If Dudley’s closed, the loss would be deeply felt. “
The BIA said it also recognizes that protection is different for each and every member of the LGBTQ2S network and, over the years, has been involved in movements such as events in the park, data sharing, collaboration with local government and police, de-escalation teams, and participation in protection committees.
A meeting to address security issues at the domain is scheduled for Friday, which will be attended by Toronto Police, 519 and Dudley’s Hardware.