Let’s take back our communities.

Who are we taking them back from?

AGAR: Law-abiding Canadians need to take back their communities Back to video

Criminals. Anti-social activists. Politicians and courts who care more for criminal rights than they do public safety. Racists. Activist politicians and judges.

The Toronto Sun told the story of a breakdown between Toronto city hall and the community surrounding a shelter on the city’s south side.

Law-abiding residents being punished

The city decided it had trouble with the contractor supplying security at the shelter and suspended the arrangement. Community members felt the city had not followed up by providing adequate security against the predictable problems flowing from such a place.

One issue was homeless people and addicts not sticking to the shelter and taking over a nearby park that families would like to use for their children and themselves.

The Toronto Sun reported that Maxyne Lockart, who lives near the Lake Shore Blvd. shelter, is “concerned that city hall may opt to just take away the park’s amenities, like the playground and wading pool. She said previous concerns about safety were followed by the removal of picnic tables and the closure of public washrooms.”

That is too typical of politicians — giving up the space to the irresponsible and to the detriment of the responsible, law-abiding, taxpaying public.

Issues being addressed in Manitoba

Bill 48 in Manitoba, known as the Protective Detention and Care of Intoxicated Persons Act, addressed the ongoing meth crisis there.

Introducing the bill, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said: “When someone is going to be detained under this new law, it is because they are causing a problem in the community. We all know drugs have been having an impact in Manitoba and what this Bill 48 represents is us saying the person who is too caught up in their addiction to be able to take care of themselves is no longer going to decide how safe the rest of the community is.

“Instead, the rest of the community is going to step up, get them the treatment that they need, but most importantly say, ‘We are taking back our streets, we are taking back our communities, we are taking back our bus stops and we are going to make Manitoba safe again.’”

Who does the community belong to? It belongs to the people who make it work.

Those people get up in the morning and go to work to build an economy, from which taxes are paid. They follow the law, even when they don’t like some of the laws.

Leadership needed from other politicians

The city does not belong to the activists who show up to interfere with police who are trying to clear a park. Those people should be arrested and charged. Once they pay their dues, we can welcome them back so long as they participate in civil society.

The city does not belong to racists or antisemites who regularly march in Jewish neighbourhoods to intimidate decent people. If Toronto had a mayor who cares about Jews as much as she seemingly cares about libraries and bike lanes, maybe things would change.

The same can be said for many union leaders and politicians across Canada.

Judges and politicians need to learn that the community does not belong to violent offenders, such that those dangerous people are kept locked up as opposed to the turnstile system we have now.

Kinew is right: It is time to take back our communities.

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© Edmonton Sun