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Friends of the Cawthra Bush & Greater Mississauga Area
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Opening comments - more at end. Jan. 16, 1991 Mississauga News - Page - ? Shelter battle proved nothing It is abundantly clear that city councillors desperately want to get out if the landlord business. And who can blame them? In the past several years they've been painted the villains by a number of tenants who have balked under order to vacate, even though the City has had every right – as well as good reason – to do so. But in their unbridled zeal to shed themselves of the burden, errors of judgement have occurred and wrongs committed. The most telling involves the city-owned home Lois and Brian Stevens have been using to house a private cat shelter where sick and feral animals are saved from euthanasia and adopted out. The City intends to level the house as it is situated on property which will eventually form part of Mississauga's Public Gardens and Conservatory, along the Credit River. When the Stevenses were originally notified that they'd be evicted, it was the summer of 1989. They were told to clear out by October 31, even though the gardens project would not be underway for some years to come. Without doubt, the fact that the Stevenses were running an illegal cat shelter colored the majority of councillors' opinions and prompted them to take a hard line stand. It was a situation which smelled of trouble a mile away, and a quick fix was in order. What they didn't bank on was a backlash of public resentment, the vocal opposition of one of their colleagues on council, and the Stevenses refusal to clear out by the deadline. The Burnamthorpe Cat Shelter was providing a valuable service to Mississaugans which the City's animal control could not, and it wasn't going to be shut down without a fight. The Stevenses asked for a two-year grace period during which time the operation could be moved or phased out. That was denied and the legal eagles were brought in. After much wrangling and ill-will, the Stevenses are still occupying the property, and will continue to do so until June 1. They got their two years the hard way. Is this any way for a municipal government to treat good intentioned residents? The Stevenses should have been the exception to the rule, but instead were treated more harshly than other city tenants who seek cheap rent while giving nothing back to the community. If any good is to ever come of this, it's up to the City. Council has finally admitted that the work Lois Stevens was trying to accomplish is of considerable value and has struck a committee to study the possibility of establishing a private cat fostering system to augment the work being done by Animal Control. The program should be up and running the day Lois and Brian Stevens turn the key in their door for the last time. PLEEASSE SIGN OUR PETITION It will make a difference! Home Page - Main Table of Contents - Back up a page - Back to Top [COMMENTS BY DON B. - ] |
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