Councillor ‘appalled’ with motel sign threatening tenants with legal action
Posted Sep 7, 2023 10:51:07 AM.
Last Updated Sep 7, 2023 10:55:35 AM.
An Ottawa city councillor is voicing her displeasure with a motel in her ward that she said is trying to scare vulnerable residents.
A note posted outside of the Concorde Motel on Montreal Road, attributed to management, stated the following:
“To all residents of the Concorde Motel, please be aware: The Salvation Army Thrift Store is a tenant of the Concorde Motel and all donations that are dropped off are the property of the Salvation Army Thrift Store – the taking of donations is stealing and will not be tolerated. The Salvation Army reserves the right to press criminal charges and you may face immediate eviction from the premises. Cameras are monitoring donation area 24/7.”
The motel is currently used to temporarily house families, and the building is connected to the Salvation Army Thrift Store, which often accepts donation bags that are left outside
“I just find those kinds of threats are really really disingenuous and obviously meant to scare people who really don’t have much to begin with and I found that completely appalling,” said Rideau-Vanier Coun. Stephanie Plante.
She said that’s not the type of attitude she wants to see towards the less fortunate in her ward.
The Salvation Army provided a statement to CityNews Ottawa, saying they do not agree with the sign, and that it was posted by the Concorde Motel.
“The language used in the sign’s message does not reflect how The Salvation Army addresses the challenges of donations that are dropped off outside of normal business hours.” said spokesperson Glenn Van Gulik. ”
We encourage the public to drop off their donations during business hours so we can bring those items in and quickly make them available in the Salvation Army’s Thrift Store. This helps address the challenges with poor weather that can affect the donations and minimizes large amounts of donations piling up outside.”
Plante says she is looking to meet with owners of the motel to get the sign taken down.
The motel is slated to be torn down soon, and will be replaced with a larger Salvation Army Shelter. The Centre of Hope project, commonly referred to as the “mega-shelter” has faced strong local opposition for years.
