For Immediate Release
13 September, 2023
NDP Leader, Jim Dinn (St. John’s Centre), is calling on government to prioritize creating a community centre for Livingstone Street in St. John’s. The neighbourhood has been living with residents who are struggling without connection to support services that meet their needs. Dinn says a community centre in the local neighbourhood would go a long way to strengthening the community, support families and seniors in the area.
“The neighbourhood surrounding Livingstone Street in St. John’s is a vibrant community that families with young children, young professionals, and seniors call home who would all benefit from a community centre that meets the specific needs of their neighbourhood,” said Dinn. “It’s also a part of the city where many people are struggling and have no where they can turn. Instead see people with complex needs being taken advantage of, and their suffering is unnoticed except by the neighbours that live beside them,” said Dinn.
Dinn is calling for a dedicated community centre that meets the needs of the neighbourhood rather than being a satellite centre dependent on another community’s resources to deliver services. Neighbours in the community have been doing outreach work and connecting others to services. Dinn says this needs to be a coordinated effort that is well resourced rather than community members bearing the burden of government’s lack of focus.
“The neighbours in this community do not get enough recognition for the social services they are providing, but that responsibility shouldn’t fall on them,” said Dinn. “When I hear stories of neighbours supporting sex workers that have been abused, or making sure that tenants know their rights I ask myself ‘what would be happening if there weren’t neighbours helping on these streets?’, unfortunately the answer would be more tragedies on city streets that could have been prevented.”
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Media Contact: Eddy St. Coeur, Director of Communications, 709.729.2137