Fast Facts on the George Street Stage Fence

Why is the City erecting a security fence on the George Street stage?

Council, staff and stakeholders are very concerned about the potential safety risks for individuals sleeping rough on the George Street stage, but this is not the only reason why Council voted to erect a security fence.

In recent years, the stage on George Street has been subjected to a number of unsafe acts, from unauthorized access - including sheltering in the electrical room - to infrastructure damage and vandalism. These events typically occur when the stage is not in use. As a result, we need to find a way to secure the stage when it is not in use as a performance area.

This is one of several issues the City, the George Street Association and others have looked at when it comes to safety in the downtown core.

The stage is a live performance venue in the heart of a busy entertainment district. It is regularly used for concerts and events. It is a primarily wooden structure and includes exposed electrical connections. This venue is not constructed or equipped to offer safe shelter for those in need.

A fire on this structure could have tragic consequences, not only for businesses and homes in the vicinity but more importantly for individuals on George Street.

Staff proposed erecting an ornamental fence around the perimeter of the stage that will allow designated service providers to easily remove and replace each fence panel before and after scheduled events, ensuring a safe environment for all. A motion was passed by Council on June 26 to proceed. 

Watch the debate

The City has a duty to:

1. protect individuals from an identified, life-threatening harm in one of our properties
2. protect our property from vandalism and infrastructure damage
3. protect the safety of one of our most important commercial districts

What is the City doing about the growing concerns of homelessness?

Staff and Council are actively engaged in addressing the issue of homelessness, both as advocates and as active partners. We do not have the jurisdiction for shelters or the supports these individuals need; that falls to other levels of government and community partners funded to do this work. However, this does not mean that we aren’t involved in addressing this serious and important issue in our municipality.

When we are notified of people sleeping rough, staff directly notify our community partners such as Thrive and End Homelessness St. John’s who do the frontline work. They are the ones to make direct contact with these individuals. They often know them and can guide them to existing resources and services.

We provide funding to help End Homelessness St. John’s with their Coordinated Access to Housing program which directly supports people living rough.

And we are in partnership with the Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation to ensure that we are aligning resources and funding to ensure the community sector is getting the training and services they need to support vulnerable people in the community.

Does the City care about affordable housing?

Absolutely. Housing is one of our main priorities.

We are the second largest provider of affordable housing in St. John’s, next to the Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation. We will and do take applications from people who are living rough or in shelters. Of our more than 400 units offered through a variety of programs, 27 of these are vacant, nine of which are currently under repairs in preparation for new tenants, with the others on the list to get rent ready.  Emergency shelter housing is a service that belongs to the provincial government.

We have partnered with shelters and community groups, who are in the position to offer supportive services, to create innovative and supported housing arrangements for vulnerable people. Our partners include Connections for Seniors, Iris Kirby House, Three Bird Shelter and Choices for Youth.

Finally, we are administering a funding program for the federal government to create more affordable housing in St. John’s. We work with the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation and others to encourage and support new construction and conversion of properties into new affordable housing solutions.