Residents forge new group to leverage support for downtown nuisance problems

Concerned about social issues and crime in downtown neighbourhoods, residents came out of a public meeting Wednesday with plans to forge a new leadership group designed to curb the diverse problems plaguing the area.

City officials, police and social service providers got an earful from more than 150 residents who filed into the YMCA looking to be heard as they aired out issues.

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Dubbed the Downtown Neighbourhood Project, the forum was born from discussions between the Downtown Residents Association of Windsor and the Downtown Windsor Community Collaborative, both of which have been advocating for solutions to problems in the core.

After Wednesday's meeting, residents will soon have a new group that will be the voice for the downtown. Organizers of the forum want to create a governing body that will drill deep into the issues and force officials to take action.

"A lot of people feel like all they can dois just yell and their voices are falling on deaf ears," said Matt Wacna of the residents association."We're taking those voices and putting them in the right spots, so their voices are now heard and command action."

Residents have identified different areas within the downtown that have problems specific to them, such as speeding on DougallAvenue or needles and drug use in the core commercial area.

Given these area-specific issues, residents plan to carve the downtown into ward-like boundaries with specific people representing each region. Regular meetings will be established with an overarching downtown group that will take any issues to the people who can help and demand a response.

Coun. RinoBortolinsaid residents have been asking for solutions, some of which are as simple as installing lights in alleys in order to keep unwanted activity away.

"Ittakes months and months ... some of them have not been passed," he said. "These are the small tiny details that residents need and this meeting will help with conversations like that."