Temporary transitional housing in Cornwall helped Sylvie feel safe

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After earning a BA in psychology and working for Simon Fraser University as a research assistant in the school of criminology, Sylvie suffered a life-changing injury in a freak incident: she fell while landscaping and suffered severe trauma in the neck and ears from an industrial weed eater. .

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Bedridden for several years, Sylvie was then victimized because of her disability. As a result, she said she has been homeless six times in the past 10 years.

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“It was the strangest experience because I’ve never been victimized as a healthy woman. But I walked with a crutch, a cane, a cane and it felt like I was a target for victimization and that was my experience for most of my disability,” she said.

Along the long and difficult journey, the Ottawa native landed along the St. Lawrence at one of the camps in Cornwall last summer. Now, she said she is happy and thriving while living in the former Parisian mansion. She said she is extremely grateful to be in Cornwall, calling our community members generous and welcoming.

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On Wednesday, Sylvie shared her personal story with YourTV’s Stephen Douris for a Community Matters segment, which will be available to Cogeco subscribers on YourTV at 5.30am, 6am, 10am and 10.30pm on Tuesday 21 May. We agreed to refer to her only as Sylvie.

“I met you in the park in the summer and you were a single person. Today, I see a completely different person sitting next to me,” said Douris. “Growing up… what has made the biggest change for you?”

“Having a safe place, a roof over my head and the right people to help me … people who knew what I needed when I said I had a traumatic experience that made me homeless,” Sylvie said.

Sylvie lives with a movement disorder and has been living with constant pain for many years. She is adamant that she never used medication to treat her constant pain, but instead used heating and cooling.

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“One day I woke up, I said I’m either going to be done or I’m going to get up again,” she said, explaining how she slowly regained her ability to walk.

Today, Sylvie has recently relearned to ride a bike, something she has always loved and attributes to her positive mental health.

“When I was in the tent city, I met a guy…who gave me his bike…it was the first time I had ridden a bike in 19 years. After my accident, I had someone take my bike. I was a cyclist … they took it away because it was breaking my heart that I would never ride again … now, I rode it every day,” she said.

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“I’m getting stronger… and I feel like my disability isn’t as noticeable… I listen to music, I try to eat well, take care of myself… and I’ve been going to church. I met a few people who gave me a different perspective on what happened to me.”

For a period of time, Sylvie worked on contract as a research assistant with the federal government and also freelanced from home as a way to earn extra money while managing her disability. Relying mostly on a Canada Pension Plan disability pension for several years, she survived on $1,000 a month, which eventually became inadequate to support her afford rent and hire people to help her shop, cook, clean and get groceries.

“There was no affordable housing that you could pay for on a $1,000 income … there was nowhere to live,” she said, reflecting on the past few years of staying in local motels, student residence halls in the summer months and sometimes in the premises. women’s shelters as she regained her mobility and strength.

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Living in one of the camps in Cornwall last summer, Sylvie said she was scared. She described it as a dog-eat-dog experience and felt particularly vulnerable there as a disabled woman. She said the experience left her traumatized.

Sylvie said she hears stories similar to hers from individuals who now live in the former Parisien mansion. She has heard from many other people who have struggled with being victimized, having physical health issues, and dealing with renovations/exploitative landlords. She is also aware of people with mental health issues and addictions.

“How important is it to be hosted?” asked Douris, who complimented Sylvie on her candor. “We all need safe and affordable housing.”

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Douris, the 2021 Citizen of the Year, opened up about how he too once struggled with homelessness.

“You need a safe place to live. Not just a roof over your head, but a safe place. And if the only place available is unsafe … that’s the story you hear from people in my situation,” Sylvie said. “Now I’m in a place where I’m paying for subsidized housing and it’s safe and affordable.

“This place is clean…I have resources I needed long ago and are available to me now…I have all my needs met. I’m still in survival mode because I don’t have a permanent home (yet)…but at the mansion, I can start over.”

The City of Cornwall has leased the former Parisian mansion since November, using it as a transitional location until its plans to establish a permanent transitional housing site at Massey Commons are finalized. With 20 rooms available, it became home to most of those living in the riverside camps when it opened.

To learn more about Sylvie’s story, watch Community Matters on from Cogeco YourTV on Tuesday. To view a schedule of YourTV programs, visit www.yourtv.tv/cornwall.

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