While there are still many questions that remain unanswered, Heather Berg, Founder of the Table Soup Kitchen Foundation, took to social media on Monday to express her sadness and frustration with a death in our community that she said could have been prevented.
On Sunday, November 20, Huntsville fire and police were notified of a vehicle fire at a residence on Chaffey Street. An older model van was engulfed in fire. Once the fire was extinguished, the body of Paul Fenc, known to his friends as JC, was found inside. Fenc, 39, was homeless and had no immediate family in the area. Those who got to know Fenc said his wife had died several years ago and he struggled with mental health and addiction issues. They referred to him as JC, for Jesus Christ, because his birthday fell on December 25.
The Friday before his tragic death Fenc sought help at the Table Soup Kitchen Foundation.
“JC came to us on Friday afternoon looking for help. He was living in a tent in the bush. We were able to pass on a rolling suitcase that a Table friend had left for him as well as a bag of food,” wrote Berg on the Table’s Facebook page. “We expressed that our shelter was unfortunately not open yet, due to road blocks out of our control. He thought he’d still be okay outside and carried on his way.”
We reached an emotional Berg on Monday evening. She is convinced that had the shelter been open sooner, JC would have had a place to stay while seeking shelter from the cold. “He had addiction and mental health issues and he knew that we were his friends so he came to us for help,” she said.
Berg would not lay the blame on any one person or system in particular, but did say that getting an occupancy permit has taken an inordinate amount of time.
“It is very sad that the shelter had not been a priority for Muskoka. That we as a whole do not recognize that there’s enough of a need, even if it saves one life to open this [men’s shelter],” she said as she choked back tears.
We are not doing this for profit. We are merely trying to help people who can’t help themselves. There have been many people who have been incredible in trying to support our project, who have encouraged us along the way but when it comes down to the bureaucratic, political side of things, we do not feel like we’ve been treated fairly or with respect or with the priority that it [the shelter] should’ve been given. Founder of Table Soup Kitchen Foundation and proponent of a Huntsville men’s shelter, Heather Berg
We reached Town of Huntsville director of planning Derrick Hammond for comment on the shelter issue. He said it is his understanding that the Town was still awaiting the final paperwork related to the updated shelter design, which there had been a verbal agreement on. “Once we receive that, my understanding is we’ll be in a position to issue that occupancy permit,” he said.
The Town is obligated through legislation when it comes to the Building Code to ensure the safety of people when it comes to occupancy of buildings and so initially we found [the shelter] to be an unsafe condition and so that’s something that we take seriously.
Town of huntsville executive Director of development services, Derrick Hammond
Hammond said he was saddened to learn of the death of Fenc. “That’s a terrible situation.”
See related stories on the shelter below.
Men’s shelter reduced to four beds for now, still awaiting occupancy permit
How many beds are too many for Huntsville’s men’s shelter?
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Warm November…………we will pay for this kind of weather…………..we all have said this. Paul did pay for the weather turning cold that Saturday night. So sad.
Obviously something went wrong and to know it only took 48 hours or less, late Tuesday night (Nov.22nd) after Paul left to know the shelter was in appliance to the building codes!!!!!! months went by to have the building approved.
the questions will always be WHY!
Although I have been one of the first to criticize Mayor Aitchison on some occasions, this will never be one of them. As a former Director of the Muskoka Parry Sound Mental Health Service Board, Mr. Fenc’s death sickens me: The majority of homeless men have mental health, addiction, or concurrent disorders, and a “safe” shelter with qualified staff is required 24/7. But to lay this at the Mayor’s feet is patently unfair. Town staff were awaiting revised plans from the original shelter designer; prior to issuing an Occupancy Permit. Mr. Davis makes the one cogent statement; in that opening the shelter without complying with the OBC or local fire regulations may have resulted in a large-scale disaster. The District appears to be blameless as well; having been working with all the appropriate agencies and Mr. Fenc’s family on his behalf.
If anyone can tell me what is to be gained by all this finger-pointing, please do. As a temporary and permanent resident of Huntsville for 70 years, I cannot remember a worse disaster, or one that has touched so many hearts. But our entire community is at fault: Attempting to assuage one’s individual guilt by shifting it to any convenient scapegoat is demeaning and counter-productive. Better instead to become a volunteer (in any capacity, with any group in need). Huntsville’s shortage of volunteers is dire, and most of us are elderly. Who will step up to replace us?
And now an Occupancy Permit has been issued. Lest anybody crow. It is an act of Christian charity to provide for the less fortunate among us; nothing more, nothing less. Kudos to all involved!
A shift in consciousness is required. Access to housing & resources for everyone is required. Muskoka. Ontario. Canada.
We don’t have to imagine, John. The consequences of following the law – or not – have already been shown to us.
Lack of ‘getting it done’ by way of placing the onus on groups who lack the resources to do it on their own has proven the Town needs to jump in and help where it’s needed.
I ‘don’t know about the Town, but anyone who has followed this project knows that the District has not been supportive towards the Men’s Shelter in Huntsville. They feel that there is no need to have a Men’s Shelter in Muskoka. There is no way that all the blame is falling on Berg. As noted from Berg: “when it comes down to the bureaucratic, political side of things, we do not feel like we’ve been treated fairly or with respect or with the priority that it [the shelter]should’ve been given” and “getting an occupancy permit has taken an inordinate amount of time”.
Can anyone imagine how they would have felt if the Town and District had not followed the law and just allowed the Table Soup Kitchen Foundation to open an unsafe Men’s Shelter and it burned taking lives with it. Ms. Berg and her Foundation need to fulfill their obligation to meet the building standards required to get occupancy as soon as possible. When these obligations have been completed the Town and District need to fast track its approval. I believe everyone involved is working for the betterment of our community.
Excellent Sandra, I totally agree.:-)
My sympathies to the volunteers at the Food Bank, you had no way of knowing…..
How many tears will fall, how many meetings and upsets will be incurred in this Town before somebody sticks their head out from the ongoing litany of “legislation prohibits” etc. and does their job.
Dale Carnegie used to incorporate a phrase in his teachings of Self Improvement: It went
“I know men in the ranks, who are going to STAY in the ranks, Why? I’ll tell you Why, “SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY HAVEN’T THE ABILITY TO GET THINGS DONE!”
To Mayor Scott Aitchison, please get this paperwork done ! NOW! – and as Harry Truman said:
“The Buck Stops Here!”
This is a tragedy that never would have happened had this been a woman…..the fact that this young man was reaching out should tell us something about his need for help……1 homeless person is 1 to many considering how wealthy this community really is…..please for the sake of another homeless person……get this shelter opened……men are just as important as women!
I have not followed the shelter project in detail. Governments can stall a project indefinitely, they have created enough rules and regulations to make it impossible to navigate the system. We are highly over governed. Does a peaceful country like Canada really need a Federal, Provincial, Municipal, and Regional government??? Each with their own set of laws, many overlapping. I have seen the shelter building, and It certainly looks much safer than living in a tent or a car. I hope this man’s death spurs the people shuffling the papers on this, in their nice warm office, with their nice dependable pay check to move this project forward.
I find this incredibly tragic. My heart goes out to his family. I am so tired of Muskoka saying that we don’t have a homeless problem and yet, we do. He is not alone. There are some supports for woman, but none for men. I know from personal experience that many many young people are couch surfing, sleeping in tents, sleeping in abandoned buildings. This should not be happening in our country. WHEN are the social service agencies going to band together and do something about creating homeless shelters, and a housing first initiative? I personally have called around for clients to find them a place to stay and nothing is available, the rents here are atrocious and the room rentals for a motel are more than they get on Ontario Works. I have called Highland Court before and nobody even returned my call. We have an empty residence in Bracebridge Nipissing University and people sleeping outside! Why cant our politicians realize this is a real problem in Muskoka. And four beds? That is all? Are we dreaming, there are more than 4 homeless men a night out there.
A picture is worth a thousand words.
Scott Atchison and the zoning department have no excuse for delaying the permits needed for this shelter. Town Council needs to take a walk behind the mall and see how many others are falling between the cracks of their burocracy. Get this shelter funded or get out of office. You spend more money on stationary a year than it would take to open this shelter. Maybe you need to cut your cell phones off if you can’t find the funding.