The Town of Huntsville and District of Muskoka today issued a joint statement regarding the death of Paul Fenc, who died in a vehicle fire early Sunday morning:
Several statements have been released regarding the tragic death of Paul Fenc, and we understand that the OPP will be providing an official statement about their investigation shortly.
District of Muskoka
District of Muskoka staff were closely involved with Paul, providing both social and community supports. Paul was an independent soul and our staff are devastated by this loss. We are deeply saddened by his death, and our thoughts go out to his family, including his extended family here in Huntsville. We had been working very closely with community partners including the OPP, hospital, mental health, addictions, the Salvation Army and probation staff, along with family members, to provide intensive care and support for Paul.
Town of Huntsville
The Town of Huntsville is deeply saddened by the loss of our community member, Paul Fenc, and our thoughts go out to his family and friends during this difficult time.
The Town of Huntsville is responsible for ensuring construction projects are in compliance with the Ontario Building and Fire Codes to safeguard all building inhabitants.
The Town of Huntsville has been working with Heather Berg, President of the Table Soup Kitchen Foundation for several months to complete an occupancy plan for the Table Men’s Shelter. Many issues existed with the original plan which were in contravention to the Fire Code and Building Code. Staff have been working collaboratively with Ms. Berg and her designer to reach a solution that would ensure compliance with all mandatory legislation.
The Town of Huntsville has been awaiting final information from Ms. Berg on the project prior to considering the issuance of an Occupancy Permit. To date, the Town of Huntsville has not received the necessary documentation to grant occupancy.
The Town will continue to work with Ms. Berg to finalize the shelter occupancy, and to ensure that the shelter is a safe location for the provision of additional emergency supports and services for clients that are extremely vulnerable and experiencing homelessness.
Watch for an in-depth story on Doppler coming tomorrow (November 23).
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Why can’t our town give the men in need a temporary solution while waiting for the shelter to open? It is the town of Huntsville that is creating the turmoil so the shelter can’t be opened so shouldn’t they fix it. We have lost one citizen how many more do we have to lose before the shelter can open? Unfortunately nothing can change what has happened to Paul. So let’s get something done to prevent another death or injury because of this shelter not being opened. LET’S OPEN THE SHELTER NOW.
So, knowing that even to date, there is no shelter for homeless men in your town, city council of Huntsville will just patiently wait indefinitely for others to eventually resolve this?!?!? Your hands are not tied. Where is your responsibility as city council to ensure your community has it’s 911 amenities addressed properly by/at critical times? You can impose deadlines, divert funds- you are not powerless. He came asking for help and was turned away. It was not his disposition you’ve near slanderously implied with your blatantly extensive and excessive laundry list of supposedly exhausted resources. This is not an inevitable tragedy that met its natural conclusion. “We had been working very closely with community partners including the OPP, hospital, mental health, addictions, the Salvation Army and probation staff, along with family members, to provide intensive care and support for Paul.” He needed a place to sleep. He asked for one and was denied one- period. His mental faculties were about him when he requested this and it was a legitimate request that would have been answered in most Canadian towns. I am appalled by this slant’s lack of credibility, empathy and sense of responsibility. Sadly dismissive, what now city council? Will any of you be funding a funeral, attending it, ensuring there are flowers? Most importantly, will you at the very least now ensure a shelter for men is opened ASAP? You owe this to Paul now, after seeming to attempt to discredit his most lucid moment of asking for help at a grave time of need, and denied on your watch. Make it right!
People shouldn’t say “I feel ashamed that we can provide a home ,clothing and money for a refugee family in our community , but one of our own community member burn to death just trying to keep warm”.
The refugee family had someone volunteer to take them in. I see someone here, who if they had of been aware there was this state of affairs for this man, that he would have volunteered to pay for a hotel room for a couple days. Fair is fair.
Bringing in a refugee family into the issue is a non starter logically. It has nothing to do with the problem or solution. It might have been different if the town had of had notices out that there were homeless men needing someone to pay for a hotel room and nobody would do it. And that’s not so.
But, I’m sure many know that when this plan began, not everyone wanted the shelter “near them”. and perhaps that’s an attitude that needs rethinking. If that battle never had to have been fought, perhaps this shelter would have been up and operational quite a while back. But we just will never know for a fact.
There is no point in pointing fingers at others now, everyone needs to point the finger at themselves and understand that we all bear a responsibility in bring aid to others who find themselves in a position in life where they cannot properly help themselves. Locals or new comers. They are all people. And we are Canadians, and that’s what we do. Period.
Housing & access to resources for everyone.
The women have a shelter and apartment complex and have for years yet the men have nothing. Please explain how that’s right. If there was something, he wouldn’t have had to take shelter in a van to keep warm.
This situation is very sad and was completely preventable , with or with out the shelter. This man should have been helped by this community , I personally would have paid for a motel room for a few nights for him until other arrangements could be made. Although the Table Soup kitchen tried to help him, they failed this man. When the weather is that cold no one should assume a person would survive the night , especially knowing he had been living in a tent for shelter. Huntsville needs a out of the cold program at a local church, with volunteer helpers. I feel ashamed that we can provide a home ,clothing and money for a refugee family in our community , but one of our own community member burn to death just trying to keep warm. SHAME ON US , HUNTSVILLE, I AM VERY,VERY HEART BROKEN !
The Shelter could have been his safe haven but sadly it still stands empty – so sad, may he rest in peace. Hopefully the powers that be remove whatever obstacles are delaying the approval of the opening of this building, winter is here and I am sure there are many more poor souls out there who are looking for a warm place to get out of the cold.
Always someone else’s fault!
We all failed Paul Fenc. Enough of the condescending, self -righteous attitudes. The question now is WHAT are we going to do to prevent this from happening again. Each and everyone one of us living in this great community?!?!
Enough excuses already, get the job done before we lose another soul!!
The “Town ” needs to loose the road blocks and red tape before someone else suffers needlessly !
I guess it is best to cover our butts and shed blame to someone else than really try to solve the overall problem . Let us make sure this never happens again . We all have to bend in life we do not have to break. 🙂