Citizens are beginning to feel unsafe in downtown Chicoutimi. Homelessness issues are on the rise and violent and aggressive behavior is a concern. So much so that traders on Rue Racine feel obliged to take extraordinary measures to protect their customers.
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Cops yelling at a man in the street, or screams you can’t ignore. Homeless people are more numerous in downtown Chicoutimi. More and more citizens are turning to the Saguenay Police Department for this type of problem.
“More people affected by homelessness, therefore more calls, more citizens noticing this problem,” admits Luc Tardif, spokesman for the Saguenay Police Department.
“At some point someone has to open their eyes,” complains a citizen who was arrested on the street.
The problems are so persistent that the owners of 255 rue Racine have decided to lock the doors of the building that used to house offices and shops. The doors are now closed after 3 p.m. on weekdays and continuously on weekends. Therefore, the tenants of the building who have shops or offices must pick up their customers at the door of the building.
“I tell myself that especially at the weekend, when we’re alone in the building, that also gives a certain security,” says Jocelyne Gauthier, who works as a hairdresser at Salon Vision.
Building managers had hired a security guard for five weeks, who many said solved part of the problem. But his contract ended earlier this week.
“If it weren’t very expensive, we would certainly have kept it because we liked it. If it weren’t for the damage they are doing to the building, I would tell you it would bother us a lot less,” explains Valérie Girard, Administrative Director of Harvey’s Property Management.
You have taken steps to try to find solutions.
“We went to the lady who takes care of the community. They are aware of the problem, but like any community organization, their resources are limited,” Ms. Girard continues.
In the city center retailers are running out of solutions.
“Rue Racine is awful as it turns out, it’s worse than worse than worse! I’m afraid to come to work, I arrive at 5am. There are many people who are very afraid. People don’t want to go into our shops anymore,” fears Danielle Duperré, who works at the Café du Palais.
“It circulates around the building, it gets into the bathrooms, it causes damage,” adds Ms Gauthier, who works at Salon Vision.
Harvey’s Property Management receives feedback on this on a daily basis. Staff at Caisse Desjardins have also asked for access cards so they can enter the building without going through Racine Street. The counters are only accessible during the opening hours of the ticket offices at certain locations.
“We’re really scratching our heads. We don’t want to drive them away, that’s not the goal. The goal is to help them,” regrets the administrative director, who hopes to find a solution that suits everyone.
The district council did not wish to address the situation at this time. She continues to collect information on this case.