A pair of rallies both in support of and against a proposal to build tent-like structures for asylum seekers took place just down the street from one another on Sunday afternoon.
Hundreds stood in Ben Franklin Plaza in support of the newcomer reception centres. The first such structure is planned to be built at 1645 Woodroffe Ave., near the Nepean Sportsplex.
The rally was organized by Refugee613 and accompanied by city councillors and Mayor Mark Sutcliffe.
Sutcliffe wrote on social media that Ottawa has always been a “welcoming city” for newcomers.
“Let’s all work together to find the right solutions for newcomers and spread hope and kindness,” he wrote.
Louisa Taylor, director of Refugee613, says city shelters can’t meet the needs of the migrant population in Ottawa and sprung structures are the best option.
“We have hundreds of people living in cots, sleeping on cots and mats in arenas and …