Drivers going by a Kitchener roundabout might have seen one thing uncommon – a tent arrange on the centre island.
CTV Information obtained in contact with the person dwelling on the centre of the roundabout, who you might name the king of Bleams Street and Manitou Drive. However his actual title is Josh.
“King of the fortress on high of my mountain high,” Josh screamed, laughing.
His tent has been there for a few month after lately shifting from Port Elgin.
“I figured it wasn’t in a park, so no person’s going to complain. And I figured no person could be strolling by there and there’s not a bunch of homes round,” stated Josh.
Whereas many individuals don’t expertise homelessness by alternative, Josh chooses to dwell this fashion.
“I really feel higher exterior, however I wouldn’t go right into a shelter anyway as a result of there’s plenty of drug use in there and there’s like bedbug issues and violence issues,” he stated. “I’m dwelling an journey. My life is sort of a film.”
Though, he does say there are helps out there for many who want them.
“Kitchener is like the very best place I’ve ever been for one thing like this. Yeah, there actually are good individuals down right here and so they take excellent care of you,” Josh stated.
A tent arrange at a roundabout close to Bleams Street and Manitou Drive in Kitchener, Ont. on August 29, 2024. (Spencer Turcotte/CTV Information)
He admits sleeping inside a roundabout does get just a little noisy.
“Yeah, just a little bit within the morning. You realize, when individuals put these exhausts that go BANG! I don’t like these ones,” he stated.
However he wouldn’t have it some other manner. He additionally hasn’t been compelled out.
He says he was approached by Area of Waterloo employees earlier this week and was advised they needed to tidy up some shrubs on the centre island.
Josh moved his tent for them to do the work, however by Friday he was again at his so-called fortress.
Area of Waterloo responded to a request from CTV Information earlier this week in regards to the state of affairs.
In an announcement they stated: “The area is conscious of the positioning and has outreach employees visiting to ascertain connections into housing helps and companies. Alongside group companions, the area continues to work in the direction of extra options to assist these experiencing continual homelessness.”
Josh says he hasn’t had a lot interplay with outreach employees.
“The outreach employees have by no means actually come once I was there. There was like a card from an outreach employee and that’s just about all I’ve seen from them,” he stated.
Relating to security considerations, Josh doesn’t have any.
“No, do individuals ‘Dukes of Hazzard’ the roundabout on a regular basis? As a result of everybody retains complaining about it,” he stated.
Even so, he’s gotten used to being on the centre of consideration and the roundabout. His nickname backs that up too.
“They name me Hollywood. They know I’m all the time as much as one thing,” he stated.
With no plans to go away anytime quickly, you might say this has turn into the unofficial ‘Hollywood Hill’ of Waterloo Area.
