08/28/2026
Nova Scotiaβs minister responsible for the provinceβs shelter system says communities need to stop expecting homeless shelters to solve problems that extend far beyond their walls.
Opportunities and Social Development Minister Susan Corkum-Greek says shelters such as Northstar Shelter and Support Services in New Glasgow are being asked to shoulder responsibility for issues involving homelessness, addiction, mental health, crime and community safety.
βWe couldn't expect a standalone charity or nonprofit service to provide everything,β Corkum-Greek said in an interview Wednesday.
Her comments come after New Glasgow town council unanimously called on the province to close Northstar, arguing that the current shelter model is failing to address what it described as the underlying health and rehabilitation needs of people experiencing chronic homelessness and addiction.
But Corkum-Greek pushed back on the idea that the shelter should be held responsible for the behaviour of everyone who uses it.
βThose shelters cannot be absolutely responsible for the behaviours of the individuals who may reside there at night,β she said.
The minister said shelters have a role in maintaining safety, but argued the province and municipalities also need to be part of the response.
Northstar declined an interview with CBC but said in a statement that blaming a charity for broader problems facing the community is unfair. The organization said the factors contributing to homelessness are beyond the ability of any one shelter to address.
New Glasgow isn't the only Nova Scotia community wrestling with complaints surrounding shelters.
In Bridgewater, Cedar Place closed earlier this year after two years of operation amid community concerns. The province subsequently announced $2.2 million in funding for a new emergency shelter, The Landing, located farther from the downtown core.
Corkum-Greek pointed to that move as an example of how municipalities, the province and shelter operators can work together when concerns arise.
In Kentville, meanwhile, residents continue to raise concerns about the Open Arms Resource Centre & Society.
Amanda Riley, who lives in Kentville, said she believes her community has become less safe and that drug use and criminal activity have increased since the shelter opened more than a decade ago.
βItβs just gotten really out of hand,β she said.
Open Arms did not respond to CBC's requests for comment. Its executive director, Leanne Jennings, said in February that the organization has also had successes, including connecting roughly one-third of its shelter users with housing over the previous year.
Stephanie Watson, executive director of the Truro Housing Outreach Society, recently launched a network aimed at helping rural shelter operators share resources and tackle common problems.
Watson said she understands residents' concerns about safety, but stressed that people experiencing homelessness are also members of the community who need support.
βThe folks that we work with are still people who need support and they need somebody in their corner and they need to be safe as well,β she said.
Northstar says it has no plans to close and intends to continue providing shelter and support while working with the province and municipality on community concerns.
βWe are prepared to sit at the table. We are prepared to be part of the solution,β the shelter said.
Corkum-Greek said it remains too early to know exactly how the province will respond to New Glasgow's request, but provincial staff have already spoken with both the municipality and Northstar.
The dispute leaves the community facing a familiar question: who is ultimately responsible when a shelter becomes the focal point for much broader problems involving homelessness, addiction and public safety?
For now, the province says the answer can't simply be the shelter.
