Mayor and council may increase funding to businesses for security measures

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Timmins mayor and council expressed support for expanding access to a grant that helps businesses pay for security enhancements such as security gates, security camera systems and motion sensor lighting.

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In a special emergency council meeting on crime prevention held Dec. 23 in response to a spate of break-ins and two shootings downtown in December, a number of security-related issues were discussed, including expanding the city’s safety improvement grant.

The one-time grant covers 75 per cent of costs to a maximum of $7,500 per property towards the purchase of these security measures.

The mayor underlined that city staff are open to other safety-enhancing measures not listed on the city’s website, such as nighttime window shutters, and that business owners should feel free to reach out to discuss options.

In 2024, 37 applications for the safety improvement grant were approved, half from downtown addresses, though the grant is available to businesses throughout the city.

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The grant is one of six under the umbrella of the city’s community improvement plan, but the safety improvement grant was far and away the most in demand.

All six grants are funded by the same pot of money from the city’s portion of the Municipal Accommodation (MAT) Tax, a four per cent fee on the cost of hotel accommodation lasting 30 days or less.

In 2024, the total approved application funding for the safety improvement grant was $186, 282.44, with an additional $334,410.73 in reserve funds from past years, for a total of over half a million.

The problem is that some applications were not accepted in 2024 once available funds ran out, and will have to reapply in the New Year.

As a solution, Mayor Boileau offered that in 2025, if funds run out, a request by the safety improvement grant applicant can be made to council for MAT tax funding, as are any such application requests that come in on an individual basis.

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Presently, half of the MAT collected is administered by the Timmins Economic Development Corporation for tourism initiatives, and the other half can be used at council’s discretion.

Currently, 20 per cent of the municipal portion of the MAT goes towards the community improvement plan, and increasing that percentage is another option to consider, the mayor said.

A possible increase to the MAT is also under consideration.

In the New Year, council will consider increasing it from four to six percent, and expanding it to the short-term rental sector.

Other safety measures discussed at the special meeting included covering plywood with creative designs on corrugated plastic sheets to spruce up the downtown.

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The issue was brought up by Ward 3 Coun. Bill Gvozdanovic who praised it as an effective short-term solution to the prevalence of unsightly plywood over vacant business windows downtown.

“I love downtowns, every time I go down south, I make a point to walk through the downtowns,” said Govozdanovic, adding he’s not a shopper but enjoys the architecture and history of Ontario’s  historic downtowns.

“The one thing that really bothers me is the plywood…find a way to get rid of that,” he said.

The strategy was recently implemented following a break-in that shattered the front door of Sweet Freez, the freeze dried candy store on Third Avenue.

A creative initiative spearheaded by Ward 5 Coun. Robin (who is also the Executive Director of the Downtown Timmins Business Improvement Association) the mural was made possible with BIA members working together: a local printer is offering to print the designs at or below cost, and Robin is creating the designs.

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Robin is currently in the process of approaching all property owners of vacant downtown storefronts with the idea.

“Hopefully we’ll see some of those plywoods turn from just a piece of wood to some sort of art or logo or something,” Robin said.

“We can do something cool with all these blank canvases downtown,” he added.

Gvozdanovic wondered if the city’s vacant building by-law could be amended to disallow blank plywood.

The discussion of murals irritated Ward 2 Coun. Lorne Feldman.

“I’m getting a little hot under the collar tonight because we want to help people feel safe from being violated with criminal activities,” Feldman said, pointedly.

“It’s not about what they should or shouldn’t be doing with the buildings. These aren’t vacant buildings, these are ongoing businesses who are suffering incessant criminal activities.”

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Feldman questioned the emphasis on security cameras when police don’t have a live feed, and can therefore only use surveillance footage after a crime has taken place.

“I’ve seen it myself where the perpetrators are just looking at the cameras, they know no one will be around until the next day, and leaving the crime scene full of merchant’s or homeowner’s property,” Feldman said.

The councilor, a lawyer by training, said he’d like a report or opinion on whether the City of Timmins could allow police access to a live feed so they can intervene when a crime is taking place.

Feldman initially brought up the issue during Timmins Police Chief Sydney Lecky’s update to council on police initiatives addressing community safety.

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Feldman had cited the success of Project Green Light in the City of Detroit which led to a decrease in crime, after police partnered with local businesses to install surveillance cameras with a live feed to local police headquarters.

Boileau said a report could be requested but, reminded council that Lecky had said live streaming CCTV cameras is not consistent with the Canadian constitution.

She also reminded council about the police’s Camsafe program, the voluntary registry of security and cameras, and CCTV systems on private property.

However, the registry allows officers to request footage for investigation after a crime has taken place, and it is then up to the owner to decide if they want to share the footage or not.

Council will continue to deliberate on the future form of the safety improvement grant in the New Year. 

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