“It’s a sad thing in a country that has wealthy as our country, that we have people living on the streets, even in Petrolia, we have people living on the street.”

That from Petrolia Councillor Ross O’Hara as town council recently endorsed a call for both the federal and provincial governments to do acknowledge the problem of homelessness is more than just about housing.

Council decided to send the provincial and federal government to invest in more than just housing.

“Leadership and urgent action is needed from the federal government on an emergency basis, to develop resource and implement a comprehensive plan to prevent produce, and ultimately end homelessness in Ontario. Therefore, be it resolved that the corporation of the town of petroleum called provincial government, urgently, a acknowledge that homelessness Ontario is a social economic and health crisis, be committed to ending homelessness in Ontario,” says the letter the town will be sending to the upper levels of government.

O’Hara added; “It breaks my heart to think that people have to live in the cold, sleep in the cold. But I don’t think that the provincial government can solve all the problems. I think it comes back to maybe municipal, all kinds of places that have to get in there and help out to solve this problem, because I just can’t believe it’s happening in our community and the province of Ontario.”

Meantime Lambton opened a new temporary out of the cold shelter Friday just as another snowstorm hit the area.

It has 26 beds and is run by the Inn of the Good Shepherd. Lambton County officials will also be on hand to help people find more permanent housing. It’s not clear how long the shelter, at a former Presbyterian church in Sarnia, will be open.