Mr. Speaker, two weeks ago, the Château de Marie-Ève welcomed its first tenants in downtown Val-d'Or. The name pays tribute to Marie-Ève Charron, a well-known local homeless woman who was tragically murdered in 2016. The project, spearheaded by La Piaule, aims to put a roof over the heads of 41 people at risk of homelessness. Each new tenant shares their needs and an appeal is made to the public for donations.
I therefore encourage the public to donate tables, chairs, beds and appliances. The dramatic uptick in homelessness in our city is worrying. Every level of government is trying to find solutions, but as Stéphane Grenier, president of the La Piaule shelter, said, “No matter how much money we pour into homelessness, we'll keep going in circles if we don't have housing” to offer.
In closing, I would like to highlight the remarkable work of La Piaule and congratulate the whole team for this fine initiative.