Chris & Kendall
The best way to get to know Sanctuary is to get to know the amazing people who make up our community. So, we’re asking community members who are interested in sharing to be interviewed for our blog. Here’s Chris…
How did you first arrive in the community?
“I answered an ad that said that they needed help with the building, the church. It was around 1999. And then, when I came here, like, the more I was here, the more I wanted to come back, so...so I ended up here.”
Why did you stay?
Like I said earlier, the more I came, I met lots of real cool people. We hung out, and became good friends. I was around for a while and then I disappeared. Well, I didn’t really disappear, I was just gone for, like, five years to Brantford because I had to get out of here because of some danger. I was working out there, staying with a friend, but then had my car accident, my first one, yeah. So then I came back and I’ve been around here ever since. And honestly, it’s just the people. Yeah, hanging out. I like being here. I like Red Rain, I like those guys. They remind me of like Blue Rodeo or something like that. Yeah, I tell them all the time, you remind me of Blue Rodeo. So, that’s fun.
How would you describe our community to someone new in a sentence or two?
I’d say, hey, come by, check us out. I always tell people when they come here that, you know, it’s like anywhere else you go in life, you gotta give it a chance. And if you allow it, if you allow sanctuary that time, it’ll grow on you. You’ll have a good day, you’ll have bad days, but you’ll see. You’ll see that it’s not a bad place, it’s a real good place. I tell people, don’t get discouraged by some of what you see and stuff. I say, people are people, and we all got our vices.
Are there any stories of friendship you’ve witnessed or experienced over the years that stand out to you?
Me and Kendall. I love that guy. Like, he’s my ultimate best friend, that guy. Over the years, we’ve had our differences, but it’s only made us, like, our bond so much stronger. And he’s done some things for me that are pretty special. We’re good friends, he’s funny, too. We’ve been friends a long time. And another friend, Mike, who passed away a few years ago. When he knew he was dying, and we were over at his place and he asked us if we wanted to keep any of his stuff when we was gone. He was thinking about how to take care of us. He was a cool guy. Once he came over to my house on New Year’s Eve. It was a real bad time for me then, and he just showed up. I tried to cook a duck and I had never cooked duck before. I figured, hey, it’s gonna be like a turkey but wrong idea there! I took it out, and I couldn’t even cut into it to serve it. I took out a serrated knife, like a bread knife, and I was sawing on the thing, and it was, like, concrete! I totally cooked it wrong. So Mike said, let’s just repeat this. We had pizza, New Year’s Eve. He hung out with me. It was awesome. He was a good guy.
What would you think is the hardest thing for people who are living in poverty in
Toronto?
The hardest thing, I don’t know, man. I don’t know. The system. Yeah. It’s totally the system. You know, it’s weird. Like, that building’s still empty over there - the Scientology building. For as long as I’ve been in Toronto, some places sit there empty, like, hello? The city should be able to have some kind of control over that and use it for shelter. Like, there’s a lot they can do and they don’t do enough. Too many corrupt politicians and police.
What would you do differently if you had that kind of power?
If I was in power, I don’t know if I would ever be, but if I could, I would honestly eliminate homelessness. I would try to fix the system with the money I had, I would. You only have so much of a budget and that’s the problem. But yeah, I would try to eliminate it for sure. If I had money and I could do things on a bigger scale, it would be to find abandoned places in the city, buildings, big properties, and stuff, and I’d make use of them. You work, work with people. I would just, I would help as much as I could with what I had. I would try to make as big of an impact as I could.