Published Friday, September 13, 2019
THUNDER BAY — Beth Ann Cryderman lets nothing stop her. On a street plagued by armed gangs and drug dealers, she dares to run a community garden – and has made it successful enough to produce bags full of vegetables for her neighbours this year.
The 59-year-old former hairdresser has worked tirelessly on campaigns to persuade local authorities to evict gang members and close the crack houses on her street. But what really upsets her is the possibility that Thunder Bay City Council could kill a rare initiative to help the homeless in her neighbourhood.
“I can’t believe it,” she said tearfully at a recent community meeting, recalling the hostility she has endured from the housing project’s opponents.
