Heather Bonnnett doesn’t plan on returning to the Midland bank where she’s been a customer for the past 25 years.
The Penetanguishene woman says a very uncomfortable situation involving a homeless man that occurred during a recent visit to the TD Canada Trust branch on King Street helped her make that decision.
"As I was going into the bank, I was immediately confronted by a homeless person sitting at the front door. He tried to get my attention by hissing at me," Bonnett tells MidlandToday, adding the man was eventually joined by two compatriots who started smoking from their perch leading into the bank.
She said the bank employees made no attempts to deal with the situation, leading Bonnett to believe this is a regular occurrence with staff looking the other way.
"I went into the bank and waited for my appointment (and) as I was sitting there, I was astounded to see all the bank employees acting like this was not a problem for the public going in and out of the bank."
She said she and her husband, who had joined her at the bank for the appointment, are both in their 60s and felt uncomfortable leaving the bank with money in their pockets.
“It scares me because you don’t know what they’re going to do," says Bonnett, who noted that while working she often dealt with those suffering from mental-health issue, which gives her an appreciation for the spontaneous actions that can occur when a homeless person, who might also be experiencing mental health issues, becomes agitated.
"People refusing to seek shelter especially in this cold weather likely have mental health issues," she added.
But that's not the end of the Bonnett's story relating to the downtown Midland banking scene.
A few days later, her husband Ron dropped by the Midland TD branch since he needed some cash to pay for hockey. But since it was after regular banking hours, he found access to the vestibule containing the ATM locked.
“He had no choice but to go to Scotiabank and there was a homeless man sleeping in the vestibule there,” Bonnett said, noting that to add insult to injury TD charged them a $3 fee for using another company’s ATM.
It was only after visiting the TD branch in Penetanghishene and speaking with a teller that downtown Midland branches will eventually be locking the vestibules containing their ATMs when banks are closed.
“You’re telling me a handful of homeless men are making it so I can’t use my bank after hours?” Bonnett asked incredulously. "Now my right to use my bank is gone because the Town of Midland cannot control a few homeless people?"
Bonnett, who started using the Midland TD branch after moving to Victoria Harbour 25 years ago, said Midland needs to work harder to ensure the downtown doesn’t become a ghost town by beefing up security or ensuring a larger police presence so shoppers feel safe.
“I’ve stopped going to the library downtown,” she says. “Can we not shop down there anymore? I lived in Toronto and was never scared to go downtown.”
Bonnett said that her professional experience taught her that the reason people often don’t want to go to homeless shelters involves their desire to not be bound by rules such as no-drinking or no-drugs policies.
“Instead of trying to fix the problem, they’re shutting down banks," she said.
For its part, TD branch banking communications representative Leviana Coccia says TD takes customer and colleague safety very seriously.
"We are committed to ensuring ATM vestibules are safe and accessible for customer use," Coccia says. "In October, we adjusted the hours at our Midland branch ATM vestibule at 295 King St. to be open at the same time as the branch itself, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays to Fridays, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays."
Coccia said customers can also use the TD ATM at the Mountainview Mall for self-service options and visit their Penetanguishene branch, which offers ATM access 24 hours a day.
"We would like to remind customers that they can continue to access their banking services anytime using the TD app, through EasyWeb online banking or by calling our EasyLine telephone banking team at 1-866-222-3456."
Scotiabank spokeswoman Daniela Da Silva, meanwhile, said the financial institution won't be commenting "at this time" for this particular story.
Midland Mayor Bill Gordon has been studying ways to try to make the downtown feel safer for residents as outlined in this story. Gordon's plan involves working with a private security firm and the local OPP detachment commander to address residents' crime concerns with options ranging from hiring private security to a distant hope of having OPP special constables walk the beat.
Bonnett also reached out with her concerns to Simcoe North MPP Jill Dunlop, but said the response that she shared with MidlandToday doesn't offer any immediate solutions.
In the email from Dunlop's staff, Bonnett is thanked for taking the time to write and sharing her input regarding homelessness and mental health in Midland.
"The province is strengthening public safety in Ontario communities by providing municipalities and police with new enforcement tools and resources," the emailed response said. "Mayors are asking for these tools to address the growing problem of homeless encampments and crack down on illegal drug use in parks and public spaces, like bank entrances."
The letter goes onto to outline the province's investments to "further support homelessness prevention and provide people living in encampments with access to reasonable alternative" accommodation.
"Mayors and residents from communities across Ontario have been clear that enough is enough when it comes to encampments and illegal drug use in our parks and public spaces. Families deserve to enjoy their local parks, playgrounds, and public spaces without fearing for their kids and themselves. People facing homelessness or addiction and mental health challenges should be supported in the right settings."
