An Abbotsford, B.C., church has upset parts of a neighbourhood by feeding the homeless.
About seven weeks ago, Peace Lutheran Church decided to reach out to the marginalized residents near Jubilee Park by offering them something to eat every Thursday morning.
But now Abbotsford Council is asking the church to stop, saying the food program is attracting more than just the homeless.
"We're told drug dealers are driving in there, making deals with people that are in there," said Abbotsford Mayor George Ferguson.
The elderly don't like what they're seeing either. The homeless and drug addicted often congregate on the front steps of the seniors centre next door to the park.
"Some of the (seniors) are very frail and they're afraid of the people," said seniors centre's Faye Lathrop.
Police have stepped up their enforcement in neighbourhood as businesses have complained they've noticed a considerable increase in the number of aggressive people in the park.
"We can't have them destroying the business section downtown and making those people unhappy and also have the seniors that can't go to a seniors home," Ferguson told CTV News.
The homeless say the program should stay as it provides food for people who cannot afford to eat.
"It doesn't matter whether there's a breakfast there or not," said homeless man Tom Horner. "The drug addicts and the drug dealers are here anyway."
The church plans to keep serving the free breakfasts, despite the council's request to stop, said church Pastor Christoph Reiners.
"We don't feel that whether we feed people or not has anything to do with creating the problems of homelessness," he said.
"We feel the only difference (from ending the program) there would be is that people would go hungry."
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Michele Brunoro
