INTRUDER RAISES FEARS OF NEARBY DRUG TREATMENT CENTRE

No Harm Done By Strange Man In House But Residents Unsettled

Cindy and Nick Shcherban have lived on Pape Ave. for 19 years and
during that time have never once feared for their safety -- but that
all changed last month.

On Oct. 3 at around 9:30 p.m., Cindy heard the front door open and
when she went to check it, she found a complete stranger standing in
their home.

The man, described by Cindy as in his late 20s, around 5-foot-9, and
with a "dazed, glassy look on his face," was a resident of a
Salvation Army-run rooming house at 450 Pape Ave. for men attending
the nearby Harbour Light Drug and Alcohol Treatment Centre.

"Our house is the house where all the kids come over and we think
what happened is that maybe one of the kids who was leaving -- one of
our kids' friends -- didn't close the door properly because we always
lock our doors," she said.

Since August, the Pape Ave. rooming house has been home to about 38
men who are undergoing various addiction treatment programs at the
nearby Danforth Ave. centre.

While the intruder didn't cause any harm, the Shcherbans had to
forcibly remove him from inside their house and call the police to
report the incident.

Naturally, the Shcherbans are concerned not only for their own safety
but also for the security of their neighbours.

"We've lived here for 19 years and this never happened to us before,"
said Cindy, who now makes sure her three children know to always lock
the doors. "So we had to reiterate that things are different now and
you have to be much more cautious and alert and make sure the doors
are locked at all times. It's unsettling."

Major Ken Percy, spokesman for the Salvation Army, said Pape Ave.
location is only temporary until construction of a new rooming house,
located at the corner of Jarvis and Shuter Sts., is completed -- in
about 18 months.

The Shcherbans, however, are worried similar incidents could occur.

Cindy said the proximity of the rooming house to Pape Avenue Public
School, which is just across the street, only increases the risk of
future intrusions.

"We know that all these men will not be successful in this program,
so what if they aren't successful and they're on the streets or in
the school yard -- what happens?" she said.

The Salvation Army has owned the site since the 1930s, and while
Cindy acknowledged a facility like this is needed, she is furious
that it's in her neighbourhood.

"It has only been in operation for two months and this has happened.
And now no one can tell me there is no risk from that facility to the
neighbourhood because we experienced it -- we witnessed it first-hand
in our house," she said. "And nothing from the Salvation Army can do
to prevent this from happening again and that is what is so scary."

But Percy said the Salvation Army has been a good neighbour for
decades and local residents have nothing to fear.

"This is a fairly isolated incidence and we've had an overwhelming
amount of positive feedback from the community," he said. "We've had
a lot of positive input, we've met with the school, we've met with a
lot of neighbours. We have had an overwhelming number of emails
coming into us, saying the place has never looked so nice."

Since opening, the centre has reached out to the community to
reassure them of their safety

An open house was organized in September, and parents in the
community brought their children to the centre on Halloween.

The centre is even organizing a Christmas-themed open house and
concert for early December.

"We don't take anyone out of the criminal justice system," said
Percy. "These are individuals who've had stumbling blocks in their
life. It could be anywhere from drug and alcohol issues, it could be
job-related issues, it could be education issues. The Salvation Army
believes in community capacity building, where we work alongside a
person to help them stand on his or her own two feet."

Percy urged concerned residents to call the centre at 416-363-5496.