Reporter Kevin Lamb says he was shocked by the death of a homeless man in Barrie, but has questions he would like answered.
The past month or so of reporting on some of the struggles of our city’s homeless population has been eye-opening.
Last Saturday, Rick Chenery, Barrie’s homeless veteran and grizzled 75-year-old “mayor,” learned from conversations with residents of Victoria Street shacks, scraping by in dilapidated homes made of plywood and tarps. until his untimely death. The despair facing the community was brought into sharp relief.
We then learn that Rick was found dead in a cabin on the side of the road on the other side of the snow embankment.
His friend and “roommate” Brad, 53, discovered his friend’s body in his home on February 17th.
At one point a few weeks ago, things seemed to be slightly improving for Rick and Brad.
An Innisfil homeowner offered us free land along with a better shelter.
Around the same time, a local business owner also contacted me and offered to provide a large new tarp to replace the one that was full of holes and allowing rainwater to seep in.
This generous man, who did not want to be named, immediately delivered it to them.
I never had a chance to contact these two men again, as my story about them was filed and published.
However, last Sunday, I suddenly received an email from a church member informing me of Rick’s untimely death.
I wasn’t really surprised, but I was really shocked. What chance does a 75-year-old man have when he’s been stuck outside in the elements all winter?
His living quarters were incredibly unsanitary, and he was constantly breathing in smoke from a small campfire he had built to stay warm inside a tarpaulin-covered shelter. It certainly wasn’t ideal.
Brad had been out of the cabin several nights after Rick’s death, so it took several days to find him.
When he returned on Tuesday, I found him sitting by the campfire indoors.
We talked for a while about Rick and what would happen next.
Brad told me how Rick had been suffering from severe toothaches and headaches in the days before his death. He didn’t ask for help.
It is well known that tooth abscesses can be a serious problem, and the infection can enter the bloodstream and cause sepsis, which can lead to death.
However, without confirmation from the coroner, there is no way to know the cause of Rick’s death.
His body is currently at the coroner’s office in Toronto, and we have been told that if his family is not found, a local church will pick it up. The church plans to bring him to Barrie for a service and burial if possible.
Meanwhile, Brad says he plans to stay in the cabin he shared with Rick. It was originally Rick’s and he asked Brad to join, so he did.
Is this the end of Mayor Rick’s story? As far as I’m concerned, that’s not the case.
I would like to know what caused his death and whether it was preventable so that the same story does not repeat itself with others in the same dire situation.
If dental infections and subsequent sepsis are found to be the cause, what can be done to reduce the risk in the homeless population?
And what happens to those who are not adopted by their families after death?
What happens to the assets they have, such as the money in their bank accounts?
These are questions I don’t have answers to yet, and I’d love to know them.