It was a packed house on Thursday night inside the Pembroke 50 Plus Active Living Centre where neighbors gathered to address the growing concern of obnoxious behavior in and around the city. Organized by City Councilor Ian Kuehl, neighbors and business owners in the downtown area shared disturbing stories of drug use, loitering, defecating of property and abuse problems. While no one in attendance was against what the Grind is trying to accomplish, everyone was in agreement that the facility needs to be a better neighbor. Krista Zingel who lives on Isabella Street in Pembroke says more serious conversations need to happen.
She also went on to mention a few ideas she had that would be a starting point for change.
After hearing stories of interactions and concerns, City Councilor Ian Kuehl says he hopes this could be the beginning of something positive.
Kuehl says he plans to draw up a report from the public meeting and bring it back to the city council table for further discussion.
(Written by: Kyle Robinson)