Councillors in the town of Stonewall are hoping to reduce red tape for those setting up assisted living spaces in their homes. Councillors and administration are currently in the process of reviewing their zoning by-laws, which includes eliminating the requirement of those setting up assisted living spaces in their homes to seek Council approval. That measure came after an emotional public hearing, that was so well attended they were forced to move the meeting down the street to a nearby church. After watching the families dealing with the very public affair, Mayor Lockie McLean felt the process was unnecessary, and people shouldn't have to fight to find homes for their children who need assistance. 

With a full review underway, Mayor Lockie McLean says they're hoping to take their changes a step further. He notes the municipality's by-laws currently indicate a cap on the number of people that can live within assisted living spaces. However, he say they want to "get out of that business altogether", and leave these issues at the provincial level.

"The view was that everything has to be up to code, to a provincial standard, why are we even in the game of trying to get involved in that."

He says putting those restrictions in place did little more than added another layer of bureaucracy for those setting up assisted living spaces in their homes. McLean says their goal is to ensure all those who need assisted living spaces are able to find them, without having to go through a public spectacle like the public hearing.

"Once you sit through a hearing where you have parents of children, grown adults, or young adults, in need of assisted living, and you see them having to battle with neighbours and existing residents to just give their children a place to live, you don't want to sit through that again. People are people, and everyone deserves a home."