Turnaround for a homeless camp set up on land owned by the Ministry of Transport of Quebec (MTQ), in the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve district: government lawyers decided on Monday not to continue their efforts in court to evict the campers.
“This is mixed good news, since by renouncing eviction, we avoid endangering the lives of campers. However, in the midst of a homelessness crisis, the government is not offering any alternative solution adapted to the needs of these vulnerable people in order to house them immediately,” commented the general director of the Traveling Legal Clinic (CJI), Mr.e Donald Tremblay, who helped the homeless to challenge the eviction notice sent by the MTQ in court.
Last month, the CJI filed before the Superior Court three requests for injunctions (permanent, interlocutory and provisional), on behalf of itinerant people living at the encampment on Notre-Dame Street East, near the Sucre Lantic company, in order to to delay their eviction, which was scheduled for October 23.
A judgment on the request for a provisional injunction ordered the MTQ, on October 26, to suspend the eviction until November 6. On Monday, MTQ lawyers informed the court that they would not proceed with the eviction of the camper community, explaining that there was no urgency, reports Me Tremblay.
The CJI had argued before the judge that the destruction of the camp, without any real alternative for the members of the community, was likely to disrupt their usual functioning, to cut ties with their support network and to make them more vulnerable, they had to live isolated from each other.
It was the district of Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve which ordered the MTQ to dismantle the encampment. In a notice dated September 21, a municipal inspector informed the MTQ that his land was currently hosting a “makeshift camp” and that “this use is not authorized in this sector” by the urban planning regulations. We also noted the accumulation of waste on the site, which contravenes the nuisance regulations, giving the owner 10 days to remove everything.
At the borough, we explained that they had acted following a complaint from a citizen.
Monday afternoon, the MTQ had not responded to requests for information from The Press as to his plans for the camp.
Last Friday, a spokesperson for the CIUSSS de l’Est-de-l’Île-de-Montréal affirmed that the organization had intervened with the inhabitants of the encampment “in order to support them in their efforts and accompany the people who wish towards housing”.
“The CIUSSS made contact with users in mid-October, presented the services of the Proximity/RSSS team, and ensured that they were informed of the eviction notice. No specific request has emerged at this time from them,” writes communications manager Carl Boisvert, in a written response to questions from The Press.
Until now, the CIUSSS has offered physical care, made appointments for health insurance cards, ensured psychosocial follow-ups and linked up with treatment teams, indicates M . Green wood. “At each meeting in the field, there was at least one psychosocial worker and one nurse,” he says.