Homelessness in Montreal extends well beyond the city center: following complaints from citizens last year, the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal launched a foot patrol in Lachine to help resolve the issues of cohabitation and insecurity generated by the growing number of homeless people in the area.
Syringes lying around businesses, noisy and disorganized individuals, theft in certain stores, excrement found in front of businesses: the concerns of Lachine residents, raised during municipal council meetings, were multiple. The SPVM therefore sought a solution in partnership with the borough before the situation degenerated.
Since last October, SPVM officers Daniel Champagne and Louis-Carl Choquette have been released from emergency calls and have been patrolling on foot full time. Their mandate: to always be visible, meet citizens and merchants and build links with the local itinerant population to calm things down if necessary. And after a few months, they were no longer “just agents” for the residents of the area: they were “Daniel and Louis-Carl”. People recognized them throughout their patrol when The Press accompanied them last Tuesday.
First stop: a support group that takes care of people living with mental disabilities. The volunteers are welcoming and motivated by the desire to help others. This does not prevent them from having problems living with homeless people who sometimes take refuge there, for lack of another place to spend the day in these cold times.
Agent Daniel Champagne takes a look inside: no problem today. “We easily feel it when we come in and the atmosphere is tense,” explains agent Louis-Carl Choquette, a colleague with whom he has been patrolling for 10 years.
Make yourself visible
We don’t always talk about violence when it comes to bumpy cohabitation. It could be an individual who has consumed, shouts and gesticulates. It causes a feeling of insecurity in people, explains Louis-Carl Choquette.
Traders are ready to help [les sans-abri] letting them in to warm up. But the fact remains that we have had thefts in certain stores. We don’t want any offenses and incivility.
Agent Louis-Carl Choquette
He cites the example of a homeless man seen earlier in the day in the area. “I know that he cannot approach an establishment on Notre-Dame Street according to a court order. If he comes near, I’ll remind him. »
PHOTO FRANÇOIS ROY, THE PRESS
Agents Daniel Champagne and Louis-Carl Choquette, in discussion with a brigadier
The fact that the agents are present and visible prevents the man from violating his conditions. We may avoid going to court and ensure the peace of mind of the merchant in question.
This type of prevention is only achievable by building relationships and knowing the homeless population. And for that, you have to be on the ground and take your time.
“Presence is prevention. Clearly,” adds agent Daniel Champagne.
Difficult cohabitation
The owner of Yalla Habibi, new to the street, has a lot to say about homelessness. The small restaurant is brand new, ready to welcome customers. And sometimes, the presence of certain individuals bothers him, he admits. He launches into a long tirade on the difficulty of cohabitation. Agent Daniel Champagne listens to him, nodding his head, understanding.
The restaurateur discusses a woman and a man experiencing homelessness who are well known in the area. “They have good hearts. But they shout in the street, they try to sell me things they stole…”
He wants to keep the place calm and welcoming, especially at dinner time.
As they leave the restaurant, the officers come across a familiar face. The man is doing nothing wrong. He walks with his coat open, despite the piercing cold, observes the passers-by, enters the shops.
PHOTO FRANÇOIS ROY, THE PRESS
Louis-Carl Choquette and Daniel Champagne during their patrol
The two patrollers greet him politely without initiating a conversation. After all, the homeless man has the right to roam. He starts chatting with the two police officers about his severe migraine, which won’t go away. “But tse, I consumed so much. Do you see this side of my face? It’s all paralyzed,” he admits nervously.
“It’s the first time he’s spoken to us for this long. It’s a record. It seems like our little “Hey, are you okay?” since October have paid off,” says agent Louis-Carl Choquette.
To build relationships with the homeless population, you have to be patient and not take anything personal. Sometimes they are not receptive. It helps not having to answer emergency calls.
Agent Daniel Champagne
Another stop, at the thrift store this time: the same man comes to the cash register.
The owner of the place, Chloé Boudreau, comes to greet the agents. She is used to their daily rounds. “He’s here all the time, but he doesn’t bother anyone,” she says straight away, referring to the man at the checkout.
PHOTO FRANÇOIS ROY, THE PRESS
Louis-Carl Choquette and Daniel Champagne stopped at a thrift store, where they chatted with the owner, Chloé Boudreault.
She remains aware that the presence of homeless people can make some clients reluctant. “We are a thrift store, so we remain accessible to everyone. So it’s certain that we can have people with problematic behavior. »
She applauds the foot patrol initiative, since some situations require supervision, but have not escalated to the point of having to call 911.
“It makes the atmosphere calmer. »
Resources soon?
Big box stores, trendy clothing boutiques, restaurants and a few bars make up lively Notre-Dame Street. The area offers a great social mix: there are small gathering places, a thrift store, organizations… and no shelters for the homeless. If a person from Lachine who is homeless wants a bed for the night, they must rely on the couchsurfing or move downtown, admits agent Louis-Carl Choquette.
The beacon of hope is a building under construction intended to accommodate the local homeless.
The project announced last March will include 13 studios for single people and 5 apartments designed for couples. There is no official opening date, but the grand opening is planned for next fall. This is not an emergency shelter, but rather social housing intended for people experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless.
Given equal need, the Old Brewery Mission will prioritize people from Lachine. “As accommodation for couples is very rare, there could also be people from outside. It was the citizens who asked us for this project,” explains Marie-Pier Therrien, spokesperson for the Old Brewery Mission.
New phenomenon
One thing is certain: the presence of so many people finding themselves on the street is a new phenomenon in this corner of Montreal. André Monette, director of L’Œuvre Soupe Maison for six years, can attest to this. The organization frequently visited by police officers during their patrols distributes food and winter clothing as needed.
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André Monette, director of L’Œuvre Soupe Maison, discussing with Daniel Champagne
At the beginning, we didn’t have homelessness. But now they all come here! It’s hard for us to help them: they don’t have a place to live, so they don’t have a microwave…
André Monette, director of L’Œuvre Soupe Maison
The growth of homelessness in unusual areas like Lachine could be explained by the increase in housing prices, the opioid crisis and the suspension of certain services during the pandemic, according to Vincent Clark, commander of the Lachine neighborhood station. .
“It was more concentrated in the city center before. Now, it’s stretching into the outlying neighborhoods,” he continues.
A few tents even started to appear. No big camps, but the beginnings of what is already taking place in the central districts. “Historically, in the west of Montreal, we had never seen this, mini-homeless camps. We found ourselves in 2023 with citizens who expressed a feeling of insecurity,” indicates Commander Vincent Clark.
There are also the new faces of homelessness: they recently lost their housing, but do not know the street codes. “This person may not know where to go to sleep or settle down, and citizens may find that disturbing. »
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Vincent Clark, commander of the Lachine neighborhood post
Consumer problems can create attitudes that seem strange to the mother who walks her children on weekends.
Commander Vincent Clark
Since the patrol only began in October, it is difficult to quantify progress. However, the commander notes a clear improvement in the social climate. However, there are only two of them.
Will it be necessary to improve the team during the summer? Difficult to say, admits Commander Vincent Clark. “We are linked to the fact that there are hiring difficulties at the SPVM. We also cannot relieve all patrol officers of emergency calls to 911, since there is a large volume of calls compared to our staff. »