(Montreal) Since Monday, a camp has occupied part of Parc des Faubourgs, near the Jacques-Cartier Bridge. The organizers are demanding a moratorium on the dismantling of homeless camps by the City of Montreal while “reflecting on a collective solution” to this issue.
“This practice which has become systematic […] “It destabilizes their lives even more,” explains Guillaume, one of the organizers, who only wishes to reveal his first name and who does not belong to an official group. This causes “a much faster physical and mental deterioration.”
The organizer explains that everyone is welcome to their action at the Parc des Faubourgs “whether they have a home or not.”
Two people evicted since 1er July also joined them and spent the night in tents. “We received donations of tents so that he and she could sleep here,” he said.
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
Organizers are calling for a moratorium on the dismantling of homeless camps.
The organizers are counting on donations from merchants and citizens in particular to provide certain resources to those participating in the camp.
Half a dozen tents and a marquee surrounded by plastic tarps and placards covered with slogans stand in the centre of this large park in the Centre-Sud neighbourhood. According to Guillaume, the camp is home to a total of around thirty individuals.
A hundred meters separate the tents from the access ramps of the Jacques-Cartier Bridge. The roar of car engines punctuates the questions of our interview.
“People who come back to Montreal to work will see the initiative, they will ask themselves questions […] and, perhaps, be [ouverts] to dialogue,” said Guillaume.
The camp is located in the Ville-Marie borough, which has “a large concentration of homeless people,” he adds.