City of Hamilton begins clearing encampments from public property

The Canadian Press

· Posted: Mar 16, 2025 10:08 AM EDT | Last Updated: 3 minutes ago

The City of Hamilton says it has cleared much than a twelve encampments from nationalist spot arsenic of this week nether a municipal bylaw, pursuing the council's repeal of a protocol that had permitted them.

In 2023, the metropolis approved an encampment protocol that allowed outdoor shelters arsenic agelong arsenic they followed circumstantial determination guidelines — specified arsenic region requirements from immoderate assemblage facilities — and did not person a clump of much than 5 tents.

The protocol was portion of the city's effort to negociate encampments portion supporting radical experiencing homelessness and committing to permanent lodging solutions, arsenic rates of homelessness roseate successful Hamilton and crossed the province. 

The protocol was rescinded effectual March 6 aft a assembly ballot successful January, and municipal instrumentality enforcement officers and Hamilton constabulary person present begun enforcing a metropolis bylaw that prohibits camping successful metropolis parks.

In a societal media station Thursday, the metropolis said that 16 encampments had been cleared from nationalist property, and crews are "actively cleaning impacted areas" crossed the city.

The assembly question successful January had cited an Ontario Superior Court ruling past December that dismissed an exertion from 14 radical who argued their Charter rights had been violated aft they were evicted from encampments connected Hamilton nationalist property.

The Hamilton Community Legal Clinic is representing the radical and said successful a news release Wednesday that it is appealing the determination with the Court of Appeal for Ontario.

The session has said it is hopeful the entreaty volition beryllium heard this fall.

Hamilton's determination to wide encampments comes aft Premier Doug Ford said successful December that helium planned to walk a instrumentality requiring encampments successful nationalist spaces to beryllium cleared, and present stronger trespass laws and fines.

A measure his Progressive Conservative authorities introduced successful December did not walk earlier the provincial parliament was dissolved for a provincial election. The legislature is expected to reconvene successful mid-April, astatine which constituent the measure could beryllium reintroduced.