'Where do you want us to go?' People living along Hamilton's rail trail hide as city says they must leave

Samantha Beattie · CBC News

· Posted: May 13, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 1 infinitesimal ago

When Hamilton mates Margaret de Jong and Calvin Graham got a metropolis announcement ordering them to permission their obstruction way encampment past week, they accidental they had nary prime but to retreat deeper into the forested broadside of the escarpment. 

"We fundamentally camouflaged our structure truthful it looks similar a bush," Graham, 34, told CBC Hamilton Sunday. "We could spot everything that happened, but cipher could spot us." 

They've lived successful a structure adjacent the obstruction way since the autumn of 2023. Because de Jong is unhoused, her 2 children unrecorded successful foster care, which has been devastating, she said. But she and Graham person obscurity other to go.  

On May 6, constabulary and bylaw officers gave them and different radical surviving on the conception of obstruction way betwixt Wentworth and Kenilworth avenues announcement they had to permission wrong 24 hours, which is erstwhile they moved their tent, the mates said. 

De Jong said she's been calling women's shelters 3 times a time looking for a spot but with nary success. She and Graham also applied for 1 of the 40 mates cabins astatine the caller outdoor structure connected the Barton-Tiffany lands, but it's full, too. 

"I conscionable privation everyone to cognize it's not OK," de Jong said. I conscionable privation to person my dependable heard due to the fact that astatine this constituent I don't cognize what to do. I privation to beryllium capable to rise my children."

De Jong and Graham were among a radical of encampment residents and advocates who spoke astatine a quality league connected Sunday. It was organized by the Hamilton Encampment Support Network successful effect to the way evictions.

Hamilton constabulary said they were contiguous implicit the play to assistance municipal instrumentality enforcement clean up the area.  The metropolis utilized "large equipment" to region astir 24 truckloads of "debris" from the area, said constabulary spokesperson Jackie Penman.

"These notices were issued aft galore complaints from adjacent residents astir information concerns for themselves and the radical surviving successful the encampments," Penman said. "It's important to enactment that residents were fixed an accidental to region their belongings anterior to immoderate cleanup operations taking place." 

Force not used, constabulary say

Five sites were cleared connected Friday and constabulary made nary arrests oregon ticketed oregon charged anyone, Penman said. "No 1 was removed from the country by force." 

The metropolis did not supply a effect to CBC Hamilton's questions including however galore radical were impacted, how afloat metropolis shelters presently are and if people surviving elsewhere connected the trail volition beryllium impacted.

De Jong and Graham estimated determination were astir 40 people successful encampments in the area, but it's unclear precisely however galore person left. 

"What has happened connected the obstruction way the past fewer days is not humane astatine all," de Jong said. 

Jeanguy Parent, 58, who goes by J.P., has been surviving adjacent the way for astir a year.

"Where are we expected to go?" helium asked. 

Parent was turned distant from the outdoor structure due to the fact that it prioritizes couples and those with pets, 2 categories helium doesn't autumn into, helium said. He's besides connected hold lists for affordable and supportive housing, helium added.

Parent, who is from Oneida Nation, said helium hasn't been kicked retired of his encampment yet, but was told by an serviceman it would hap soon. He's asking the metropolis for much time, until adjacent week, truthful helium and others tin effort to find determination other to go. 

"We shouldn't person to unrecorded successful fearfulness successful our ain city," helium said.

Gessie Stearns, an advocator who researches homelessness, said the metropolis needs to travel up with a amended plan.

"I'd similar to inquire the metropolis to permission these radical alone," she said. "Trucks moving in, radical moving retired — it was perfectly deplorable and horrible and radical were stuck not knowing what to do." 

She noted the metropolis spent $5.1 cardinal much than planned connected gathering the outdoor structure connected the Barton-Tiffany lands — a task that is expected to beryllium temporary. The money, from a national lodging grant, could've alternatively been utilized for permanent, affordable housing, Stearns said.