City workers removed a homeless camp from a small park in downtown Toronto on Monday, causing distress to those affected as winter begins. Approximately 15 individuals had makeshift shelters in George Hislop Park, close to Yonge and Bloor Streets, as reported by Greg Cook, who leads the outreach team at Sanctuary Ministries of Toronto. The organization, situated beside the park extending from Charles Street E. to Isabella Street, offers services to marginalized individuals.
According to Cook, the situation was emotionally challenging, with people having to quickly relocate to shelters or other areas with their limited belongings. While about 10 individuals accepted referrals to shelters, five declined, facing the reality of dismantling their shelters in freezing temperatures and setting them up elsewhere.
City officials provided shelter options to all park residents before the area was cordoned off by crews, with the presence of Toronto police. Subsequently, heavy machinery was brought in to clear the park. The city had previously notified the camp residents about the impending clearance in late October, citing ongoing disruptive behaviors affecting both camp occupants and the surrounding community, as stated by Elise von Scheel, a city spokesperson.
Additional notices were given on November 10, offering shelter spaces, homelessness service information, and storage facilities for any extra belongings. The park is now fenced off for winter preparations of the irrigation system, as per the city’s statement. Outreach teams have been assisting the encampment occupants since early September, aiming to transition as many individuals as possible into shelters and housing while ensuring community safety in accessing neighborhood parks.
Despite these efforts, Cook expressed concerns that those who declined shelter are now compelled to seek less visible and secure locations. He emphasized the need for providing housing solutions rather than simply displacing individuals. Cook criticized the city’s winter homeless services plan, citing the high demand for shelter spaces, with an average of 154 nightly rejections from city shelters in October, according to city data.
Apart from the homelessness challenges, Sanctuary Ministries is embroiled in a legal battle with CASA Condos, located near the park where the camp was situated, seeking over $2.3 million in damages for alleged illegal activities on the property. However, Cook believes the camp clearance was not influenced by the lawsuit but rather part of the city’s routine encampment removal operations.
As of Friday night, 9,054 people utilized the city’s shelter system, while 9,573 individuals were classified as “actively homeless” in Toronto during the past three months.