Toronto clears one other homeless encampment, citing hearth hazard

Article content material

Dozens of individuals gathered exterior a church in Toronto’s Kensington Market neighbourhood on Thursday as metropolis employees started clearing one other homeless encampment, deemed to be a fireplace hazard.

Article content material

City autos have been seen eradicating tents and different belongings from the encampment exterior St. Stephen-in-the-Fields Anglican Church after about 12 residents left the positioning.

Article content material

Recommended Videos

Article content material

Toronto Fire Services stated it ordered a elimination of “flamable supplies” and ignition sources that had gathered on the web site on Bellevue Avenue, “leading to elevated hearth and life security threat that required rapid motion.”

The metropolis and the church say that order on Tuesday initiated the positioning eviction course of. A last discover to take away gadgets from the road was issued by town on Wednesday and posted within the space.

The church’s priest, Rev. Maggie Helwig, stated the discover to vacate got here as a shock to many within the space and residents had simply hours to collect their belongings into rubbish baggage and discover someplace new to go.

Article content material

Article content material

Helwig stated lots of the encampment residents have turn out to be her pals and the clearing of the positioning marks a “very unhappy second.”

“My pals have been dispersed and I don’t even know the place most of them are. It’s very unhappy that I’ve to be right here to witness this, as a result of that is my church,” she informed The Canadian Press on the encampment web site.

The metropolis, which just lately cleared one other encampment in Dufferin Grove Park, stated all residents of the Bellevue Avenue web site have been provided shelter area, and 7 of them accepted.

Helwig stated these folks reluctantly accepted the provide.

“Shelter area shouldn’t be a long-term answer,” Helwig stated. “People ceaselessly combat and self-discharge inside days or even weeks. Very few folks can keep in shelters. It’s not a very manageable way of life. It’s not a very tolerable dwelling atmosphere — for all of the stresses and rigours of dwelling outside, lots of people discover it’s a higher atmosphere than a metropolis shelter.”

Article content material

Residents of the encampment are “very upset” about having to go away, Helwig stated.

“It is extraordinarily distressing. It’s simply trauma layered on trauma. I’m very nervous about what impact that is going to have on folks’s psychological well being,” she stated.

The church, which has been an encampment web site for near 4 years, hasn’t seen an eviction discover since November 2023, she added.

Cece Bellacohen, a former resident of the Dufferin Grove encampment, was among the many supporters who gathered exterior the church Thursday morning to point out solidarity with these being evicted, whom he described as “a number of the metropolis’s most weak.”

Bellacohen echoed Helwig in saying that many homeless folks don’t wish to go into the shelter system. He stated the reason being easy: shelters may be too violent.

Article content material

“I used to be brutally attacked 4 instances … by residents dwelling there,” he stated, including that certainly one of his pals at present dwelling in a shelter reported seeing folks with weapons inside.

He stated he hopes to see town change its insurance policies relating to encampments.

“Instead of sending the encampment workplace to convey shelter affords, we want assist. We want properties in new locations the place folks can go dwelling and truly be protected. Half the time, (an encampment) is the most secure choice that’s obtainable to folks,” he stated.

The St. Stephen-in-the-Fields church encampment was the topic of Helwig’s e book, “Encampment: Resistance, Grace and an Unhoused Community.” Published earlier this 12 months, the e book particulars Helwig’s combat to maintain the churchyard open for many who want a spot to reside. It was awarded the Toronto Book Award on Wednesday, lower than 24 hours earlier than the encampment was cleared.

Don Oravec, one of many award judges, was among the many crowd of encampment supporters on Thursday morning. He stated Helwig’s e book modified his outlook on the problem and it’s vital that every one ranges of presidency pitch in to offer higher helps for these experiencing homelessness.

“It’s unbelievable that she will get the award on Wednesday evening and that is occurring Thursday morning,” he stated.

Article content material