Regional councillors seek amendment feedback for Kitchener encampment bylaw

Kitchener council is hosting a public information session to get feedback on amendments to its encampment bylaw. CTV’s Spencer Turcotte reports.

A long list of delegates will be sharing their thoughts on Waterloo Region’s controversial homeless encampment at Wednesday night’s council meeting.

The goal of the public information session is to get feedback on proposed bylaw amendments to clear 100 Victoria Street North so construction crews can begin work on the region’s new transit hub.

The first version of the bylaw, which was approved last year, stipulated that everyone living at the site had to move out by the end of 2025. Those plans didn’t pan out because of a legal challenge questioning whether the bylaw breached Canada’s Charter rights. The issue continues to be litigated in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, with the next court date scheduled in February.

The region, for its part, has suggested amendments to the site-specific bylaw. Some of those include requiring all residents to vacate 100 Victoria Street North by April 1, 2026, defining a ‘resident’ as anyone living at the site as of April 16, 2025, and removing the ability to fine people disregarding the bylaw.

Also among the potential amendments is a transition process, with individual housing plans, requiring the region to help residents move their belongings to a storage facility. That storage period would be limited to six months.

Tanner Evan Bergsma, one of the delegates set to speak at Wednesday’s public information session, hopes he can offer a unique perspective.

“I used to be homeless for a long time,” he told CTV News. “I’ve seen firsthand what happens when people fall through the cracks. I was a victim of it.”

Bergsma is advocating for an extension to the encampment eviction.

“They’re not putting enough resources into warming shelters,” he said. “They’re expecting the work to be put on the social workers to find the people housing. Four months is not enough time.”

Bergsma fears the short deadline will result in a case of déjà vu.

“If they’re going to move them from one encampment, they’re going to create another encampment someone else,” he warned, noting the lack of shelter space in the community.

Bergsma, like many other delegates, has some suggestions.

“We need an additional amendment to be putting additional city or regional funds into additional warming centres.”

The region previously noted that the cost to maintain the Victoria Street encampment is more than $793,000 each year, or $66,000 a month.

Spencer Turcotte will have more on the meeting on CTV News at 11:30 p.m. and this story will be updated.