Dismantlement of homeless encampment on Notre-Dame Street delayed until late August

A homeless encampment on Notre-Dame Street East in Montreal. (Source: Noovo Info)

A homeless encampment along Notre-Dame Street was spared from another eviction on Monday.

A judge ruled the encampment cannot be dismantled before Aug. 27 and prohibited the Ministry of Transport (MTQ), which owns the land, from cleaning up the area where the shelter and people’s belongings are located.

City officials can intervene, however, if the tents and other structures are located less than three metres from the bike path, less than 15 metres from an entrance to Morgan Park or are leaning on a fence.

The City of Montreal took note of the decision.

“However, we would like to reiterate that City teams, in close collaboration with community and government partners, are actively continuing their work in the field. Psychosocial support for people experiencing homelessness is being maintained and remains a constant priority,” the city said in an email to Noovo Info.

The Clinique juridique itinérante (CJI) obtained a previous injunction on June 30 preventing the MTQ and the City of Montreal from evicting those camping there until at least July 10.

During the legal proceedings, lawyers argued that an eviction would cause those living there serious harm and shouldn’t be done when shelters are overflowing.

Lawyers for the City of Montreal and the MTQ, on the other hand, said there are safety issues associated with the camp, like the building of permanent structures, an increase in the number of tents and frequent interventions by police and the fire department.

With files from CTV News’ Max Harrold and Noovo Info