Hundreds march in Montreal to raise awareness of homelessness

Hundreds gathered Friday for an annual event to show solidarity with the city’s growing homeless population.

Hundreds gathered at the Mont-Royal Metro station Friday evening for an annual event aimed at raising awareness and showing solidarity with Montreal’s growing homeless population.

Representatives from local shelters and advocacy organizations were on hand, emphasizing the need for compassion and action as homelessness continues to rise across the city.

Participants planned to march from Mont-Royal to Place Émilie-Gamelin, where a candlelight vigil was scheduled.

James Hughes, president and CEO of the Old Brewery Mission, said homelessness in Montreal has reached troubling levels.

“Tonight in Montreal, there’ll be 5,000 to 6,000 homeless people, of which about a thousand are sleeping outside,” Hughes said.

Encampments along streets such as Notre-Dame remain active, highlighting the growing visibility of the crisis and the struggle to provide solutions. Hughes cautioned that the public risks becoming desensitized as homelessness becomes more familiar.

“There’s a great worry that as there are more and more people in every metro station, in parks, in hospital emergency rooms, on the street, we stop seeing them,” he said. “It just becomes so normalized that it becomes regular to see so much suffering. And that is a huge danger.”

The Old Brewery Mission has expanded its services in recent years to meet rising demand. But even as governments and nonprofits increase funding and capacity, the problem continues to worsen.

“The problem is getting worse,” Hughes acknowledged. “Despite all the efforts we’re making — the Old Brewery Mission and other organizations are growing, governments are giving more money than ever — homelessness continues to go up.”

Now in its 36th year, the solidarity event remains a critical reminder that homelessness is about the people trying to rebuild their lives.

“It’s an important milestone in the year for our sector,” Hughes said. “There are fellow Montrealers who are struggling, who in many cases are sleeping outside. But they have humanity, they have dignity, and they need to be recognized as such.”