An outdoor skating rink in Montreal’s Mile End neighbourhood is gone for good, and the space is now being occupied by a homeless encampment. According to Plateau-Mont-Royal city councillor Maeva Vilain, the Bernard East skating rink was set up temporarily while renovations were underway at Aréna des Patineuses. Now that the arena has reopened, after two years of renovations, Vilain explains that the outdoor rink is no longer needed. She also says climate change has made it harder to maintain outdoor rinks. The former rink has been home to the Van Horne encampment since last year. In September, Quebec’s Court of Appeal rejected the City of Montreal’s attempt to clear it. The city says it wanted to relocate the residents, but the court stated that the alternative locations proposed were not suitable. The tents are also near a skate park and basketball court. “I don’t want to be in a city [where] I have to choose between the security of a kid and a family, and the security of one of our citizens living in the street. We have to do both,” said Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada. Court documents say 10 people live in the encampment. One homeless person told CTV News the number is now lower.
