Notre-Dame encampment cannot be dismantled for 10 days, rules Quebec judge

A tent, trash and belongings at a homeless encampment on Notre-Dame street in the east end of Montreal, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. The City of Montreal voted against declaring a state of emergency on homelessness on Nov. 18, 2024. (Graham Hughes / The Canadian Press)

The encampment on Notre-Dame Street in Montreal cannot be dismantled for the next 10 days, a Quebec Superior Court judge ruled on Wednesday.

In his decision, Judge Babak Barin ordered Quebec’s Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility (MTQ) to temporarily “cease all efforts to evict homeless people living along Notre-Dame Street East.”

• READ MORE: Dismantlement of Notre-Dame Street homeless encampment paused

This comes after the MTQ posted notices on June 5, “on trees and tents belonging to some 30 marginalized and vulnerable people in Montreal” without prior warning, according to court documents.

The messages warned that an eviction and complete cleaning of the area would be carried out by June 10.

“We invite you to gather your personal belongings and leave the site,” the directives stated. “Please note that after this date, any items left behind will be discarded without further notice.”

• READ MORE: Eviction notices distributed in homeless encampment on Notre-Dame Street

In response, the Clinique juridique itinérante (CJI) filed an emergency motion to prevent the dismantling, arguing that it would cause serious harm to the campers.

It also pointed out that with shelters overflowing, the people would have nowhere to go.

• READ MORE: Homeless encampment grows on Notre-Dame Street, prompting concern and calls for action

Contrarily, lawyers for the City of Montreal and the MTQ stressed that they were concerned about safety, including the accumulation of large structures on the site, like tents, and the frequency of police and firefighter interventions.

The Superior Court judge ruled in favour of the CJI and approved the temporary injunction.