Encampment cleared near Salter Street after years of complaints

Windsor police have cleared a homeless encampment near Salter Avenue and have hired a ‘snitch’ to prevent it from coming back. CTV's Bob Bellacicco reports.

A long-standing encampment near Salter Street is finally being cleared, bringing relief to nearby residents and business owners who have dealt with ongoing issues for years.

“It’s just incredible the amount of clean up that’s being done,” said repair shop owner Alex Pagani, whose business sits next to the property.

Pagani says the encampment has been a persistent source of frustration for both businesses and families in the area.

“There’s kids. There’s all kinds of stuff that they had to deal with, not just garbage. It’s also the crime, the drugs and everything else. This is one of the best things that could have happened,” he said.

City Coun. Renaldo Agostino explained that progress was slow due to complications contacting property ownership.

“The reason that this spot was difficult to deal with is because it was not city property. It was private property and we couldn’t get a hold of the owners,” Agostino told CTV News.

“But through years and years of work and some luck we were able to get agent status.”

That “agent status” allows the city to intervene and address illegal activity on the land. It also means residents and business owners can now call police to report trespassing.

“Because of our partnership with the ownership of the land and our partnership with the business owners and the residents, now we have the ability to tell you, you can’t [set up and stay],” Agostino added.

The cleanup operation has been extensive. In just a day and a half, crews have removed massive amounts of debris from the site. As of Thursday afternoon, five large bins of garbage were used and between 60 to 70 tons of garbage collected including bicycles, scooters, TVs refrigerators and needles, among other things.

“We have one more bin and once we take that out, we’re all done. Took us a day to clear everything out,” said Ali Ghanem of Samana Homes.

Officials estimate around 50 people were displaced because of the clearing. Those living on the property were given three weeks notice and offered support.

Some residents say the cleanup is a positive step but stress the importance of continued support for those affected.

“As a resident, I’m glad that they cleaned up. My neighbourhood is cleaner, but I also hope that the city’s able to provide the help for these people,” said Crawford Street resident Vu Gno.

Agostino says resources were made available, but ultimately, individuals must choose to accept them.

“We’ve given everybody options. We’ve given everyone a place to go with supports where there’s help, but we can’t force anyone to go where we want them to go,” he said.

The property now remains off-limits.