Calling for permanent cancellation of Ville-Marie Expressway evictions

After evictions of those living under the Ville-Marie expressway were postponed last year, the Montreal Autonomous Tenants’ Union held a demonstration in support of those who live in the encampment, demanding a permanent cancellation of the evictions.

“We will put a stop to this, but we do not want the eviction postponed, we are demanding a permanent cancellation of any eviction,” said Jordan Thompson, part of the Montreal Autonomous Tenants Union, “let these people live in peace,” he shouted.

“It’s not correct what they are doing, they shouldn’t do this to the people,” says Jacco, who calls the encampment under the expressway home.

We first spoke to Jacco in November 2022 when those in the encampment were given notices of evictions by Surete du Quebec officers in order to make way for maintenance work by Quebec’s transport ministry. Soon after the eviction was postponed with no specific date set for future evictions, but for Jacco he says he wakes up everyday uncertain if that will be the day he must leave his home for now seven years.

“It’s not fair,” Jacco says, “I don’t have a place to go, and we just have throw away all [our things] and be in the middle of the street, and all I’m doing is good stuff. I don’t do anything bad.”

May Chiu an activist within Montreal’s China Town came out for the demonstration showing support to those living in the encampment. “The anxiety caused by the insecurity of this hanging over your head …is terrible. It’s traumatizing. It’s retraumatizing people who are already going through a lot of traumas.”

In a statement to CityNews Quebec’s Transport Ministry says the encampment under the expressway does not allow for repairs to be done safely for those living there and workers, and that at this time no date can be confirmed for future notices of evictions as construction is paused during the winter adding, “…the ministry is in discussion with several partners to find a sustainable solution for the campers who will need to find housing when the work resumes.”

For Thompson and those part of the demonstration, they say, “Transport Quebec must work with the residents to find permanent, stable housing as the residents see fit, not a Transport Quebec sees fit.”

With Montreal’s homeless community continuing to grow, there are limited spaces within shelters available and a lack of permanent solutions for those who need it the most.

“We really need a concerted solution by three levels of government, and it has to be a holistic solution that will look at the issues of poverty, look at the gaps in health and social services, look at the fact that there’s a huge housing crisis and evicting people from one place to another, you’re just going to push them into even more marginalized places where they’re alone.”

Chiu says, what she worries about the most is the negative impact evictions will have on the community formed, “I really worry about their security and I really worry about the break-up of the community that they formed over there.”