Homeless camp under Ville-Marie Expressway to be dismantled by June 16: judge

The encampment for those living under Ville-Marie Expressway in downtown Montreal can be dismantled by June 16 as planned, a Superior Court judge ruled.

In Tuesday’s ruling, Judge Pierre Nollet acknowledged that evicting people who live in tents under the highway comes with its own set of risks for the group. But he noted there are several resources available to them.

According to the judge, there is nothing to indicate they would have left the premises themselves before mid-July if he had granted them an extension.

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MORE ON VILLE-MARIE EXPRESSWAY ENCAMPMENT:

• Homeless camp under Ville-Marie Expressway: Eviction delayed until June 15, injunction extended
• Petition urges Quebec government to find funds to house those living under Ville-Marie Expressway
• Interim injunction to suspend eviction of homeless people under Ville-Marie Expressway for 10 days
• Lawsuit to stop evictions of homeless under Ville-Marie Expressway
• Lawyers, province negotiating to find housing for those living under Ville-Marie Expressway

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A legal clinic helped the group of 15 to 20 homeless people obtain two court injunctions earlier this year to postpone the dismantling of the encampment. The goal was to give them more time to find another place to live.

A first eviction notice was sent last November, but the Ministry of Transport chose to postpone its repairs to the highway to allow time for those living there to leave.

The Ministry turned to the courts in March to obtain an eviction notice.

In his decision, Nollet says the land belonging to the province is not a public space like a park, which means individuals do not have the right to be there.

He added that irrefutable evidence shows the work on the highway is absolutely necessary, recalling the Montreal region has already witnessed the “disastrous consequences” of the lack of maintenance of road infrastructures.

—This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews