Montreal encampment protests against dismantling homeless camps

Amid the housing crisis in Quebec, advocates have set up encampment in Montreal protesting the dismantling of homeless encampments in the city.

The encampment called “Refus Local” has been set up in Parc-des-Faubourgs in the Centre-Sud district on Monday. The encampment was erected on July 1st which coincides with moving day in the province.

For 58-year-old Sarah Ethier who was evicted from her home on Tuesday after her landlord did not renew her lease, the encampment provided her a place to stay.

“The first night I came, I slept like a baby,” said Ethier.

Ethier lives in a small tent inside the encampment. She says she receives around $670 a month but that’s still not enough to find a place to live in the city.

“We need help, we need things and we need homes.”

So far, there are nine tents at the encampment including a community tent where members gather to discuss topics that matter to them and a first aid tent to ensure everyone is safe and healthy.

“We are a dozen, and we are many, many people around the encampment in the city, and we build solidarity, and that gives us food, material and many people that live nearby are bringing us a meal, donation,” said Léandre, the Montreal man who started the encampment. He did not give CityNews his last name.

“I worked in an emergency shelter this winter and I saw people die.”

Advocates say fixing the city’s housing crisis is not easy but removing encampments puts people already in vulnerable situations in even more danger.

“When you have no place that you can be inside, and you have no place that you can be tolerated outside, it’s just impossible. Where do you go?” said advocate Anick Desrosiers.

“So you have to hide yourself even more, and put yourself even more at risk, because if you are seen, or if you are in the public space, you are in danger of getting evicted and you also have all these eyes on you that judge you. There’s also all the risks you’re belonging, that what you carry with you. There’s risk for people who will see you also as a vulnerable person and some people can take advantage of this,” she adds.

Léandre says they are not leaving until their demand is met.

CityNews reached out to the City of Montreal for comment but have not yet heard back.

While this isn’t the first time Ethier has faced homelessness, she plans to stay put at the encampment until she finds a new place to live.

“I hope this will be the last time, because I can’t do it. I can’t do it no more. I’m tired,” said Ethier.