Sections of Notre-Dame Street homeless encampments dismantled

Montreal police and Transport Quebec workers moved in early on Monday morning to dismantle certain sections of the Notre-Dame Street East homeless encampments. A mobile mediation and social intervention team from the city and social workers from CIUSSS de l’Est-de-l’Île-de-Montréal were also on hand to accompany those living there.

Some occupants and advocates protested the dismantling of the camp.

The Quebec Transport Ministry went in after police secured the area with a perimeter around 6:30 a.m. to give occupants a second eviction notice.

The first notice called for the eviction to take place on Nov. 21, but the Mobile Legal Clinic (MLC) — lawyers representing the homeless — intervened and asked Transport Quebec to delay the eviction until at least Dec. 1 when warming spaces open in Montreal.

Transport Quebec agreed to the new deadline, but despite this, RAPSIM and other community groups were still demanding that the eviction be lifted and that a moratorium on evictions be implemented in the city as well as more support for the homeless community.

There were about 1,800 emergency shelter spaces in Montreal during the month of November and that was expected to go up to about 2,100 on Dec. 1.

The areas affected are Morgan Park, between Joliette and Aylwin streets, and near Bourbonnière Avenue – all off Notre-Dame Stree East.

These homeless population who were camping on Notre-Dame East, will have to move a few yards away, to areas where camping will be tolerated until the end of winter.

The province had cited fire hazards and unsanitary conditions as the reasons to dismantle the Notre-Dame encampment.

At one point on Monday morning, there were about 50 police officers on site, as well as a garbage truck and a loader.