Homeless encampment on Notre-Dame won’t be taken down Thursday

The Notre-Dame Street encampment in Montreal’s east end won’t be taken down on Thursday.

The Mobile Legal Clinic (CJI) — which filed an urgent legal proceeding in court, after Quebec’s Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility (MTQ) warned it would dismantle the camp by June 10 — had previously said stakeholders agreed to prohibit the dismantling of the encampment at least until July 10.

This came following negotiations with the Quebec government and the City of Montreal.

“The Mobile Legal Clinic, the Government of Quebec, and the City of Montreal have agreed to submit a consent application to Superior Court Judge Gabrielle Brochu on Thursday, July 10, 2025, to renew until July 21, 2025, the interim interlocutory injunctions obtained on June 18 and 30, prohibiting the dismantling of the Notre-Dame Street East Camp in Montreal,” said the CJI in a social media post on Thursday morning.

“The Quebec Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, the owner of the land, will therefore be unable to take any action to evict the homeless people living along Notre-Dame Street East, between Pie-IX Boulevard and St-Clément Street, at least until July 21, 2025,” they added.

The consent application was submitted at the Montreal courthouse on Thursday morning.

“This dismantling ban could be renewed upon its expiration, with a safeguard order, until a hearing on the application for an interlocutory injunction is held,” the CJI said.

Adding that they hope a date can be set quickly so the hearing on the interlocutory injunction can be heard in the coming months.

The founder and executive director of the CJI, Donald Tremblay, explained the rationale for the legal action taken by the non-profit organization.

“At a time when Quebec is experiencing an unprecedented homelessness crisis and there are insufficient emergency shelter spaces, let alone housing, to accommodate people living on the streets in survival mode, the government’s decision to proceed, without alternative solutions, with the dismantling of camps where some of the most vulnerable people in our society reside is inhumane and undermines their lives, safety, and dignity,” he said.

CityNews reached out to the MTQ, but they said they are not able to comment as the matter is before the court.

Quebec Superior Court Judge Babak Barin ruled on June 18 that the MTQ could not dismantle the encampment before June 28.

The CJI had argued that evicting encampment occupants would cause serious harm, adding that it shouldn’t be done at a time when shelters are overflowing.

Authorities have cited safety issues with the camp, like fire hazards and the building of permanent structures.