First look at London’s updated rules and restrictions for homeless encampments
Pets on leashes, a fire ban, and an age restriction, are some of the rules unveiled as part of London’s updated strategy for homeless encampments.
On Tuesday evening, dozens of people filled a meeting room inside the Earl Nichols Recreation Centre to provide feedback about the city’s proposed update to the Encampment Strategy before it’s officially presented to city council for endorsement.
Instead, what city staff heard were frustrated Londoners voicing their concerns about the ongoing homelessness crisis.
“For the past year, I’ve been having to navigate trying to get us housed because we don’t fall under [the city’s] urgent status or high-needs status,” Mel Sheehan shared about her and a roommate’s struggle being precariously housed.
Old East Village resident Justin Bardawill called for a renewed sense of urgency, “What’s it going to take for you folks to declare a State of Emergency?”
Deputy City Manager of Social and Health Development Kevin Dickins asserted that solutions take time, “We didn’t get into this overnight, and we’re not going to get out of it overnight, but there are many things happening.”
The proposed plan for pathways out of encampments and into housing would represent a fundamental shift in how homelessness is addressed in London.
The updated Encampment Strategy unveiled to the public includes restrictions on their locations plus a set of rules for people living in tents or makeshift shelters.
Encampment Safety Protocols
- No more than six tents/shelters per encampment
- No open fires or combustibles
- Minors under 16 years old will be reported to Children’s Aid Society (CAS)
- No used or uncapped needles around the site
- Pets must be on a leash when outside a tent
- A muzzle is required if a pet is known to be violent
- Human trafficking is not tolerated and will be reported
- Intimidation, physical violence, or threats towards neighboring tents, community residents, or staff providing services will not be tolerated
- Brandishing weapons will not be tolerated
- No large amounts of garbage, food waste, or hoarding
- Tents can’t be near a playground, pathway, open area of play, or on a flood plain, river embankments, roadways, private property, side walks, or bus shelters
Encampments set up in the following 14 parks and additional public locations will face “a rapid enforced closure”
- Gibbons Park
- Piccadilly Park
- McMahen Park
- Boyle Park
- Queens Park
- CNRA Park
- Wellington Valley Park
- Thames Park
- Harris Park
- Lorne Ave Park
- Victoria Park
- Ivey Park
- Campbell’s Park
- Springbank Park
- Municipal Lot 1 (OEV)
- Municipal Lot 2 (OEV)
- Centre of Hope
- UTRCA property
- Environmentally Significant Areas (ESAs)
- Streets / pathways
A map showing some of the locations where the Encampment Strategy forbids tents/shelters. ( Source; City of London)Dickens believes proactive outreach and relationship building with encampment residents will lead to compliance — but enforcement remains an option.
“If there’s an encampment that’s in a [restricted] location or there’s an imminent safety risk and we need to disperse that encampment, we would do that in collaboration with the Coordinated Informed Response Team in partnership with the outreach workers, but also with support of police services,” Dickins explained.
In June, a report about the Encampment Strategy will be presented to council, incorporating the public feedback.
“I think it’s actually too much in some respects,” Bardawill told CTV News after the meeting. “I don’t see the problem with it if [unhoused Londoners] are going into some of these parks — it beats having them hanging out on my boulevard.”
Sheehan believes the strategy will let too many of the 2,000 Londoners experiencing homelessness slip through the cracks, “There’s still at segment of the population that’s living unhoused that isn’t involved in this plan.”
A second public meeting about the Encampment Strategy and Pathways to Housing will be held on Thursday, May 23, 6 – 7:30 p.m. at East Lions Community Centre.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6937077.1719027124!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Oilers force Game 7 of Stanley Cup final with 5-1 win over Panthers
The Oilers are one win from history. The Panthers are one loss from infamy. Zach Hyman scored his playoff-leading 16th goal and Stuart Skinner made 20 saves as Edmonton defeated Florida 5-1 on Friday to force Game 7 in the Stanley Cup final.
Where is Louis Riel? Heritage Minute of Métis leader quietly removed
A decision to quietly remove a decades-old Heritage Minute on Louis Riel has left some in the Métis community scratching their heads, as questions are raised about how Canada's history is portrayed.
Heritage minister views next election as a referendum on Canadian cultural reforms
Minister of Canadian Heritage Pascale St-Onge says the next federal election could become a referendum on Canadian culture and the trio of legislative measures the Liberals have advanced to try to protect it.
Billionaire businessman James K. Irving dead at 96
The family of Canadian billionaire businessman James K. Irving has announced his death at the age of 96, just over a month after the death of his younger brother, Arthur.
'Reckless in the extreme': Lamborghini driver convicted for crash while passing Toronto streetcar
A Lamborghini driver who tried to pass a Toronto streetcar at three times the speed limit, striking several parked cars and totalling his own vehicle, has been found guilty of dangerous driving causing bodily harm.
Pedestrian killed on Hwy. 97 following bus crash that caused 'numerous' injuries
A pedestrian was struck and killed on Highway 97 in the B.C. Interior early Friday afternoon as emergency crews were responding a school bus crash that caused “numerous” injuries to those on board.
4 people found dead in southwestern Ontario town of Harrow
Ontario Provincial Police are investigating after four people were found dead in the town of Harrow, just south of Windsor. Officers were called to a residence on County Road 13 at approximately 1:30 p.m. on Thursday.
4 members of a billionaire family get prison in Switzerland for exploiting domestic workers
An Indian-born billionaire and three family members were sentenced to prison on Friday for exploiting domestic workers at their lakeside villa in Switzerland by seizing their passports, barring them from going out and making them work up to 18 hours a day.
MP Marco Mendicino spat on by man in Ottawa
A video circulating online shows MP and former cabinet minister Marco Mendicino get spat on while on his way into a government building in Ottawa.