Montreal dismantles homeless encampment just east of Jacques-Cartier Bridge
City has taken a firm stance against allowing encampments, especially on government-owned land
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The city of Montreal has dismantled a homeless encampment on a vacant lot at the intersection of Notre-Dame and D'Iberville streets, just east of the Jacques-Cartier Bridge, on Tuesday morning.
Police, firefighters and city employees took down improvised shelters on the lot, which is owned by the Quebec Transport Ministry.
A spokesperson for the city told Radio-Canada that the encampments "are not a safe or durable solution for people experiencing homelessness."
"They can't be tolerated because the risks are known, notably when it comes to fire hazards," said Mélanie Gagné, a communications officer.
The presence of campfires on the site and a fire that broke out in two tents on July 1 prompted the Transport Ministry to publish an eviction notice.
People were warned that they had to leave on July 8, said Gagné.
Between July 8 and 13, outreach workers and police officers followed up with the 10 people living there to refer them to relocation services.
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"Right now, we can see the value of the homeless," said a man who has lived in a similar encampment, Guylain Levasseur, as he watched the workers dismantle the tents and lean-tos. "We take out the bulldozer, we put everything in a truck and we take it to the dump."
Levasseur was living at an encampment in Montreal's east end when it was taken down in May.
While the city has taken a firm stance against allowing encampments, Levasseur says that there are few other options for people who don't want to go to a shelter.
"It doesn't solve the problem. If they dismantle here, where will these guys sleep? In shop doorways?"
With files from Radio-Canada