Encampment developments, field trips, new hospital: Top stories of the week

Eviction deadline nears for Kitchener encampment, Cambridge encampment now being evicted

As the eviction deadline for an encampment in Kitchener approaches, residents of one in Cambridge are now being asked to leave as well.

The June 30 date remains unchanged in Kitchener, but the mayor says he's open to interim solutions.

"This is a complex issue," Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic told CTV News on Thursday."[It] needs to involve a comprehensive area of services to support the residents in question. That includes mental health supports, medical supports, addiction supports and other issues. Because that's part of what is necessary to make any kind of interim housing solution work."

The region said it is working to find shelter and wraparound services for everyone who will be displaced, and a new 60-bed overnight shelter opened Friday at the former Edith MacIntosh Child Care Centre on Stirling Avenue.

On Wednesday, a rally and march was held calling on the Region of Waterloo to change course and let the people living at the site stay.

"I have no idea, really, what to do," said encampment resident Chris McIntyre on Tuesday, where temperatures neared 40 degrees. "Hopefully we can band together and figure out something to do."

Police and bylaw will not be at the encampment on the day of the eviction, according to the region.

In Cambridge, a woman who says she’s been living in an encampment for 14 years is among those at the property now being told to pack their things. TC Energy, the company that owns the property, says those who are living there are trespassing and have been asked several times to leave by June 2.

'He is a very dangerous man': Victim’s family speaks out after high risk offender released from prison

Christopher Watts has once again been released from prison.

Kingston Police issued a safety notice on Wednesday stating Watts has been deemed a "high risk offender" and may "pose a risk to the community, particularly to females, including females under 18 years of age." They added that the 61-year-old is now living in Kingston and will be monitored.

Watts was convicted in 2003 of manslaughter, sexual assault and sexual interference of a 13-year-old girl.

Amanda Raymond died after attending a party at Watts' Puslinch Lake home in July 2001. The Parole Board of Canada detailed how he gave her drugs, including Percocets, OxyContin, speed and ecstasy.When Raymond was in a drug-induced coma, Watts refused to let others call for help,sexually assaulted her, wrote obscene words on her body and took pictures and video.

Watts was sentenced to 12 years behind bars in 2003.

'It’s something money can’t buy': Kitchener man paying for student field trips

A Kitchener man, who only wants to go by the name "St. Jerome’s Boy," has been financially supporting school trips in the Region of Waterloo. For the past 20 years, St. Jerome’s Boy has been paying for field trips out of his own pocket.

He recently sent Grade 8 students from four different schools on at trip to Toronto, where they visited the CN Tower, Ripley’s Aquarium and watched a Toronto Blue Jays game.

"This is the most excited trip I had went on," said Asmeron Weldai, a Grade 8 student from St. John’s Catholic Elementary. "All of the things that we did, all for me was the first."

St. Jerome’s Boy has supported eight different schools in the region, footing the bill for field trips like bowling and Steckle Farm, plus paying for extras like ice cream trucks.

"It’s something money can’t buy, the feeling I get from all of this happening right now," St. Jerome’s Boy said. "1930s, my dad wen to [St. John’s] schools, and he always talked about this school, so I wanted to bring the full circle back to this school."

St. Jerome's Boy, in the middle, with staff from St. John's Catholic Elementary School in front the tree planted his honour. (Submitted)

New hospital planned in Waterloo Region

Planning is underway for a new hospital in the Region of Waterloo. Grand River Hospital and St. Mary's General Hospital announced the development project on Wednesday.

“This is a really a generational project for this region, both in size and in impact,” said Grand River Hospital President and CEO Ron Gagnon. “It is really exciting that we are building off of a decades-long partnership between the two hospitals to take this next step to help reinforce and build a Region of Waterloo health system.”

The hospitals said they've submitted a joint proposal to the Ontario government after consulting with staff, the community and health system partners like Cambridge Memorial Hospital and the KW4 Ontario Health Team.

That proposal includes details on constructing a new, state-of-the-art hospital in Kitchener-Waterloo with around 1,200 beds, as well as plans to repurpose the current location of Grand River Hospital as an ambulatory and urgent care centre. Grand River Hospital's Freeport Campus would be modernized and expanded for rehabilitation services.

"Most new hospitals today have all private rooms for patients," explained Gagnon. "That is nowhere near the case between our facilities."

St. Mary's General Hospital in Kitchener, Ont. on June 22, 2022. (Dan Lauckner/CTV Kitchener)

Former teacher launches another legal move over removal from WRDSB meeting

A former teacher has announced additional legal action against the Waterloo Region District School Board after her presentation was halted during a trustee meeting back in January. Carolyn Burjoski, who is now retired, is asking for a judicial review into the board's decision to remove her from the meeting, separate from a $1.75 million lawsuit she filed back in May.

On January 17, Burjoski raised concerns about books available in elementary school libraries which she felt discussed sexuality in a way that was not age appropriate. She cited two books, one which discussed asexuality and another about a transgender teenager.

Burjoski told trustees at the meeting that "some of the books make it seem simple, even cool, to take puberty blockers and opposite sex hormones."

Board Chair Scott Piatkowski then stopped her mid-presentation, citing concern that her comments violated the Ontario Human Rights Code. Burjoski was removed from the meeting and a video recording was taken off of social media.

The Waterloo Region District School Board administration building.