Campout held in Victoria Park meant to underscore homelessness crisis
An event spanning 24 hours with the aim of bringing attention to homelessness was held at Victoria Park Friday night, despite city staff saying the plan could violate bylaws.
The event is called "The Unhoused Experience: 24hr Challenge" and started at 6 p.m.
Late Friday night, CTV News was told the event had been peaceful, as only a handful of people could be seen around the fire.
"For us, the city saying no one is allowed to be in the park, in a tent, or anything after 11 p.m., that's the reality that we're demonstrating through this event," said co-organizer Jaime Stief. "If people have nowhere safe to go, they have to find somewhere to go."
The event comes one month after protestors gathered outside an encampment in Victoria Park after the City of Kitchener closed public access to Roos Island as part of an effort to relocate people living in an encampment there.
The event was organized by Fight Back KW and The Alan Ryan People’s Defense Brigade, which are described as anti-poverty social justice groups.
Organizers say the experience is meant to show what living rough is like on a daily basis, which includes being told where they're allowed to sleep.
"When we hear people say that, 'camping in tents gives me that autonomy I need to feel sane' and the city saying 'get out of the park', we're seeing a conflict and we're not seeing a resolution coming from the city," said Stief.
BYLAW ENFORCEMENT
The City of Kitchener said municipal bylaws do not allow tents or other structures to be in the park, and they communicated that to organizers of the event.
In an email to CTV News, the city said if requests to dismantle structures are ignored, bylaw officers will hand out trespass notices, and in extreme circumstances, will issue a fine of up to $5,000 and may ask police to provide assistance
A park bylaw states all events must end by 11 p.m.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Suspects waving weapons, smashing glass in Toronto jewelry store robbery caught on video
Arrests have been made after five men were captured on video rampaging through a jewelry store in Toronto, waving weapons and smashing glass display cases.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
New evidence challenges the Pentagon's account of a horrific attack as the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan: CNN exclusive
New video evidence uncovered by CNN significantly undermines two Pentagon investigations into an ISIS-K suicide attack outside Kabul airport, during the American withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.