Region of Waterloo will not immediately appeal encampment court decision, hints at future appeal if necessary
The Region of Waterloo says it is not currently planning to appeal Justice M. Valente's decision that ruled it cannot evict those living at an encampment at the corner of Victoria and Weber Streets in Kitchener.
On Thursday, the region said in a news release it “will continue to focus on supporting those experiencing homelessness in the community.”
A statement from Region of Waterloo Chair Karen Redman emailed to CTV News on Thursday said the region will continue to work with outreach partners to voluntarily move people living at the encampment into shelter spaces, including the new hybrid shelter planned at Erbs Road.
“Should those efforts not be successful, regional council could apply back to Justice Valente to rescind the declaration at a future date,” Redman said.
In January, Valente struck down the region’s bid to seek an injunction to evict the residents of the encampment, which sits on municipally owned land.
“Our commitment to supporting those experiencing homelessness and living rough across the region is steadfast and concerns remain for the safety and wellbeing of those living in unsanctioned encampments,” Redman said in the statement emailed to CTV News. “At the Region of Waterloo, we are working on a number of fronts with community partners to address homelessness and to find meaningful, long-term solutions.”
The region pointed to $163 million in spending on housing and homelessness approved during the regional council budget on Wednesday.
The region said this will advance the interim housing strategy and lead to increased shelter capacity.
“The interim housing strategy is an important part of the region’s plan to help end chronic homelessness, with the opening of the first outdoor shelter at region-owned property on Erbs Road as an important step forward,” the region said. “When this shelter opens, it will provide a greater range of accessible options for individuals experiencing homelessness.”
Valente’s ruling handed down on Jan. 27 dismissed the region's bid for an injunction and declined to declare the homeless individuals living in the encampment in breach of a regional by-law.
The ruling noted that the region did not have adequate shelter spaces for its homeless population.
Valente also said evicting residents would violate their charter rights to life, liberty and security.
The ruling was called precedent-setting by legal experts and those who live in the encampment.
“It’s precedent-setting, so this is setting precedent across the city, across the province and across Canada, so I think it’s a huge victory," Colin, who lives at the encampment, told CTV News last month.
ENCAMPMENT LAWYERS RESPOND TO REGION'S DECISION
Shannon down, a lawyer with Waterloo Region Community Legal Services, said representing those living at the Victoria and Weber Streets encampment said she was really pleased with the region’s decision.
“We're really happy, we're relieved on behalf of our clients, some of the folks who are still living in tents at the encampment, who will obviously feel like this is a weight lifted off their shoulders,” said Down.
Adding: “This means that we can pour our energies, both the region can pour their energies and we can pour our energies into advocating and working on solutions for homelessness as opposed to battling it out in the court system.”
The makeshift tent community formed last year, peaking at more than 60 tents.
The region has been trying to clear the site to make way for a central transit hub.
In the summer, the region filed court papers to remove the encampment after many residents living in the encampment stayed past an eviction date set by the region.
“It certainly felt at times like we were up against a real uphill battle while the case was ongoing,” said Down.
If the region decides to go back to court, Down said that would be counterproductive from her point of view.
“I certainly hope that’s not what they choose to do. From my perspective that’s counterproductive,” Down said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Large numbers of New York City police officers begin entering Columbia University campus
Large numbers of New York City police officers began entering the Columbia University late Tuesday as dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters remained on the campus.
Poilievre kicked out of Commons after calling Prime Minister Justin Trudeau 'wacko'
Testy exchanges between the prime minister and his chief opponent ended with the Opposition leader and one of his MPs being ejected from the House of Commons on Tuesday -- and the rest of Conservative caucus walking out of the chamber in protest.
Baby, grandparents among 4 people killed in wrong-way police chase on Ontario's Hwy. 401
A police chase which started with a liquor store robbery in Bowmanville Monday night ended in tragedy some 20 minutes later when a suspect fleeing police entered Highway 401 in the wrong direction and caused a pileup which killed an infant and the child's grandparents, as well as the suspect, investigators say.
Freeland leaves capital gains tax change out of coming budget implementation bill, here's why
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland will be tabling yet another omnibus bill to pass a sweeping range of measures promised in her April 16 federal budget, though left out of the legislation will be the government's proposed capital gains tax change.
Sword-wielding man attacks passersby in London, killing a 14-year-old boy and injuring 4 others
A man wielding a sword attacked members of the public and police officers in a northeast London suburb Tuesday, killing a 14-year-old boy and injuring four other people, British authorities said.
Man dies after suffering cardiac arrest while waiting in ER, widow wants investigation
When an ambulance took David Lippert to the hospital in March of 2023, the 68-year-old Kitchener, Ont., executive was hoping to find out why he was feeling weak and unable to walk. Some 24 hours later, he was found unresponsive in the ER.
CSE says it shared information on Chinese hacking of parliamentarians in 2022
While several MPs and senators say they were only recently made aware of China-backed hackers targeting them, the Communications Security Establishment, one of Canada's intelligence agencies, says it shared information about the incident with parliamentary officials in June of 2022.
WATCH Arnold Schwarzenegger spotted filming in Elora, Ont.
The name of the project has not been officially released although it’s widely believed to be the Netflix series FUBAR.
Eviction for landlord's use was legitimate, despite owners' partial move, B.C. court rules
A B.C. judge has upheld the eviction of a family from their North Vancouver townhouse, finding that the landlords did not take an unreasonable amount of time to move into the home after the tenants vacated it.