Residents tear down temporary shelters as Guelph tries to clear downtown encampment

Some people from Guelph are looking for a new place to stay after the City of Guelph tried to clear a downtown encampment.

Eviction notices were taped to tents and structures set up in St. George’s Square at the end of October. Residents were told they had until Nov. 13 to leave the area as the city began to enforce the new Public Space Bylaw.

A statement from the city said, in part, "The City has committed to leading with a respectful, human-centred, and education-first approach related to enforcement of the new bylaw."

It went on to say, "The majority of individuals that were in St. George's Square have voluntarily relocated to other locations or to an available shelter space."

By Wednesday evening there were still a few tents set up in the square, but most of the encampment residents had moved on.

Residents began to leave an encampment in downtown Guelph after the city issued eviction notices. Nov. 14, 2024. (Jeff Pickel/CTV News)

Volunteers and advocates came out to ensure anyone impacted by the move had access to food, water and any other supplies they may need.

“I wish that we can all come together and really rally around this community and just look at people from a holistic approach and how to figure out their needs,” volunteer Katherine Nixon said. “They are human beings and at the end of the day they deserve to be treated like that.”

Concerned community members also helped the encampment residents pack up their belongings throughout the day.

A sign reading, "Don't hate. It's our right to be housed, not a privledge[sic]" is seen at an encampment in Guelph on Nov. 13, 2024. (Jeff Pickel/CTV News)

It was an emotional day as one major question remains for many residents: where will they go?

“There is nowhere to go,” encampment resident Shane said. “There is no help from anyone. We are just trying to be seen by the community, just to let people know that we are still all out there – 600 people out in the bush who can’t afford this outrageous rent.”

Later Wednesday night, a vigil was held at St. George’s Square.

Attendees told CTV News they wanted to have a moment to remember two people who had lived in the encampment and had died during its existence.