A new public space by-law will prevent homeless encampments in St. Catharines near certain designated sites, including schools, playgrounds and sports fields.
St. Catharines City Council passed the new by-law last week.
The motion was put forward by Councillor Bill Phillips (Ward 5 – Grantham) and seconded by Councillor Robin McPherson (Ward 4 – St. Patrick’s).
It had strong support on Council, with Mayor Mat Siscoe vocally backing the measure. When it ultimately came to a vote, councillors voted 10-2 to support the encampment restriction measure.
According to Siscoe, the new by-law is all about keeping residents safe.
“This by-law is about keeping our public spaces clean and safe,” Siscoe told Council. “As councillors note, one of the biggest complaints we get right now – and I would wager all of us get these concerns, complaints, emails on a regular basis – is about the state of our public spaces. And public spaces being taken over in some cases by tent encampments.”
Siscoe said that he was not opposed to the idea that encampments might have to exist if proper shelter space isn’t provided to those who need it. However, he noted that many of these encampments are popping up in very sensitive areas, such as near elementary schools or playgrounds.
Siscoe also reminded councillors that the city has the right to tell residents how tall or short they can build their homes and is able to regulate all areas of land use. Therefore, he insisted that it was right and proper for the city to also put restrictions on where encampments can pop up.
The by-law does not specifically outline where encampments can exist, instead simply laying out where they can’t exist.
According to Siscoe, no specific areas where encampments can exist were outlined because he doesn’t believe the city should formally authorize encampments.
“We’ve seen what happens when that occurs,” said Siscoe. “Hamilton has gone through that, it’s created a very difficult position, and now cities like Hamilton…are walking those policies back because they have not worked.”
Therefore, St. Catharines is not specifically authorizing encampments. It is simply saying that, should encampments occur, they cannot occur in certain sensitive areas of the city.
Restrictions include encampments not being allowed within 50 metres of a playground, 100 metres of a school or daycare, and 30 metres of a residential property.
Siscoe noted that encampments can be extremely unsafe, and often there is human and drug trafficking going on in these encampments. This, according to Siscoe, was a primary driver of these new guidelines of where encampments are not allowed to occur.
However, according to the city, encampments near sensitive areas will not be removed until the city confirms there is somewhere else for those living in an encampment to go – such as transitional housing or a shelter.
Siscoe also argued that the Region needs to be building more transitional housing and shelters to help deal with homelessness, arguing that St. Catharines as a lower-tier municipality doesn’t have the mandate or resource to be providing these services.
Jay Goldberg is the Ontario Director at the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. He previously served as a policy fellow at the Munk School of Public Policy and Global Affairs. Jay holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Toronto.
