As cold weather arrives, Quebec hands out eviction notices at Notre-Dame Street encampment

As temperatures drop, Quebec's Transport Ministry has issued eviction notices to several individuals living in tents along Notre-Dame Street East in Montreal. The affected individuals have until Thursday to vacate the area near the St. Lawrence River in the Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve borough and seek alternative shelter.

This stretch of provincially owned land has become a site for homeless encampments since the COVID-19 pandemic. The ministry cited concerns over fire hazards and unsanitary conditions as reasons for the eviction.

Residents face uncertainty

A 40-year-old man who has lived at the encampment with others since spring expressed frustration with the government's approach. "It is not a home. But it is painful to get kicked out of outside," he said, asking, "Where do I have to go?"

The man, whose name is being withheld for safety and privacy, shared his experience of being repeatedly evicted from the land. "They don't like the one who actually gives tents to everyone, the one who gives sleeping bags and food and care and someone to listen at 3 a.m.," he said.

He mentioned having a plan for where to go next but noted that similar encampments exist across the city, reflecting a broader issue.

Call for emergency housing

Independent city councillors Craig Sauvé and Serge Sasseville are set to propose a motion declaring a state of emergency on homelessness. The motion seeks to mobilize resources, requisition private accommodations for the unhoused, and secure increased funding from provincial and federal governments.

Sauvé emphasized the urgency of the crisis. "We're seeing tents pop up in neighbourhoods where we haven’t seen homelessness before," he said. While acknowledging the motion won't solve the problem immediately, he stressed the need to "save lives now because we're losing people."

The councillor criticized Quebec's response, calling the province the "weak link" in addressing homelessness. "Quebec government is the piece that we need to solve homelessness once and for all," he said.

Shelter capacity and provincial role

Montreal’s regional health authority reported that shelters currently offer 1,835 spaces, an increase from last year, with a goal to reach 2,102 spaces by December. However, shelters are nearing capacity, and the city acknowledged that nearby emergency shelters cannot accommodate everyone being evicted from Notre-Dame Street.

Robert Beaudry, a member of the city's executive committee responsible for housing, expressed skepticism about declaring a state of emergency. "We want investment to acquire buildings, but a state of emergency won't give us that," he said, urging the province to take charge by deploying support teams to address the physical and mental health needs of encampment residents.

The area has seen similar evictions in the past, with tents reappearing over time. Last month, the Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve borough requested that the Transport Ministry assume responsibility for the land, citing high maintenance costs.

The situation underscores the growing urgency for a coordinated response to homelessness as winter approaches.