Halifax council votes to keep list of designated encampment sites

Halifax Regional Council has voted against de-designating nine encampment sites in the municipality. 

A motion put to council Tuesday would have withdrawn its list of designated locations for sheltering, originally created on July 9. The motion failed 7 votes to 8. 

Senior councillors Sam Austin (District 5 Dartmouth Centre) and David Hendsbee (District 2 Preston – Chezzetcook – Eastern Shore) strongly opposed the motion, saying it would be premature, when many sites and shelters are already at capacity.  

“We need to be prepared for what may occur in the future,” Hendsbee said. “We don’t know what kind of demand we’re going to have for them. I think it’s best to be realistic over idealistic.” 

The nine designated sites in question are Bayers Road Windsor Street Park, BiHi Park, Bisset Road, Chain Lake Park, Cogswell Park, Geary Street green space, Glebe Street Park, Halifax Common and Point Pleasant Park. 

Coun. Jean St-Amand (District 16 Bedford) also argued the list of designated sites should be maintained, so people have the option of using them.  

St-Amand likened the situation to “having an urgent need for first aid and hiding the first aid kit,” then holding a meeting to decide “whether or not the first aid kit is needed in the first place.”  

Mayor Andy Fillmore proposed the motion on Nov. 12, just seven days after being sworn in as mayor. Part of his mayoral campaign included decreasing tent encampments and preventing new ones from developing.

He spoke in favour of the motion, saying there is no evidence that providing these encampments has helped solve the homelessness problem in Halifax.  

Fillmore said the nine encampments should be removed from the list so “efforts and resources can be repositioned towards housing, and not an ongoing crisis response.” 

Chief administrative officer Cathie O’Toole said in the coming months, the provincial Department of Community Services is planning to open 85 additional pilot shelters, 29 tiny homes, 25 temporary housing units and possibly a new shelter with 50 additional beds. 

Encampment use has decreased in the winter months over the last two years, as people move into heated shelters, then increased when spring arrives as they leave shelters. 

Coun. Janet Steele (District 12 Timberlea – Beechville – Clayton Park – Wedgewood) also opposed the motion, saying people will use the sites whether they are sanctioned by council or not. 

Council removed its designation of a homeless encampment in Victoria Park in downtown Halifax in February and evicted the people living there. Many of the residents then moved to the boulevard on University Avenue, a block away.

There are no tents left on the boulevard and the area is officially closed as a designated shelter spot. 

Coun. Virginia Hinch (District 8 Halifax Peninsula North) argued that Cogswell Park, at least, be removed from the list. She cited community concerns over drug use, prostitution and violence in the encampment, located between Robie and Windsor streets, near Quinpool Road. 

Bill Moore, the municipality’s executive director of public safety, said staff are in regular contact with police over safety concerns.