Overview
- An Ontario Superior Court justice delivered the ruling on May 22 that prevents the Region of Waterloo from removing people at 100 Victoria St. N. unless lawful alternatives are in place.
- Justice Michael R. Gibson wrote the region must create an alternative lawful encampment site of last resort or adopt a tenting protocol that ensures access to services and health care comparable to those at the existing encampment.
- The judge found the region's site-specific bylaw enabling forced eviction to be unconstitutional and discriminatory because officials had not provided sufficient shelter options or allowed outdoor shelter elsewhere.
- The Region of Waterloo says it is reviewing the decision and will decide next steps, while Premier Doug Ford publicly called the ruling 'ridiculous' and urged faster action to clear the site.
- The decision puts this summer's Metrolinx work for the Kitchener Central Transit Hub at risk of delay and points to other Ontario models, like London and Thunder Bay, where designated encampment zones have been used as compliance options.