The MTQQuebec Ministry of Transport, co-owner of the land with the Société québécoise des infrastructures (SQI), justifies his request for eviction for reasons of safety and fire risk in a letter delivered by hand to campers on Saturday.
In this unsigned document, but on the letterhead of the ministry, a representative of the owner of the premises who does not identify himself formally request to stop using the land and leave without further delay. Campers were also ordered to remove all [leurs] objects of the property, otherwise the City would take care of it.
After the dismantling of the camp on rue Notre-Dame, a dozen campers had taken up residence on the territory of a wooded area which is located in the same district, south of rue Hochelaga, between rue Viau and boulevard de l ‘Assumption.
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Radio-Canada could not validate the origin of this letter distributed to campers in the wooded Steinberg.
In an interview with RDI, the Quebec Ministry of Transport justified its decision by citing a recent warning from the Montreal Fire Department.
Last April, the Montreal Fire Department was on site and sent us a report with a recommendation asking us to take charge of this land, given that there was a serious fire danger for people who are in this camp “,” text “:” On April 26, the Montreal Fire Department was on site and sent us a report with a recommendation asking us to take charge of this land, given that it there was a serious danger of fire for the people who are in that camp “}}” lang = “fr”>On April 26, the Montreal Fire Department was on site and sent us a report with a recommendation asking us to take charge of this land, given that there was a serious fire danger for people. who are in that camp, said Sarah Bensadoun, spokesperson for the MTQ.
We consider that it is dangerous to have these camps on grounds which are absolutely not intended for the camp-site.
Refusing to tolerate an organized camp, Mayor Valérie Plante assured that beds remained available for these campers, who can also benefit from a storage service for their personal effects, upon their departure.
Manifestation
Campers interviewed on site by Radio-Canada oppose this eviction despite the presence of teams from the MTQQuebec Ministry of Transport deployed there to try to convince them to leave.
We are strangled on one side, we are strangled on the other, we come to us with lies, […] What are we in their eyes? indignant Guylain Levasseur, one of the campers interviewed by Radio-Canada, who was already actively participating in mutual aid between makeshift neighbors at the camp on rue Notre-Dame.
Community organizations that are partners of the City of Montreal, such as Care Montreal and CAP St-Barnabé, will take care of the recalcitrant, said the spokesperson of the MTQQuebec Ministry of Transport Sarah Bensadoun.
Despite the peaceful atmosphere defended by the ministry to dislodge the campers and guarantee their safety, Monday, an event inviting the population to demonstrate in support of the homeless circulates on social networks.
The evacuation of goods that have not been moved in time will be taken care of by the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) and the Montreal Fire Department, indicated the MTQ MTQ.
Valérie Plante had however recently made it known that she did not intend to forcibly dislodge the homeless newly installed in makeshift camps, fearing that they would find themselves overjudicial.
His political opponent in the electoral campaign, Denis Coderre, came to the scene on Tuesday. Arguing that it was not possible to live camping, he proposed to requalify a hotel into a rooming house.
