Advocates call for moratorium on tent evictions in Halifax
As many as 150 people gathered at Halifax City Hall on Saturday calling for a ban on tent evictions for those experiencing homelessness in the city.
"The police are continuing to harass those living in tents, even as there is nowhere else to go," Drew Moore of P.A.D.S. (Permanent, Accessible, Dignified and Safer) Community Network, said in a release.
"Without a clear directive from the city in the form of a bylaw change that decriminalizes living in parks, the city is making a bad situation worse."
Last month the municipality ordered the removal of several temporary shelters, causing tensions among Halifax's ongoing housing crisis to boil over.
As a result, police clashed with protesters, most notably on the grounds of the old Halifax library on Spring Garden Road.
Following the shelter removals, the city paid for a group of people to stay at Dartmouth’s Comfort Hotel. But last week, four people staying at a Dartmouth hotel were asked to leave with less than a day's notice.
"Promises of an immediate, indefinite solution in the form of hotel stays led by the city has failed, shelters are full, and the police continue to evict and harass people facing homelessness throughout the city," reads the release.
"Everywhere except people’s park, where residency has been growing at a rapid rate."
Asaf Rashid, a Halifax lawyer who spoke at Saturday's rally, is calling for an end to forced evictions.
“People residing in homeless encampments and elsewhere have been denied meaningful access to affordable housing and deserve meaningful consultation. Any evictions from any of the encampments should be considered illegal, as people are only there out of necessity during this crisis,” Rashid said in a release.
Rally organizers say community members and neighbours have been coming out in support of people who are unhoused, providing food, hot meals and supplies.
"But with the days stretching into weeks, and winter on the horizon, guaranteed safety and renewed discussions can no longer wait,' says the release.
“This is a complicated situation and finding a solution will take time, but the city has the ability to make a difference today by immediately declaring a moratorium on evictions while a solution is found,” said Moore.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
LIVE @ 1:15 PT B.C. premier to give announcement related to public drug use
B.C.'s premier is scheduled to give an update Friday about public drug use in the province.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
AFN chief says Air Canada offered a 15% discount after her headdress was mishandled
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief complained to Air Canada about how staffers treated her and her ceremonial headdress on a flight this week, she says the airline responded by offering a 15 per cent discount on her next flight.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.
76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid says he has Bell's palsy
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
DEVELOPING Bird flu outbreaks: WHO weighs in on public health risk
The current overall public health risk posed by the H5N1 bird flu virus is low, the World Health Organization said on Friday, but urged countries to stay alert for cases of animal-to-human transmission.
Island near Mull of Kintyre for sale for US$3.1 million
An idyllic 453-acre private island is up for sale off the west coast of Scotland and it comes with sandy beaches, puffins galore, seven houses, a pub, a helipad and a flock of black-faced sheep.