Halifax closing Meagher Park, unhoused people to be moved
A park in west end Halifax that became the site of an encampment last fall is closing to the public and removing unhoused inhabitants in the process.
The Halifax Regional Municipality announced in a statement to media Tuesday afternoon that Meagher Park will be closing, effective immediately. The closure, which is expected to last throughout the summer, will see the park fenced and returned to its original state while people experiencing homelessness are diverted to what HRM is calling designated outdoor sheltering locations.
Citing the decline of safety conditions in the park, HRM is calling the current encampment “an increasingly vulnerable situation.”
Individuals experiencing homelessness are now being diverted to one of four designated sites located on Barrington Street, Lower Flinn Park, Green Road Park, and Geary Street in Dartmouth. HRM staff is calling these sites, where only tents are allowed, “safer” than a small structure with a door and lock.
Individuals currently sheltering at Meagher Park have a deadline of July 17 to vacate the premises. According to the municipality, an undisclosed number of people sheltering in the park have accepted housing from service providers working on behalf of the province.
For special projects manager Max Chauvin, the reconstruction of the Meager Park is overdue.
"The park has been used heavily for a year," he said, noting that it's full of mud and facing a significant rodent population. "It's simply not a place that's safe for any use."
HRM Mayor Mike Savage agrees.
"Our goal is to move people in a way that they find suits their needs as well as everybody else's," he said. "They will have more than they have currently at Meagher Park, and they deserve that, and that's what we'll provide."
HRM’s statement noted that municipal staff visited Meagher Park Tuesday to advise them of the park’s closure, explain the transition period, and offer information on available resources.
The sites are also equipped with portable toilets and garbage cans, while services like potable water, storage boxes, and needle boxes continue to be added.
“The municipality’s priority has been, and continues to be, treating those experiencing homelessness with dignity and continuing to find ways to provide support them within our organization’s capacity and scope,” the statement reads.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
LIVE B.C. seeks ban on using drugs in 'all public spaces,' shifting approach to decriminalization
The B.C. government is moving to have drug use banned in 'all public spaces,' marking a major shift in the province's approach to decriminalization.
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.
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.
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.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
U.S. 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.
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.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.