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
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.