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
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
Keeping these exotic pets is 'cruel' and 'dangerous,' Canadian animal advocates say
Canadian pet owners are finding companionship beyond dogs and cats. Tigers, alligators, scorpions and tarantulas are among some of the exotic pets they are keeping in private homes, which pose risks to public safety and animal welfare, advocates say.
Prince William and wife Kate thank public for birthday messages for son Louis
Prince William and his wife Kate thanked the public for their messages which had been sent to mark the sixth birthday of their youngest son Louis on Tuesday.
She was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father. Then life dealt her a blow
Anne Marie Cavner was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father, but then life dealt her a blow. From an unexpected loss to a host of new relationships, a DNA test changed her life, and she doesn't regret a thing.
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
'Catch-and-kill' strategy to be a focus as testimony resumes in Trump hush money case
A veteran tabloid publisher was expected to return to the witness stand Tuesday in Donald Trump's historic hush money trial.
Quebec farmers have been protesting since December. Is anyone listening?
Upset about high interest rates, growing paperwork and heavy regulatory burdens, protesting farmers have become a familiar sight across Quebec since December.
South Korean sentenced to 14 months in jail for killing 76 cats
South Korean man has been sentenced to 14 months in prison for killing 76 cats in one of the country's most gruesome cases of animal cruelty in recent years.