Residents at Halifax encampments begin leaving as municipality's deadline approaches

Homeless advocate Stephen Wilsack does a daily tent count at Halifax’s Grand Parade encampment.

“What we’re seeing at Grand Parade is a few individuals have chosen for relocation,” he says.

At its peak, there were 33 tents. On Monday, he counted 24 and stopped. That’s five less than the day before.

“There are a couple individuals that found an apartment, and there are a couple individuals who were able to get into a drug treatment program,” says Wilsack.

Monday was the 87th day since the more durable red fishing tents were brought into the encampment outside city hall. For some who have been there for that duration, moving is going to be difficult.

“We had one resident, they were notified that they had a spot to go, but their mental well-being wasn’t prepared to do that,” Wilsack says.

Still, there’s progress as the city’s deadline for leaving encampments is now just two weeks away.

“I think I’m going to have my cheque by then and I think I’ll leave to go to Newfoundland,” says resident Stephen Schoenmaker.

But some don’t know what they’re going to do when the calendar changes to Feb. 26.

“I’m unfortunately in a bad position because I don’t have identification. I’m from Ontario, so I can’t even get social assistance here. I don’t know what I’m going to do,” adds Matt Katchabaw.

Katchabaw did stay at the Halifax Forum shelter for the last two weeks, but he’s recently moved back to Grand Parade because of some of the rules at the Forum.

“It’s a curfew from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. (During that time) you have to be in your bunk,” says Katchabaw.

So, Katchabaw is back with only two weeks to decide where he’s going to go next.

Wilsack says there are times they don’t get notice when someone plans to move on. They often just leave. If that’s the case, their tent is taken down if they don’t return within 72 hours.

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