A security guard patrols a homeless encampment set up by property developer Devcore in a parking lot adjacent to the Robert Guertin Centre, in Gatineau, Que., on May 9.Dave Chan/The Globe and Mail
People living at a homeless encampment in Gatineau are facing an uncertain future as a developer that has provided heated tents and other services on the property for the past five months prepares to discontinue those services and eventually clear the site.
The camp, located in a parking lot adjacent to the Robert Guertin Centre – an arena that has been closed since 2021 and is slated for demolition – was spearheaded by property developer Devcore, which set it up in December following two deaths at a makeshift encampment nearby.
The site in Gatineau, a city of about 300,000 across the river from Ottawa, consists of 48 heated tents inside a fenced perimeter, as well as washroom facilities, security personnel and other intervention services. There are currently 58 people staying there.
But the camp was meant to be temporary and now Devcore is preparing to shut down those services on Wednesday, citing concerns about summer heat on those camped out in an asphalt parking lot. The people living there will be allowed to keep their tents and stay there until the arena demolition begins this summer. Devcore says it plans to eventually set up low-rent housing made from shipping containers, though it is awaiting city approval.
Reanna Ciarla, 29, who has been homeless for the past eight months and is living at the camp, said she’s upset about the coming closing of the site, adding that it will be a challenge to find somewhere to live at an affordable price.
“It was nice that they came out with this because, before that, I was staying in an actual tent and it was cold,” she said. “I don’t know how to survive on my own. Like, this is the first time ever I’m out on the streets.”
Cities across Canada have seen a rise in homelessness in recent years in light of a worsening housing crisis, which has meant that many – including smaller communities such as Gatineau – have seen a growing number of homeless encampments. Ottawa and Gatineau both declared housing and homelessness emergencies in 2020.
Data from the Quebec Ministry of Health and Social Services show that the number of people experiencing homelessness in Gatineau and the Outaouais region jumped from 145 in 2018 to 534 in 2022, an increase of nearly 300 per cent.
The upcoming deadline was part of an agreement between the City of Gatineau and Devcore when the camp was first set up.
In a statement, the city said that people experiencing homelessness will be able to remain on the site given that the tendering process for the demolition of the Robert Guertin Centre is under way and work will begin this summer.
The city added that the people in the area will have a reasonable warning before they are required to relocate, and that the city will continue to show flexibility around the use of the site.
People staying in the camp will be allowed to keep the tents provided by Devcore, which will be modified for summer conditions including the installation of removable mosquito nets.
Nancy Martineau, Devcore’s director of humanitarian projects, acknowledged the encampment has made a difference and that the end of services will be difficult for the people living there.
“After we’re gone, I know they’re going to be stressed because somebody can go in their tent in the middle of the night. They don’t have any more security. So, this already brings a stress. We can see it and we can feel it.”
Devcore has proposed replacing the encampment with a new community of small homes nearby using 50 shipping containers that will have heating, air conditioning and water, which it says could be ready four to six weeks after approval. City council is expected to consider the proposal this week.
While the residents of the encampment were not charged for staying there, rents for the shipping-container housing could range from between $300 to $500 a month, the company says.
Councillor Steve Moran, whose ward includes the Robert Guertin Centre, said the city is reviewing the proposal and weighing legal and safety considerations.
“I think generally, people at the city … are generally favourable to the idea,” he said. “We have to make sure that it actually lives up to the public-health needs of the people living there. So that’s a complicated process and you can’t cut corners on it.”
Mr. Moran added that the homelessness situation in Gatineau has forced the city to act on the issue, such as allocating $5-million to a homelessness assistance fund last year.
“Gatineau is a big city. We are basically in the shadow of the Parliament of Canada and there are people living in an encampment and that’s unacceptable,” he said.
Ms. Ciarla hopes the city and the developer can agree on the proposal for the replacement community as the rent for it would be affordable for her.
“I’m praying that it’s going to be approved,” she said.