Lawyers seek another delay of Ville-Marie Expressway encampment eviction

Lawyers representing the people living in an encampment under Montreal's Ville-Marie Expressway are going back to court to renew an injunction request that would delay the dismantling of their tents.

The eviction of those living in the encampment, located between Guy Street and Atwater Avenue, was scheduled for the week of April 12.

But earlier this month, a Quebec Superior Court judge agreed to delay their eviction for 10 more days.

The Mobile Legal Clinic had asked earlier this month that the eviction be paused until at least July. Their lawyers declined to comment before the court date.

Quebec's Transport Ministry has said the eviction is necessary to carry out major repairs under the expressway. It did not respond to CBC's request for comment in time for publication.

'The most vulnerable'

There are about 20 people living under the expressway, many of whom may not be welcome in overnight shelters, said David Chapman, executive director of the day shelter Resilience Montreal.

For example, Chapman said, some of them live with a partner, a pet or struggle with addiction. Many shelters only allow people of the same gender, have a ban on pets and don't allow alcohol or drug use.

"While it's not ideal that you have a camp under the bridge… when there's a community and there's people, for example, who have Naloxone in the community, there is a measure of safety," said Chapman.

"The problem with scattering the group is that then we don't know where to find them. And should they be in a situation where they overdose, the probability is higher that there will be nobody there to help."

Earlier this month, a judge said both the Transport Ministry and the residents of the encampment should try to come up with a plan to relocate those who will inevitably be displaced.

But Chapman said those negotiations have yet to take place.

He launched a petition demanding the Quebec government finance a pilot project to provide apartment accommodations, with community support offered by Resilience Montreal, for those living in the encampment.

"Some members of this street community suffer from mental health problems or serious illnesses, such as cancer and Staphylococcus aureus; others are struggling with serious substance use problems and a woman is pregnant," the petition says.

"Members of this community are among the most vulnerable people in Quebec society."