The City of Montreal is taking its fight over a homeless encampment under the Van Horne overpass to Quebec’s Court of Appeal.
The city is asking the appeal court to overturn a Superior Court ruling that temporarily prevents it from clearing the site in the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough.
The dispute involves roughly 10 people who have been living in tents near a skatepark and basketball court for about a year. The borough moved to have the encampment removed in May, saying the occupation was limiting access to the recreational area.
The Clinique juridique itinérante, which advocates for people experiencing homelessness, challenged the planned eviction in court. A judge subsequently ordered the city to leave the encampment in place until the broader case can be examined.
Montreal says the case has broader implications because the site is an early test of its new policy for dealing with homeless encampments. The policy, introduced earlier this year, emphasizes finding alternatives before dismantling a site and allows for designated areas where people can remain temporarily.
The city says it had proposed other locations for the campers, but those options were rejected during the court proceedings. One was considered unsuitable because of noise, while another could not provide a long-term solution.
Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada has acknowledged that the new approach would face legal and practical challenges. The city says it wants the Court of Appeal to clarify its ability to apply the policy.
For now, the encampment remains in place while the legal battle continues.
Add CityNews Montreal as a trusted source on Google to see more local stories from us.
