Toronto authorities apprehended six individuals on Wednesday during a clearing operation at Dufferin Grove Park, just days after the area was deemed free of tents and residents by the city.
A representative from the Toronto Police Service (TPS) confirmed that officers were summoned to aid municipal personnel and that the arrests were made on grounds of trespassing. It was emphasized by the police that the management of encampment activities falls under the jurisdiction of the City of Toronto.
According to an official statement, the park in the west end saw a recurrence of new tents subsequent to the enforcement actions taken the previous Friday. Notices for trespassing were distributed on September 27, and authorities revisited the site this week to address the emerging situation.
Gord Tanner, the General Manager of Toronto Shelter and Support Services, remarked, “The City of Toronto was informed of the reappearance of new tents at Dufferin Grove Park post the clean-up conducted on Friday to resolve the encampments. In line with the city’s guidelines, these tents were not allowed to remain.”
On Wednesday, city personnel, with the assistance of outreach workers, were present at the location to provide shelter options and additional assistance. The city highlighted that it had been offering dedicated support services for homelessness at Dufferin Grove for 237 days, guiding over 70 individuals towards shelter and aiding nine in securing permanent housing.
Tanner expressed, “Every possible effort has been put forth to attend to the encamped individuals in the park, ensure the park’s availability to the wider public, and prevent the need for enforcement. The City is resolute in its commitment to address the homelessness issue and enable communities to enjoy their parks.”
These recent detentions occurred shortly after city teams, supported by security personnel and law enforcement, disassembled the enduring encampment at Dufferin Grove. This action followed a period of tension involving residents, advocates, and municipal operatives, with some encampment inhabitants resisting eviction until they were offered permanent housing.
Mayor Olivia Chow acknowledged the previous week that a number of individuals had turned down the city’s shelter offers, stressing that sustainable solutions called for increased affordable housing and safeguards against illegal evictions.