Greater Sudbury closes homeless encampment at Memorial Park
Following up on their announcement from two weeks ago, officials with Greater Sudbury closed the tent encampment at Memorial Park on Friday.
The city said the four people still living there have agreed to move out while officials find them permanent housing options.
Santana Nahwegezhic, 33, told CTV News she has lived in a tent at Memorial Park for almost a year. On Friday she was packing up and moving to a hotel room paid for by the city while she awaits permanent housing.
"Bummed out but I am OK with it a little bit, too, cause it's time for me to move along now," said Nahwegezhic, who added she has been homeless for a decade.
"Try to get housing and stuff like that and get back to normal living and stuff."
She lived with her friend in the largest tent in the park and admits it was tough sometimes, because of the lack of services and the presence of rodents.
"Sometimes it was cold at nights but most of the time I had a heater, so it was pretty warm most of the time," Nahwegezhic said.
"And there was lots of mice, like rodents and stuff like that, it's bad like it's because they look for warmer spaces."
The city informed everyone living in the park through a notice March 15 that they and their belongings had to be out of the park by April 1.
"A lot of factors come into play when we decide to move ahead with the closure," said Stefany Mussen, manager of corporate security and bylaw services with Greater Sudbury.
"Including risk to safety to individuals in the park as well as people who want to access the park for their personal use, the length of time that has passed. (There have been) multiple offerings of services being given to individuals in the park."
Nahwegezhic said she is looking forward to living in a place with amenities.
"That is the one part that sucked is not having somewhere to use the washroom or shower when you want to," she said.
The city has erected temporary fencing in the park around the area of the tents and frozen debris while cleanup takes place.
Officials said the city will regularly patrol the park and other city spaces and ask anyone who erects a tent to take it down immediately.
It says it will use enforcement under the Trespass to Property Act as a last resort.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Another suspect arrested in Toronto Pearson airport gold heist: police
Police say another suspect is in custody in connection with the gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport last year.
Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
Trump hush money trial: Play-by-play on Day 2 of Stormy Daniels testimony
Adult film star Stormy Daniels took the stand for a second time Thursday as former U.S. president Donald Trump's hush money case continues in Manhattan.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
Miss Teen USA steps down just days after Miss USA's resignation
Miss Teen USA resigned Wednesday, sending further shock waves through the pageant community just days after Miss USA said she would relinquish her crown.
Cyclist strikes child crossing the street to catch school bus in Montreal
A video circulating on social media of a young girl being hit by a bike has some calling for better safety and more caution when designing bike lanes in the city. The video shows a four-year-old girl crossing Jeanne-Mance Street in Montreal's Plateau neighbourhood to get on a school bus stopped on the opposite side of the street
B.C. wildfires likely to spread with weekend temperatures expected to soar, province says
Wildfire and emergency management officials in British Columbia are urging residents to be prepared for increased fire activity as temperatures are expected to soar above 30 C in parts of the province this weekend.
Wilfrid Laurier football player drafted despite only playing 27 games in his entire life
A Listowel, Ont. man, drafted by the Hamilton Tigercats last week, is also getting looks from the NFL, despite only playing 27 games of football in his life.