Timmins overpass encampment now enclosed with fence
Officials in Timmins are hoping that a fence will discourage vulnerable residents from gathering under the overpass on Algonquin Boulevard.
The area was cleared out late last week and the hope is the chain-link fence will ensure the area remains clear.
Around 10 people had been seen sleeping in the area. CTV News first reported on the encampment in August and this is the second time people have been relocated since then.
Timmins Mayor Kristin Murray said Monday that safety was the primary reason why the area is being fenced off.
"The decision was made simply because, you know, we want to make sure that individuals in our community stay safe," Murray said.
"That's really how that decision came to be."
She said housing solutions are needed longer term, something they are having conversations about now. But shorter term, Murray said "the hard decision" to clear the area for safety reasons.
The problem has been ongoing during the summer and Murray said it was important to deal with it before winter sets in. They have been working with social service agencies to ensure services for those who need it.
"I would hate for people to be out in the cold," she said.
"So that's why … it was sort of like a staged approach, having conversations with our community partners (about) how we can ensure that individuals are seeking the appropriate services."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.