City moving forward with designated encampment sites
A Special Committee of the Whole city council meeting on Wednesday night ended with the approval of three officially designated sites for homeless encampments.
City Council voted in favour of encampment sites at Current River Park, Freedom Park, and along Simpson Street.
Designating specific sites for homeless encampments is one part of the city’s ten-point plan for addressing encampments.
Council also voted in support of appropriating $208,500 to construct fencing and privacy screening at the three encampments.
The appropriated funds are being redirected from the 2026 Mission Island Bridge Construction Project, though funding for design work on that project is still allocated.
City Council voted on each of the three encampment sites and the budget appropriations as four separately held votes.
Council voted YES to the Current River Park encampment site with 10 votes for and 2 against, with Councillors Michael Zussino, Dominic Pasqualino, Albert Aiello, Mark Bentz, Rajni Agarwal, Brian Hamilton, Kristen Oliver, Kasey Etreni, and Greg Johnsen, and Mayor Ken Boshcoff voting in favour, and Councillors Andrew Foulds and Trevor Giertuga voting against the motion.
Council voted YES to the Freedom Park encampment site with 10 votes for and 2 against, with Councillors Dominic Pasqualino, Albert Aiello, Mark Bentz, Rajni Agarwal, Brian Hamilton, Kristen Oliver, Kasey Etreni, Andrew Foulds, and Greg Johnsen, and Mayor Ken Boshcoff voting in favour, and Councillors Michael Zussino and Trevor Giertuga voting against the motion.
Council voted YES to the Simpson Street encampment site with 11 votes for and 1 against, with Councillors Michael Zussino, Dominic Pasqualino, Albert Aiello, Mark Bentz, Rajni Agarwal, Brian Hamilton, Kristen Oliver, Kasey Etreni, Andrew Foulds, and Greg Johnsen, and Mayor Ken Boshcoff voting in favour, and Councillor Trevor Giertuga voting against the motion.
Council voted YES to the $208,500 budget appropriation for the encampment sites, with 10 votes for and 2 against, with Councillors Michael Zussino, Dominic Pasqualino, Albert Aiello, Mark Bentz, Brian Hamilton, Kristen Oliver, Kasey Etreni, Andrew Foulds, and Greg Johnsen, and Mayor Ken Boshcoff voting in favour, and Councillors Trevor Giertuga and Rajni Agarwal voting against the motion.
Councillor Shelby Ch’ng was absent from the meeting.
Now that City Council has approved the motions in their committee meeting, the sites and budget appropriation will come before the council at the next official council meeting.
More to come…
