City to prioritize removing encampments within 50 metres of schools, playgrounds

Coun. Brad Bradford discusses a new motion which would force the clearing of encampments near schools, daycares, or playgrounds. Natalie Johnson reports.

The city will prioritize the removal of encampments erected within 50 metres of schools, daycares and playgrounds.

Toronto councillors voted in favour of the move during Thursday’s council meeting.

Coun. Brad Bradford initially introduced a motion to prioritize removing tents within 200 metres of a school, daycare or playground within 48 hours of being reported.

“I’m the father of a two-year-old and a four-year-old, and I don’t think that parents should have to worry about whether it’s safe or not to take their kids to the park or to walk to school. When I go to the park, I’m worried about my daughter splitting her chin open on the slide. I don’t want to have to worry about her stepping on a needle or seeing somebody smoking crack or having a negative interaction with somebody who is having a mental health episode,” Bradford said during the meeting.

“I don’t think parents are comfortable with that, and that is what I have heard from parents time and time again across my ward, and in fact, across the city.”

Several councillors were against Bradford’s motion, including Chris Moise, who called it “BS.” The downtown councillor said that the city’s current strategy is working, pointing out that his ward did not have any encampments in August for the first time.

“I’m beside myself, because we have spoken about this ad nauseam. I can say to you that the encampment protocol that we worked so hard on over the last many years, which we adopted in this chamber in 2024, has worked,” Moise said.

Councillors ended up voting for Coun. Paula Fletcher’s motion, which amended Bradford’s item so that the city will concentrate on removing encampments within 50 metres of a school, daycare or playground within 24 hours of being reported.

According to staff, there are 355 encampments in the city at present, with 255 located in 92 parks and 199 within 200 meters of a school, daycare, or playground.

Staff noted that 18 encampments are within 50 metres of a school, daycare, or playground.

In addition, Fletcher’s motion ensures that people living in the encampments near those three locations receive a maximum of three shelter offers before being removed.

The city solicitor told councillors that people living in encampments must be offered shelter space or housing before they are removed.

When staff were asked if the city has enough shelter space to house those living in encampments now, they responded that it does not.

During the meeting, Coun. Gord Perks called Bradford’s motion performative.

“The courts have made it very clear that we have a legal duty based on the charter right to the security of persons who say you cannot move someone out of a public park, unless they have somewhere to go,” Coun. Gord Perks said.

“To stand up and try to persuade the public you’re doing something to help solve the problem of homelessness and encampments, and at the same time, fight against the one thing that we must do to end encampments, which is to build shelter space and help people get into permanent housing, is not the way that I would hope anybody who was responsible would behave. Performance. Perfomativity.”