Encampment Updates

Chatham-Kent Council has approved the establishment of a pilot Encampment Advisory Committee. The committee will serve as a formal channel for information sharing between the Municipality, community groups, and the community.

The committee will help ensure that all perspectives are considered and communication is enhanced on encampment matters.

The Encampment Advisory Committee will feature equal representation from:

• Members of Chatham-Kent Council
• Residents from neighbourhoods near the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) site, including those from the Northside Neighbours Association and individuals who have previously lived near shelters or large encampments
• Local business owners and operators, drawn from the Northside Neighbours Association
• Administrative personnel from the Municipality of Chatham-Kent
• Community groups and persons with lived and living expertise

Council has directed municipal staff to draft Terms of Reference for the committee to be brought back to Council for approval in the coming weeks. These terms will give the committee direction in addressing the existing encampment at the PUC, as well as any future encampments in Chatham-Kent with 10 or more tents.

Membership for Council representatives, nearby residents, and business owners will be adjusted depending on the location of any future encampment.

“I am very pleased that Council passed the Encampment Advisory Committee,” said Councillor Michael Bondy. “The residents and others affected by the encampment will have their concerns genuinely heard. Lives have been turned upside down and it is time to respectfully include these people in the process."

“This committee will open a much-needed dialogue,” said Mayor Darrin Canniff. “It brings together those most directly impacted, such as residents, businesses, community groups, and those with lived experience, alongside the Municipality, so we can work together to find solutions that respect and balance the needs of everyone.”

RPS (Royal Protective Services) staff have been sworn in as by-law officers as a result of Council approval at the September 22/25 meeting.

These officers will be patrolling the encampment on Grand Ave as well as travelling to other encampments within the Municipality.

Their hours of service will vary and will include nighttime hours.

Please call 311 to report any by-law infraction. By-law officers will not take in-person complaints.

Signs have been erected at the encampment location at the PUC on Grand Ave that asks for no unauthorized audio or video recording. There have been numerous videos taken and posted on social media that are quite intrusive to the individuals sheltering outdoors, with some recordings even entering people’s tents to showcase their belongings and space.

Since this is a municipal property, and these encampment occupants are residents using that property pursuant to CK’s obligation to permit them to shelter there, just like other municipal spaces/facilities, it is reasonable that encampment occupants also have some basic reasonable expectations of privacy within the confines of their own tents. These signs are efforts to put measures in place to prevent unlawful audio or video recording in these spaces. Individuals at the encampment have asked for assistance in protecting their privacy from further discrimination and harassment.

With all of this in view, following complaints received raising privacy concerns for encampment residents whose interior shelter areas were being broadcasted on social media without their permission, signage was erected to discourage this type of recording in areas where individuals are sleeping/sheltering. This is entirely lawful and does not breach the Charter rights of members of the public visiting or using municipal park spaces. Similar signage and messaging to the public is commonly used in other areas where individuals likewise have a reasonable expectation of privacy (ex. changing areas, public washrooms).

Finally, and in terms of clarification for concerned members of the public, administration recognizes the public has an interest in capturing photos and videos in parks and recreational spaces – whether as a hobby, capturing memories, or simply as part of their use and enjoyment of municipal recreational spaces. The signage does not prohibit individuals from taking photos or videos in municipal parks within general recreational areas.

In addition, By-law officers will be sworn in at Council on Monday, September 22, 2025. Training of those officers is happening this week.

Recognizing that there are infractions to be enforced, ROCK has been working with individuals all week to ensure understanding and encouraging compliance of the protocols. A team comprised of ROCK, Housing Services staff, and Police will be attending the encampment on September 19 to assist individuals in making their space compliant.

On Monday, August 25, 2025, Council again discussed the issue of encampments in Chatham-Kent. A motion was approved which revised the setback distance from residential property lines from the previously approved 100m to 25m. The motion also exempted portions of the PUC site and the Water Tower site from the set back portions of the protocol regulations, as well as authorized a spend of up to $100,000 per exempted site for infrastructure to enhance privacy and community well-being.

Council received several deputations and advice from administration that stressed the legal restrictions all municipalities are under regarding encampments, including several court cases which have established that unhoused persons have a right to shelter on public lands if alternative shelter options are not available to them.

Following this, a vote on adopting an encampment bylaw was passed 10-5, with one Councillor abstaining.

The bylaw will include the following rules as per the Encampment Protocol, which are:

Encampments shall not be located in the following areas:

• On or within 100 metres from municipal playgrounds, water parks, splashpads, beaches, or sports fields
• On or within 100 metres from any elementary schools, childcare facility, assisted living facility, or other health or social service facility providing support or care services to youth or vulnerable populations including shelters
• On or within 25 metres of any habitable residence or business
• On or within 25 metres from construction sites
• On or under bridges
• On or within 10 metres of sidewalks or pedestrian paths.
• On or within 25 metres of any cemetery
• On or within 5 metres of an off-leash dog area
• On or within 5 metres of any community garden
• Structures must be freestanding and able to be moved as necessary
• In any actively used parking lot
• In or on any public-use building or structure
• In areas that block the free movement of another person on a street, public pathway, sidewalk, or other path of public travel
• On municipal land where individuals have a private easement or ownership interest, or where the Municipality owes a duty to maintain the land to the benefit or partial benefit of private individuals (i.e. beach access)
• On municipal lands in areas obstructing construction or maintenance activities

In addition, to improve the safety and well-being of encampment occupants and general public, the following safety protocols are to be followed in encampments:

• Tents/structures must be a minimum of 2 metres away from other structures while meeting all other rules to ensure fire separation and emergency service access.
• Zero tolerance policy for violence or other criminal acts.
• Sites must maintain a level of reasonable cleanliness including:
  • no used, uncapped needles in or around the site. Sharps containers will be located in strategic sites around the community.
  • no unreasonable amounts of garbage, clutter, or uncontained debris except as reasonably required for the provision of shelter. Access to garbage disposal will be located in strategic sites around the community.

A motion was also passed authorizing bylaw enforcement services for the Encampment Response Protocol to be single-sourced to Royal Protective Services.

The municipality has hired a local contractor to begin a cleanup of the PUC site starting Friday, August 29, and will begin enforcement of the newly implemented encampment protocol rules in the coming weeks.

The August 11th Council meeting Encampment Report document and supporting appendices can be found here:

Chatham-Kent's Municipal Encampment Protocol and By-law - Report

Appendix A - 2025-07-29 Draft Encampment Protocol By-law

Appendix B - McGeorge

Appendix C - Water Tower

Appendix D - Thames Grove

On Monday, July 28, Council held a special meeting to discuss the current location of the encampment, the impact that it is having on the surrounding community and explore potential measures to support neighbouring residents. Council discussed the current Encampment Protocol and strategies on how best to navigate this evolving situation.

In total, there were 28 deputations submitted on the matter, with 16 being presented in-person in Council Chambers.

Following deputations and discussion, Mayor Canniff brought forth his motion, which originally included nine points. Some amendments were made, and council voted in favour of the following revisions to the Encampment Protocol:

• Administration continues to work in collaboration with ROCK to engage with individuals and prioritise them for services and housing as they become available.
• Administration voluntarily transitions as many homeless individuals as possible to the new transitional cabins program thereby diminishing the number of people in encampments.
• Administration actively pursues all options to reduce and end encampments in Chatham-Kent. This will include, but not be limited to, exploring opportunities to immediately deliver permanent supportive housing, and increased transitional cabins. A report back from administration on possible options and costing be returned to Council as soon as possible. The same recommendations should be presented to the provincial and federal government for financial assistance.
• Administration explore local housing options that could be quickly converted into supportive housing and report back on feasibility and costs.
• The current encampment protocols be amended to include a provision that there is to be no more than one tent per person, and that all personal items be stored within a tent (with exception of a bicycle and small structures for pets); and items in contravention to this will be removed following notice. Administration be directed to enhance the frequency of refuse collection at encampment sites.
• Administration bring back a by-law as soon as possible to allow for the enforcement of the approved protocols to begin.
• Administration hire an additional temporary by-law officer to enforce these amendments. Administration to report back recommendations on numbers and costs based on the approved protocol amendments.
• CK Police install CCTV cameras where operationally required at the sole discretion of Chatham-Kent Police.
• Administration bring a report back to the September 8, 2025 Council meeting with a plan to engage partners from mental health, medical supports, addictions, housing, ROCK that could provide supports (including crisis support alongside enforcements) to the people staying at encampments. This report should include creative solutions and best practice examples used across the province, and will also include related costs to CK.
• Regular neighbourhood communication begins immediately with appropriate members of administration, residents and business owners in the 325 Grand Ave E, Chatham property area until further notice.

Councillor Alysson Storey put forth a successful motion to refer the first point of Mayor Canniff’s motion back to administration, which would have restricted encampments within 100m of either residential or commercial properties as well as 25m from a construction site and 10m from a recreational path. Councillor Storey’s motion read:

“That recommendation 1 be referred to administration in order to ensure an informed and transparent decision process to the August meeting where Administration can report back with locations that fit within the setback radius; permitting the public to provide feedback and deputations on the implications of setback distances in the by law.” This report will come back before Council at the August 11^th Council meeting.

In response to the final point in the motion regarding regular communication, a dedicated Let’s Talk page has been set up for residents to learn more information and receive ongoing communications about the encampment:

www.LetsTalkChatham-Kent.ca/EncampmentUpdates

In response to the new location chosen by community members for the encampment, the Municipality of Chatham-Kent is taking action to assess and address impacts on neighbouring residents.

Mayor Darrin Canniff has called a special meeting of Chatham-Kent Council for Monday, July 28 to discuss the current location of the encampment, the impact that it is having on the surrounding community and explore potential measures to support neighbouring residents. Council is expected to discuss the current Encampment Protocol and strategies on how best to navigate this evolving situation. The goal of this meeting will be to guide a strategic response to encampments in the community going forward.

“Encampments are an incredibly complex and constantly evolving situation,” said Mayor Darrin Canniff. “While we must show empathy and understanding for those experiencing homelessness, we also have a responsibility to support the safety, well-being, and quality of life for neighbouring residents and businesses. I’m calling this special meeting of Council so we can work together as a community to find an actionable and compassionate path forward.”

Chatham-Kent staff and Council members continue to actively advocate with Provincial and Federal levels of government for funding and resources to better deal with the homelessness issues that are being experienced both in Chatham-Kent and by many communities in Canada. The Municipality is committed to ensuring that our community’s concerns are heard at the highest levels of government.

For information and frequently asked questions about encampments in Chatham-Kent, residents are encouraged to visit www.chatham-kent.ca/community/housing/Pages/Encampment-FAQ.aspx

As the Municipality of Chatham-Kent moves forward with critical slope stabilization work along the north-west side of the Thames River between Third Street and Fifth Street in Chatham, the unhoused persons sheltering at 12 Thames Street are required to move for safety reasons.

The Municipality of Chatham-Kent does not have designated areas where encampments are explicitly permitted, nor does it direct unhoused persons to specific locations within the Municipality. Under existing law, unhoused persons have a legal right to shelter on public lands if no other shelter option is available to them. The Municipal Encampment Protocol, established by Council on November 4 of 2024, contains rules to ensure that unhoused persons who shelter themselves on public lands do so in a way that tries to reduce impacts on other community members.

As per the Encampment Protocol, there are several restrictions in place as to where unhoused persons can shelter, which include being:

• On or within 100 metres from municipal playgrounds, water parks, splashpads, beaches, or sports fields
• On or within 100 metres from any elementary schools, childcare facility, assisted living facility, or other health or social service facility providing support or care services to youth or vulnerable populations including shelters
• Within 10 metres of any private property line
• In any actively used parking lot
• In or on any public-use building or structure
• Full list here: https://pub-chatham-kent.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=16611

The PUC property, which is Municipally owned, falls within the guidelines of the Encampment Protocol and as a result, unhoused persons may shelter there if they so choose.

The Municipality has services available to those experiencing homelessness through Victoria Park Place, the Transitional Cabins Project, which is slated to open in August of this year, and the Homeless Response Line. R.O.C.K. Missions is assisting in this matter and residents are encouraged to call their office at 519-351-1450 for assistance with transitioning.

The Municipality remains committed to working with encampment residents and community partners to provide outreach and support.

The Municipality of Chatham-Kent is moving forward with critical slope stabilization work along the north-west side of the Thames River between Third Street and Fifth Street in Chatham. This important infrastructure project, scheduled to begin in Fall 2025 and continue through Spring 2026, has been in the planning stages since 2024 and is funded in part by the Government of Canada through the federal Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund (DMAF).

As part of the construction preparation process, the unhoused persons who are sheltering at 12 Thames Street must move for safety reasons. Notices have been hand-delivered by Chatham-Kent Housing Services staff to individuals currently residing in the encampment. The Municipality is working closely with community partners including ROCK Missions to ensure supports are in place for those impacted.

Under existing case law, unhoused persons have a legal right to shelter on public lands if no other shelter option is available to them. As per the Encampment Protocol adopted by Chatham-Kent Council on November 4 of 2024, there are several restrictions in place as to where unhoused persons can shelter, which include being:

• On or within 100 metres from municipal playgrounds, water parks, splashpads, beaches, or sports fields
• On or within 100 metres from any elementary schools, childcare facility, assisted living facility, or other health or social service facility providing support or care services to youth or vulnerable populations including shelters
• Within 10 metres of any private property line
• In any actively used parking lot
• In or on any public-use building or structure

The Municipality has services available to those experiencing homelessness through Victoria Park Place, the Transitional Cabins Project, which is slated to open in August of this year, and the Homeless Response Line.

Residents may notice a police presence at the encampment on Monday, July 14, as remaining tents and property are respectfully removed from the site. The police, who will be accompanied by Municipal Housing staff and ROCK Missions outreach workers, will be in attendance to support the safety of all involved. Following this, a contractor will be dispatched to clean and prepare the location for the upcoming construction work.

The Municipality acknowledges the sensitivity of this situation and is committed to working with encampment residents and community partners to provide outreach and support, while also advancing a critical infrastructure project that will protect Downtown Chatham over the long term.