Homeless advocates launch petition to house those living under the Ville-Marie Expressway
Staff working with Montreal's homeless population have launched a petition urging the Quebec government to find funds to provide housing for individuals residing in an encampment under the Ville-Marie Expressway.
The Quebec Transport Ministry notified those living in the encampment that they would seek an eviction notice as construction was planned on the portion of the highway where around 20 people were living in tents near Guy Street and Atwater Avenue.
Superior Court Justice Chantal Masse ordered Quebec to postpone eviction plans and for the ministry to halt construction for ten days starting April 11.
Resilience Montreal launched the petition, stating that the people in the encampment are "among the most vulnerable in Quebec."
"Some members of this street community suffer from mental health problems or serious illnesses, such as cancer and staphylococcus aureus; that others have serious drug problems, and that one woman is pregnant," the petition reads.
The signatories of the petition are requesting funds for a pilot project to house the community since those living in the encampment "cannot be accommodated in an emergency shelter," and the government has a responsibility to protect them.
The Superior Court injunction is up for renewal on Friday.
The Transport Ministry argued in court that repair work on the highway is necessary and that the tent community was tolerated for years but never had the right to reside under the expressway.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Video shows suspect setting Toronto-area barbershop on fire
Video of a suspect lighting a Richmond Hill barbershop on fire earlier this week has been released by police.
'I have the will to live': N.B. woman needs double lung transplant
A New Brunswick woman suffering from sarcoidosis, a disease that limits your lung capacity, is in need of a double lung transplant.
The kids from 'Mrs. Doubtfire are all SUPER grown up now, and we're not OK
The adorable trio of child actors from the 1993 classic comedy 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' which starred the late and great Robin Williams, are all grown up and looking back on their seminal time together.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Suter scores late goal, clinches series for Canucks
Pius Suter scored with 1:39 left and the Vancouver Canucks advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night in Game 6.
Premier Legault reiterates that McGill pro-Palestinian camp must be dismantled
Quebec Premier François Legault reiterated that the pro-Palestinian encampment at McGill University must be dismantled while police remain 'on the lookout for new developments.'