Quebec agrees to pause eviction of homeless encampment under Ville-Marie Expressway
The Quebec government has committed to finding housing for more than a dozen homeless people living in an encampment under the Ville-Marie Expressway in Montreal.
Lawyers and the mobile legal clinic were in court on Wednesday to challenge an eviction notice given to the homeless people living in the encampment.
Transport Quebec has said it needs to do repairs and maintenance starting April 1, but before their court appearance, an agreement was reached between the group's lawyers and the provincial legal team.
They two sides have agreed to hold discussions and find solutions to house the people currently living in the camp.
"We're very happy today and made a very important step to recognize their rights and to negotiate and find for them proper housing," said Mobile Legal Clinic executive director Donald Tremblay. "We're not talking about putting these people into shelters."
The Transportation Ministry tried to have the campers evicted in November, but ended up holding off, issuing a new notice earlier this month.
Lawyers requested an injunction to stop the eviction.
Resilience Montreal executive director David Chapman said many of of those living under the overpass have health issues and moving them without much thought could put their lives at risk.
"Today we have a small step forward for human rights," he said in response to the court order. "Hopefully, we have a small step forward for the value of human life."
The agreement could set an important precedent, and Tremblay hopes it will further dialogue at the national assembly on housing rights.
"It does show a first step at what could be done to help these people who are voiceless," he said. "It's very important in that sense it can be used in further actions later on."
Both sides are aiming to finalize the terms of the agreement by the end of the month. If not, they'll be back in court in early April.
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.