Just a day after a two-day meeting between representatives from Guelph and Wellington County, and about two weeks after it was first proposed in closed session at city council, staff have generated what’s sure to be the most controversial policy of the year. The growing visibility of encampments, especially in downtown Guelph, prompted the creation of a new bylaw, and it will be debated at this meeting!
NOTE #1: Delegates will be able to appear at this meeting in-person or via tele-presense but you do have to register with the clerks office before 10 am on Friday February 9. You can also submit written delegations and correspondences for agenda items.
NOTE #2: In addition to meeting in-person, this meeting will also be live-streamed on the City of Guelph’s website here.
NOTE #3: This is the first of two meetings scheduled for Wednesday February 14, and it takes place at the special time of 10 am.
Public Space Use Bylaw – You may recall that after an in-camera discussion at the January 16 council meeting, a motion was passed, “That staff be directed to draft a Public Space Use By-law to address safety concerns regarding encampments and related activities on lands owned or operated by the City of Guelph, to be brought for Council consideration by the end of February 2024.”
According to the staff report, they looked at a number of ideas, and looked especially hard at the City of Hamilton’s “Encampment Protocol”, which allows encampments on some City-owned properties but sets certain limitations. Evidently, Wellington County is in the process of producing a report about shelter occupancy, and while there were times over the last year where the shelters were full, apparently new investment has created enough spaces for everyone that needs one.
Having said that, the report does mention the ongoing need for more funding from the Provincial government, according to the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) municipalities are spending $3.8 billion more than they receive in areas of provincial responsibility like social housing, long-term care, land ambulance, and social services. In other words, this bylaw will not change the underlying issues that have caused council to seek a bylaw to regulate the use of public spaces.
The bylaw includes a number or provisions. Along with barring encampments in “spaces with competing public use during the daytime hours” and the prohibition of encampments within a certain distance of things like railways, waterways, splash pads, schools,and childcare centres, the bylaw will also prohibits damage to City infrastructure, regulates the type of shelters and materials used, and the number of shelters allowed in the same space.
What does this mean? Let’s quote the report: “Where there is no competing public use, encampments will be permitted both daytime and overnight. Examples would be open park space that is not programmed or designated as a sports field, and not in an environmentally sensitive area.” If passed at the regular council meeting at the end of the month, the bylaw will go into effect on March 1. The report also notes that it will only apply to City of Guelph property, but it could be expanded to the University of Guelph, County of Wellington, Province of Ontario, and local school boards if they request.
Council will be asked to approve the draft bylaw, and “respectfully” request the County for monthly statistics for shelter availability plus access to permanent shelter for people on the by name list. Also, there will be a motion to continue advocacy efforts with AMO to get more funding from the Ontario government for healthcare, housing instability, and mental health and substance use issues.
Guelph Politico 