Chatham-Kent’s Mayor is among a dozen municipal leaders calling on the Ford Government to do more to tackle homeless encampments across Ontario.
In a letter to the premier late last week, the big city mayors are encouraging the government to use the notwithstanding clause to pass legislation that would help them handle encampments and addiction issues in their respective communities.
The letter, signed by the mayors of Barrie, Brampton, Brantford, Cambridge, Chatham-Kent, Clarington, Oakville, Oshawa, Pickering, St. Catharines, Sudbury and Windsor, came just days after Premier Doug Ford appeared to taunt the big city mayors group, questioning whether they “have the backbone” to use the notwithstanding clause to dismantle encampments in their communities.
Section 33 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms can grant provincial legislatures the ability to override certain parts of the charter for five years.
Among the measures requested include having the province intervene on any court case restricting a municipality’s ability to regulate and prohibit encampments, boosting the existing community-based and residential mental health care system, and writing legislation that provides clear guidance on the open use of drugs and alcohol.
