Chatham-Kent encampment dismantled as Monday deadline passes

Oliver Thompson · CBC News

· Posted: Jul 14, 2025 8:35 PM EDT | Last Updated: 8 hours ago

Municipal authorities successful Chatham-Kent person followed done connected dismantling a stateless encampment located successful Rotary Park adjacent the Thames River successful downtown Chatham. 

The Municipality of Chatham-Kent issued an eviction announcement connected July 2, 2025 successful bid to transportation retired federally-mandated operation work. That deadline was Monday, and portion astir successful the encampment had moved past week, astir a twelve radical remained Monday morning. 

The process was carried retired Monday successful collaboration betwixt Chatham-Kent municipal authorities, Reach Out Chatham-Kent (R.O.C.K) and the constabulary department. 

Finding a home

Director of lodging services successful Chatham-Kent Kim Crew says that R.O.C.K.'s engagement has been captious successful this process, wherever truthful galore radical are disquieted astir being relocated.

"Our partners astatine R.O.C.K. person been gathering with folks regular for them to prime a caller determination of wherever to spell that meets wrong the encampment protocols that our assembly passed past November," Crew told CBC News. 

Chatham-Kent's encampment protocol prevents radical from mounting up structure adjacent schools, playgrounds oregon on backstage spot lines.

People successful the encampment person said that the deadline, the complexity of the protocol and mixed messages from antithetic authorities, person created disorder successful wherever to spell next.

The immense bulk of campers near past week, but immoderate remained Monday. People successful the parkland were expected to not lone move, but to person besides picked retired a caller spot for relocation. 

Chatham Kent's Public Utilities Commission has allowed entree to a portion of onshore adjacent Chatham-Kent's h2o works that falls wrong the encampment protocol. 

R.O.C.K.'s enforcement director Renee Geniole says that is wherever the bulk of radical from the Rotary Park encampment person chosen to go. 

"It's precise stressful and traumatic for radical who are surviving day-to-day and are successful endurance mode," Geniole says. "They're worrisome astir who's going to enactment them — they get a batch of antagonistic flashback from our assemblage already."

"A batch of times they consciousness similar they're connected their own, truthful we person to measurement successful and fto them cognize that we're present to help.

Billie Jo Humphrey, a nonmigratory of Chatham-Kent, has expressed interest implicit the relocation adjacent to the h2o plant — wherever her aged parent lives nearby. 

"My mom's 76-years-old with Alzheimer's," Humphrey says. "She tin fto anyone successful that gathering and she doesn't cognize not to."

"It's either present oregon immoderate different place. Here, they're affecting radical that are seniors." 

When asked by CBC News wherefore a constabulary beingness was indispensable connected deadline day, Crew responded that she hopes that it won't beryllium required. 

"So acold everyone has been consenting to enactment with us," she said. "It truly helps that we person our outreach partners R.O.C.K. present due to the fact that relationships person been built." 

Crew added that the encampment is symptomatic of the lodging situation successful some the portion and the country. 

"We successful Chatham-Kent don't person capable affordable housing, we don't person immoderate supportive lodging and we are lacking backing from our provincial and national governments," Crew said. 

Community relief

For immoderate section assemblage members, the cognition contiguous brings some a consciousness of relief, but besides empathy for the radical that person been relocated. 

Brian Fraser is simply a agelong clip subordinate of the Rotary Club of Chatham. 

"I'm relieved I conjecture you could say," Fraser says. "Since the encampment started past summertime our Rotary Club has been diligent and empathetic with those who are here." 

"I anticipation that this is simply a solution and the needs of each radical of the municipality of Chatham are looked after."