Overview

• Mayor Alex Nuttall’s order covers city parks, sidewalks, trails and boulevards, authorizing tougher enforcement of encampment protocols.
• City crews begin removals Wednesday starting near critical infrastructure; two large sites are already cleared with about 20 more housing roughly 600 people.
• A recent police investigation at an encampment led to an arrest in a double homicide and dismemberment that the city labeled a heinous crime.
• Officials cite fires, public drug use, overdoses and environmental risks, including E. coli concerns linked to the Dyment’s Creek area.
• The city will hire contractors and stand up a response task force, while requesting more shelter capacity and funding from Ontario and Simcoe County under new legislation and pledged housing dollars.