Montreal Mall Criticized for Using 'Baby Shark' to Deter Homeless Loitering

Complexe Desjardins defends year-long practice, citing security concerns, but advocates call it inhumane and ineffective.

Complexe Desjardins in Montreal has been playing the children's song 'Baby Shark' on a loop in stairwells for a year to discourage unhoused individuals from loitering.
The mall claims the tactic has improved security issues and says it is not aimed at coercion but rather at supporting the homeless with hired social workers and charitable donations.
Advocates for the unhoused, including local shelter leaders, have condemned the practice as 'cruel and unusual,' arguing it displaces rather than addresses homelessness.
Critics highlight the broader issue of insufficient shelter options in Montreal, with a decline in funding for day and night shelters over the past decade exacerbating the problem.
Similar methods of playing repetitive music to deter loitering have been used in other cities, including West Palm Beach, Florida, and Nanaimo, British Columbia.