Overview
- Toronto Fire Services ordered the removal of combustible and ignition sources at the Bellevue Avenue site, citing elevated fire and life-safety risk.
- The Tuesday order initiated the eviction process, a final notice was posted on Wednesday, and city crews cleared the site on Thursday.
- City officials said all residents received shelter offers and reported that seven people accepted placements.
- About a dozen residents left as tents and belongings were removed, with supporters and church staff gathered outside the site.
- Criticism over timing intensified after Rev. Maggie Helwig won the Toronto Book Award for her book on the encampment less than a day before the clearance, as advocates called for housing-focused alternatives.