Encampment site at Grand Parade now empty

The encampment site at Grand Parade was empty on Thursday morning after the last person living in front of city hall in downtown Halifax left.

In a release to the media, HRM says the last person at the site agreed to accept one of the province’s indoor shelter locations Wednesday night. The site was empty when municipal staff arrived at Grand Parade on Thursday morning.

The city says the fences that were put up at the site will remain while clean-up and remediation takes place, and Grand Parade is closed to the public except for the walkway between Barrington and Argyle Streets.

The municipality provided an update on Thursday on the de-designated sites:

• Grand Parade is closed to the public for remediation except for the thoroughfare between Barrington and Argyle streets and access to St. Paul’s Church and City Hall. Staff estimate this area will re-open to the public by early summer 2024.
• Victoria Park is closed to the public while remediation work takes place to return this site to its former state. Pathways will remain open with temporary closures to operate heavy machinery as needed safely. Remediation of Victoria Park is expected to take several months due to the site’s heavy use as an encampment for a relatively long period. This work will begin with testing to identify contaminants in the soil and inform the next steps. Staff estimate this area will re-open to the public by early summer 2024.
• Geary Street green space is closed to the public while remediation work occurs. Staff estimate that remediation of this space will be complete, and fencing will be removed in spring 2024.
• Correctional Centre Park remains closed to the public. Construction fencing is being installed in this area to begin work on the province’s tiny home community project.
• Saunders Park is now open to the public. Minor remediation and restoration work will take place in the coming weeks.
• Beaufort Avenue Park and Martins Park remain open to the public. They did not require remediation, as they were not used for outdoor sheltering.

HRM says there are currently four designated encampment sites within the city. As of Wednesday, 44 people were living within them, and the municipality remains committed to continue working with people living rough to find better, safer, long-term housing options for everyone who needs it.