There was a heavy police presence as another tent city in Moncton was dismantled today.
A collection of tents had sprung up recently at the corner of High and Park Streets – near the Harvest House homeless shelter.
City of Moncton spokesperson Isabelle LeBlanc says the vacant land is owned by the province which issued a trespassing notice on Monday.
She says this triggered an eviction notice which is a directive the city has been following and the time allocated for the eviction was over.
LeBlanc adds city officials and the RCMP along with YMCA Reconnect and Green Trade were on site to transition individuals from the property.
With tent cities in the community being dismantled, many homeless people will be once again looking for a place to go.
Senior Director of Outreach for YMCA Reconnect Trevor Goodwin says if you are approached by someone, you need to remember that they are human too and they should be treated as such.
“If you see someone who you think is struggling, make contact with them and ask them if they are okay, and if there is anything you can do to help. If they refuse and you are still concerned, you can call YMCA Reconnect, the City of Moncton or even the RCMP to ask if they can do a welfare check on them,” Goodwin says.
Goodwin adds, if you are looking for other ways to help, they are always looking for donations of warm coats, mitts, hats and winter footwear, “During the daytime, a lot of these people have to go out into the community. They need to be warm and have proper clothing and footwear so they can go about their day.”
