Timmins Residents: Add Your Voice

We are calling on Mayor Michelle Boileau and the current Timmins City Council to temporarily pause the planned November 4, 2026, clearing of the encampment behind Living Space at 316 Spruce Street South while safe, appropriate and workable alternatives are identified for community members who cannot access existing shelter services.

We are also calling on our federal Member of Parliament and provincial Member of Provincial Parliament to work collaboratively with the City, Cochrane District Services Board (CDSB), Indigenous leadership and community organizations to advance sustainable solutions.

We want to be clear: we are not advocating for community members to remain in tents throughout the winter. We recognize that encampments are not safe or sustainable housing solutions, particularly during Northern Ontario winters.

Our concern is that clearing an encampment without appropriate alternatives does not resolve homelessness. It may simply displace residents to other outdoor locations, where they face greater risks and may become harder for outreach teams and service providers to reach.

Read the complete open letter, including the supporting evidence and recommended actions: 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Py938uOwL_Wpi5PvKc3gsXuOAKbblpJm/view?usp=sharing 

Why This Matters

According to Homelessness: A View into the Cochrane District (August 2026), 455 community members were identified as experiencing homelessness in Timmins, alongside significant pressures on existing shelter and housing services.

Residents currently living at the encampment have shared concerns about having nowhere safe to go following the planned clearing.

We recognize the City's responsibilities for snow removal, winter maintenance and public safety. We also acknowledge the considerable efforts already underway by the City, CDSB, Indigenous partners, outreach teams and community organizations.

The challenge is not simply identifying possible solutions. It is ensuring that the resources, staffing and coordination exist to implement them.

Displacement without safe alternatives may increase risks for residents and place further pressure on already-stretched healthcare, emergency services and community organizations.

What We Are Asking For

Through this open letter and petition, we are asking for:

1. Temporarily pause the planned clearing while assessing alternative snow-management arrangements that could allow community members to remain at the existing location on an interim basis, until safe and appropriate alternatives are secured.

2. Consider an additional independent legal review informed by current encampment-related jurisprudence, Charter and human rights considerations, and the specific circumstances at Spruce Street.

3. Work with HRPG, CDSB and outreach partners to confirm appropriate accommodation arrangements, identify residents who remain without workable alternatives, and ensure that affected community members understand and can access available supports.

4. Explore safe, supported interim alternatives if the existing location cannot be maintained and appropriate indoor accommodations are unavailable, including the possibility of an alternative encampment location developed in consultation with affected residents and community partners.

5. Invest in coordinated community solutions by working with CDSB, healthcare providers, Indigenous leadership and community organizations to advance existing winter warming and shelter proposals, identify financial and operational gaps, and consider targeted municipal investment alongside provincial and federal funding. This should include consideration of the broader costs of homelessness on healthcare, emergency services and community organizations.

6. Consider additional emergency measures, including whether a municipal State of Emergency could support a more coordinated response, in consultation with Mushkegowuk Council and other relevant partners.

Our request is not to keep community members in tents. It is to ensure they have somewhere safer to go before they are required to leave.

Timmins Residents: Your Voice Matters

This petition centres the voices of Timmins residents because decisions made by City Council affect our entire community, including residents experiencing homelessness.

We also welcome support from neighbouring communities, Indigenous communities, regional service providers, family members and others who share our commitment to a safe, coordinated and practical response.

If you live in Timmins, please ensure your location is accurate when signing. We encourage you to share why this issue matters to our community.

Read the Full Open Letter

OPEN LETTER — A Call for Collaboration: Exploring Alternatives to Encampment Clearings

Dated November 2, 2026.

The complete letter includes firsthand accounts from encampment residents, local homelessness and shelter data, relevant Ontario court decisions, municipal operational considerations, broader community costs and six recommended actions.

Full letter:  

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Py938uOwL_Wpi5PvKc3gsXuOAKbblpJm/view?usp=sharing

Together, we can advocate for practical, responsible solutions that recognize the City's operational needs while protecting the safety, dignity and well-being of all community members.

Initiated by concerned community members, organizations and service providers. Organizational endorsements will be identified only with their authorization.