A Better Tent City makes the move to a new location

A Better Tent City is relocating to the grassy area at 49 Ardelt Avenue. 

The new site is between Highway 7/8 and Ardelt Avenue/Ardelt Place.

The makeshift housing community had previously been living on Battler Road at a City of Kitchener snow storage site, but the site is now being converted back to regular use for winter maintenance operations.

The new site is property of the city and the Waterloo Region District School Board.

Jeff Willmer, volunteer with A Better Tent City said, “It's coming back to the same neighbourhood where we lived for 14 months previously when we were at 41 Ardelt, so it's an area that's familiar to the residents. It's close to transit and close to services, so there's lots within walking distance, and that's the benefit.”

He said residents will continue to have services that were provided at the previous locations, including a mobile health bus that provides physical health care, mental health care, and addiction support, and support provided by the work centre, food bank, and a methadone treatment clinic.

“We're still looking to accommodate 50 residents. Expansion is really more in terms of improved services. We'll have a better kitchen and dining areas and new facilities for washrooms and showers,” Willmer said.

The group has reached out to businesses in the area to let them know about A Better Tent City.

Willmer said, “There hasn't been a lot of rough reaction yet, but there has been some concern. We'll try our best to manage expectations and try to be good neighbours.”

He added that the community's residents have known about the move for a while.

“They're a very resilient people, so they are managing well,” he noted.

Willmer explained residents are content because they know they where they're going and that they have a place to go to. 

“Their home is going to be relocated, but they, as an entire community, will still have each other and be together,” he said. 

The plan for the move is to bring the huts to the new address, to extend electrical connections to power the radiators in the huts, and to set up common facilities like washrooms, kitchen and dining, laundry, and showers.

Willmer said residents will arrive before dark to keep them safe while construction is happening and equipment is moving around in the area.  

“It's an interim location until we can find a more suitable long-term site. It might be as much as a year, but it could be less than that.”

Willmer added that they're working hard behind the scenes on other alternatives.