Court hearing over region’s bylaw to clear Kitchener encampment set for February

The Region of Waterloo announced that the Superior Court hearing over its bylaw to clear the Victoria Street encampment was adjourned until February as the involved parties agreed to mediation in the interim, but no agreement was ultimately reached.

The site-specific bylaw application for 100 Victoria St. in Kitchener was initially supposed to go before the courts from Nov. 19 to 21.

The hearing was then adjourned until February to pursue mediation.

A regional release from October said, “Mediation will allow for engagement, clarification, and we hope expedited resolution of issues. The mediation process is not expected to delay the Kitchener Central Transit Hub project.”

However, an update was provided on Dec. 4 as the Region of Waterloo confirmed the parties were unable to come to a mediated agreement.

The court hearing will now take place on Feb. 5, 6, and 27.

The controversial plan was already before the courts in the summer, as Waterloo Region Community Legal Services (WRCLS) was granted an injunction to pause the bylaw until the Superior Court hearing could play out.

The region wanted the land at 100 Victoria St. to be vacant by Dec. 1 to get it ready for construction by Metrolinx in March 2026.

Advocates have continued to push back against the relocation, while the Region of Waterloo maintains its goal is to find alternate housing for the more than 30 people living at the encampment — noting only four of them are original residents.

In October, the WRCLS told CityNews it is pleased to hear about the mediation. A statement said, “We are hopeful this will be a good faith process that will lead to human rights and charter compliant solutions for those living unhoused in our community.”