‘Stop the charade’: Tensions rise at regional horseshoe over Kitchener encampment
Posted Jan 8, 2026 04:42:50 AM.
Last Updated Jan 8, 2026 04:35:37 PM.
The Victoria Street encampment public input session hosted by the region gave residents the opportunity to voice their thoughts on proposed changes to a bylaw, but instead it became a discussion around the future of the encampment as a whole.
An initial bylaw was passed in April 2025, which planned to remove the residents from the encampment at 100 Victoria St. in Kitchener by December. The amendments would see the date pushed back to April 1 and remove financial penalties for trespassing on the property after the fact.
In total, 24 voices were heard by regional councillors, with an audience of over 80 individuals filling the seats in chambers.
Voices on both sides of the debate were in attendance, with some supporting the homeless population and the continuation of the encampment, and others siding with the bylaw and the amendments, pushing for the removal of the current residents.
Kitchener resident Abe Fehre was one voice who spoke against the presence of the encampment, saying the region has already done enough for its homeless population, with many not wanting the help, and it is continuously costing taxpayer dollars.
“Look, I appreciate the need for compassion, but at what point is it enough? As a taxpayer, I say we’re well beyond that point. We need action,” Fehre said.
Fehre continued to say that many of the people who are offered assistance from the region, like what the bylaw says, which is that the impacted residents move into temporary housing and motels, should have stricter conditions on who should qualify.
“I see no conditions of sobriety required to qualify for this seemingly endless offer of housing. This is an open-ended financial commitment. We’re essentially guaranteeing indefinite motel or emergency shelter stays at taxpayer expense. This is not a housing strategy, it’s a blank check for temporary fixes.”
Councillor Doug Craig spoke following Fehre’s delegation, saying it was “a point of view that the public needs to hear,” adding that “everyone wants to see this solved, but everybody needs to understand that there’s another point of view here.”
Another delegate, Heidi Holmes from Waterloo, gave a similar statement, saying, “While I appreciate your empathy and desire to help, as per the region’s own data, the services are not being used as planned. We, as taxpayers, are paying a lot of money to run a shelter and encampment that are not meeting the mandates.”
She said the amendments should be rejected, arguing that they make no substantial changes while continuing to cost taxpayer dollars, adding, “We have deferred many times before, and nothing has improved.”
A majority of those in attendance were on the other side of the argument, voicing concern with the region’s steps towards clearing the encampment.
Laura Coakley, a resident in Kitchener, said there just aren’t enough other options for the homeless population to turn to, especially when it comes to emergency shelter beds.
“The total of all of those emergency shelters, all of the emergency shelters in Waterloo Region, is 353. This is important to know when you’re advocating for or against removing people from encampments,” Coakley stated. “If you say that they have somewhere to go, it’s important to know that a lot of the time they don’t.”
Others took aim at councillors themselves, saying the bylaw violates basic human rights and is the continuation of the region breaching Charter rights, which is currently being litigated at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.
“Tweaking a few words to an ill-conceived bylaw, which was inhumane to begin with, doesn’t solve the fundamental problem of feeling that we can’t trust you as elected officials, and we can’t trust any of the senior staff advising you,” said Laura Mosher, a resident from Kitchener. “This council has lost all trust that any of you will work with politically active constituents in good faith.”
That push against councillors continued from several people, with various residents voicing their issues with the way the municipality has progressed with the Victoria Street encampment.
“These amendments do not go far enough to make the law constitutionally compliant, humane, or defensible,” said Jacara Droog, from Kitchener. “I urge council to reject them and to appeal the bylaw. For you, this might be about optics and to save face, but for others, this is their lives, and I think we need to remember that.”
“Stop this charade, stop this farce, and focus on getting people affordable housing and then getting people help,” said Ryan Murdock, a resident from Kitchener. “It’s so frustrating. I’m so frustrated with you guys.”
The continued trend of pushback against regional councillors came to a head when Councillor Craig spoke out following Murdock’s delegation, saying it was a theme that needed to be put to an end.
“I take exception with the fact that you don’t think there’s any compassion or caring here on behalf of regional council,” he said. “This kind of insult and ridicule has got to stop.”
Listen to tense exchange between a delegate and Councillor Doug Craig.
Tensions continued throughout the course of the evening; however, one individual ran over their allotted time to delegate, having their microphone muted, and security had to approach them at the podium. That caused multiple audience members to stand from their chairs and voice their defence of the speaker.
Another situation saw Councillor Craig in the crosshairs once again, when a delegate said that it appeared he was falling asleep, leading him to voice his own frustration, saying, “We’re here to listen and to try to do the very best we can, and you need to act your age.”
Following the meeting, which lasted over two hours, councillors are now set to prepare to discuss the proposed amendments directly.
The discussion, debate and the vote will take place at their next meeting, which is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 9.
