Premier open to using notwithstanding clause to overrule court on encampment
Posted May 26, 2026 04:27:28 AM.
Last Updated May 26, 2026 08:35:29 AM.
“This is the reason they put in the notwithstanding clause,” said Premier Doug Ford on last week’s court ruling in favour of letting the encampment at Victoria and Weber to remain where it is.
The Ontario superior court ruling means the Region of Waterloo can not enact its bylaw to clear away the camp to make way for space needed for the construction of the Kitchener central transit hub.
Ford said, “That’s the reason they have Section 33, notwithstanding clause, because of crazy decisions like this one.”
He also said “But you can’t let 30 people decide for millions and millions of people. Another crazy decision by the courts. We’re gonna deal with it, hopefully the Region’s gonna appeal it, we’ll intervene, and then stay tuned.”
But Ford did not fully commit to overruling the decision, saying he’d give the courts one more chance, adding “let’s go through the proper process.”
The premier said at the start of his comments that he respects judges, but also called Justice Michael Gibson in the encampment case “a few fries short of a Happy Meal and he just doesn’t get it.”
Ford was asked about the ruling at Monday’s news conference about breaking ground on the new Ontario Science Centre location.
Victoria Street Encampment
