Region hosts public input session on bylaw that would clear Kitchener encampment
Posted Jan 7, 2026 07:29:53 AM.
Last Updated Jan 7, 2026 10:06:58 AM.
A long and growing list of delegates will take to regional headquarters on Wednesday evening, looking to make their voices heard on behalf of the current residents of the encampment at 100 Victoria St. in Kitchener.
The Region of Waterloo is hosting a public input session ahead of a decision on amendments to a bylaw that looks to clear the site to make way for the construction of the Kitchener Central Transit Hub.
The bylaw, which was passed in April 2025, had planned on removing the residents of the encampment by December of that year and putting them into temporary housing or motels.
Since then, the date of removal has been moved, and the region is considering amending the bylaw to push back the date to reclaim possession of the land to April 1.
The amendments would also remove the financial penalties for trespassing on the property and a written offer which would allegedly include a housing plan created by regional staff, social service supports, transportation, and storage for up to six months.
The delegates who signed up for Wednesday’s meeting aren’t necessarily opposed to the amendments the region has planned for the bylaw, but rather how the bylaw itself is in breach of the Charter rights of the people living at the encampment.
The issue of whether the bylaw breaches Charter rights is being litigated at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, set to return to the courtroom in February.
A number of the delegates signed on to speak noted that the region lacks adequate shelter beds to support the more than 2,300 people experiencing homelessness in Waterloo Region.
“Until the Region can demonstrate sufficient, truly accessible alternatives—measured by actual availability for the affected individuals—blanket prohibitions or site fencing are constitutionally vulnerable,” reads a written submission from delegate Rob Deutschmann, a former regional councillor.
Wednesday’s public input session gets underway at 6 p.m., followed by the special council meeting to consider the previously-mentioned amendments on Friday.
