‘Where do you want us to go?’ People living along Hamilton’s rail trail hide as city says they must leave

When Hamilton couple Margaret de Jong and Calvin Graham got a city notice ordering them to leave their rail trail encampment last week, they say they had no choice but to retreat deeper into the forested side of the escarpment. 

“We basically camouflaged our tent so it looks like a bush,” Graham, 34, told CBC Hamilton Sunday. “We could see everything that happened, but nobody could see us.” 

They’ve lived in a tent near the rail trail since the fall of 2023. Because de Jong is unhoused, her two children live in foster care, which has been devastating, she said. But she and Graham have nowhere else to go.  

On May 6, police and bylaw officers gave them and other people living along the section of rail trail between Wentworth and Kenilworth avenues notice they had to leave within 24 hours, which is when they moved their tent, the couple said. 

De Jong said she’s been calling women’s shelters three times a day looking for a spot but with no success. She and Graham also applied for one of the 40 couple cabins at the new outdoor shelter on the Barton-Tiffany lands, but it’s full, too. 

“I just want everyone to know it’s not OK,” de Jong said. I just want to have my voice heard because at this point I don’t know what to do. I want to be able to raise my children.”

De Jong and Graham were among a group of encampment residents and advocates who spoke at a news conference on Sunday. It was organized by the Hamilton Encampment Support Network in response to the trail evictions.

Hamilton police said they were present over the weekend to help municipal law enforcement clean up the area.  The city used “large equipment” to remove about 24 truckloads of “debris” from the area, said police spokesperson Jackie Penman.

“These notices were issued after many complaints from nearby residents about safety concerns for themselves and the people living in the encampments,” Penman said. “It’s important to note that residents were given an opportunity to remove their belongings prior to any cleanup operations taking place.” 

Force not used, police say

Five sites were cleared on Friday and police made no arrests or ticketed or charged anyone, Penman said. “No one was removed from the area by force.” 

The city did not provide a response to CBC Hamilton’s questions including how many people were impacted, how full city shelters currently are and if people living elsewhere on the trail will be impacted.

De Jong and Graham estimated there were about 40 people in encampments in the area, but it’s unclear exactly how many have left. 

“What has happened on the rail trail the last few days is not humane at all,” de Jong said. 

Jeanguy Parent, 58, who goes by J.P., has been living near the trail for almost a year.

“Where are we supposed to go?” he asked. 

Parent was turned away from the outdoor shelter because it prioritizes couples and those with pets, two categories he doesn’t fall into, he said. He’s also on wait lists for affordable and supportive housing, he added.

Parent, who is from Oneida Nation, said he hasn’t been kicked out of his encampment yet, but was told by an officer it would happen soon. He’s asking the city for more time, until next week, so he and others can try to find somewhere else to go. 

“We shouldn’t have to live in fear in our own city,” he said.

Gessie Stearns, an advocate who researches homelessness, said the city needs to come up with a better plan.

“I’d like to ask the city to leave these people alone,” she said. “Trucks moving in, people moving out — it was absolutely deplorable and horrible and people were stuck not knowing what to do.” 

She noted the city spent $5.1 million more than planned on building the outdoor shelter on the Barton-Tiffany lands — a project that is supposed to be temporary. The money, from a federal housing grant, could’ve instead been used for permanent, affordable housing, Stearns said.