Ontario Premier Doug Ford slams 'ridiculous' court ruling that bars clearing an encampment

Ontario premiere Doug john ford says a decision by an Ontario Superior Court justice that prevents the Region of Waterloo from clearing the encampment at 100 Victoria St. N., in Kitchener is "the most ridiculous ruling I've ever seen."

Ford was asked about the decision while in Sault Ste. Marie for a steel production funding announcement Friday just after noon.

Ford slams Kitchener court ruling as 'ridiculous'

Ford said he had talked to regional Chair Karen Redman and other local mayors Thursday night after the decision was released.

"Don't get me wrong, I have a great deal of respect for our judges … but he comes out with this cockamamie idea that they're going to hold up … transit, for what, 30 people? They're going to hold up millions and millions of riders, communities and everything saying you can't go in there, you can't touch them," Ford said.

"I wish I could get that guy's address, I'll send 15 encampments in his backyard and see how he likes it. The craziest decision I've ever heard. But there are a lot of crazy decisions coming from our courts lately," Ford said.

Tents at the Kitchener encampment first went up in late 2021. The number of people living at the site has changed depending on the time of year, with more people there during the warmer months.

The region previously tried to clear people from living on the site in 2022. In January 2023, a Kitchener judge ruled the region couldn't evict people from the site unless they gave them another place to live.

The region has argued it needs the property in June for Metrolinx construction crews, who will raise train tracks in the area ahead of the region building a new transit hub at King and Victoria streets. 

In 2024, some mayors asked Ford to use the notwithstanding clause to clear homeless encampments.

In June 2025, the Ontario government passed the Safer Municipalities Act with a goal of making parks and public spaces safer. At the same time, the province announced an investment of $75.5 million for homelessness prevention and to provide people living in encampments with access to "reasonable alternative accommodation."

'A good feeling': Kitchener encampment residents react after court rules they can stay

Region of Waterloo councillors passed a site-specific bylaw for the encampment site near the Kitchener train station in April 2025 and updated it this past January. It aimed to move people off the encampment site by April 1 of this year.

But on Thursday, Gibson's judgement said the region cannot clear the encampment unless the region can house everyone who is homeless or creates a tenting protocol that would allow people to put up tents on some regional properties.

"The discussion reinforced the importance of co-ordinated support and shared solutions across all levels of government," the region said.

"The region is reviewing the decision carefully and will continue working with provincial and municipal partners on next steps that are compassionate, practical and legally compliant."

Producer

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