Brock Park houses Barrie’s latest homeless encampment with tents, tarps, furniture and people.
And it’s grown in size and mass just off Innisfil Street.
Attempts to speak with encampment residents were unsuccessful Monday morning and afternoon.
But Judy Drover, who has lived in the Innisfil Street area for about 15 years, says it’s not a good look there.
“It’s an eyesore. They should find homes for them,” she said while sitting on the front stairs of her home Monday morning. “It (the encampment) is going to work its way up the park, so the kids won’t be able to play (on the playground equipment).”
Drover says she recognizes that Barrie is not the only city with this situation.
“It’s everywhere because they are not helping them,” she said, noting there's an inadequate supply of affordable housing.
Tracy Myers has worked for a decade at Team Works, right across Innisfil Street from the encampment, and said it’s a concerning situation.
“It’s distressing in two ways,” she said. “I feel bad for them, but I wonder why the city doesn’t have a little more control. I know there is no place to put them. It’s heartbreaking.”
Myers said she has seen no more than two people at the Brock Park encampment, and that coffee is often times dropped off there.
She wonders why the tents are so close to Innisfil Street, with some of the furniture spilling onto the road itself. Grocery carts are sometimes on the street, too.
“If it was me, I’d want to be (among) the trees for protection,” Myers said while walking her dog, Sam, through the park Monday morning.
“It’s a big concern, and not just for our city,” she said. “We don’t have affordable housing. It’s not just for people who have mental or emotional issues. It’s a huge issue for people.
“I keep thinking about winter. I don’t know how they keep warm.”
Coun. Craig Nixon, who represents this part of Barrie, said he has had complaints about the Brock Park encampment.
“They are mostly concerned with the amount of garbage that has accumulated on the property,” he said. “This city has been working with the county to help the individual living at the encampment, as camping in public parks is not safe for anyone.”
Nixon noted the County of Simcoe is designated as a "service manager" under the Housing Services Act of 2011 and, as such, the responsibility for housing and homelessness services in Barrie is assigned to the county.
“We need to continue efforts at all levels of government to address this growing problem,” he said.
Camping in a city park or on city land is not permitted. Barrie’s parks use bylaw says no person shall enter, use or remain within a public park for the purpose of overnight sleeping between the hours of 11 p.m. of one day and 5 a.m. of the following day.
But the city also says it takes a compassionate approach to enforcing this bylaw.
Propane appliances and campfires are also not allowed in any city parks.
