More on 100 Victoria...

I present delegations to local councils. In June 2026, I spoke to Waterloo Regional Council about the litigation around 100 Victoria - the longstanding encampment that is a last resort for too many in our community that are unsheltered. You can find a link to the video of that delegation on the "On the Record" page, but I'm going to paraphrase it here...

I asked Regional Council to take four steps.

1. The Region should not continue appealing the ruling. This litigation consumes public money without creating a single home, shelter space or supportive service. Regional Council decided to pursue the appeal anyway, and I'll have more to say about this shortly.

2. The Region should reject any attempt to use the notwithstanding clause to override the Charter rights recognized by the courts. This may be looming, as the Region appeals the Justice Gibson decision. We'll likely not know until after the election on October 26th. If elected, I will vote against any use of the notwithstanding clause.

3. The Region should work with its seven area municipalities to establish a consistent, rights-respecting framework for safe tenting. Justices Valente (in 2023) and Gibson (in 2026) have both said that establishing this framework is a necessary step in clearing the space at 100 Victoria St.

4. The Region must move urgently to implement its Plan to End Chronic Homelessness. We do not have enough affordable housing, supportive housing, shelter capacity or accessible mental-health and addiction services. The encampment (and all encampments) are a symptom of that failure. It is a failure at all levels of government that will need all levels working to solve. Regional Council has a part to play.