A public information session about the City of Ottawa’s newcomer reception centre faced significant disruption Wednesday night at the Nepean Sportsplex.
As Knoxdale-Merivale Coun. Sean Devine began his introduction, a man wearing a “No Tent in Ottawa” t-shirt stormed the stage, chanting against the large tent-like structure to be built near the complex.
Ottawa police escorted him out as Devine struggled to regain control of an unruly crowd.
“After de-escalation strategies proved unsuccessful, one person was arrested and charged with trespassing at a community event this evening at the Nepean Sportsplex,” Ottawa police said in a post on X.
“The Ottawa Police Service supports the rights of all people to demonstrate in a peaceful manner, but our officers also have an obligation to take action to ensure community safety.”
Tensions escalated further as other residents demanded the opportunity to ask open questions instead of waiting for the planned Q&A session. Chants of “No tents!” and “Shame on you!” erupted and several attendees left the session in protest.
Ottawa currently houses about 750 refugees and asylum seekers in its shelter system, with numbers expected to rise. They use more than half of the city’s available shelter spaces, including at community spaces, as the city works to keep them from sleeping on the street.
Newcomers used 10 to 15 per cent of spaces before the COVID-19 pandemic.
City officials say the newcomer centre is crucial for this growing need and once it’s up and running, community spaces in areas such as Vanier and Heron Gate will reopen to the general public.
City councillors gave staff the go-ahead to work on the idea of one or more large tent-like structures just over a year ago.
According to Kale Brown, the city’s manager of housing and homelessness, the newcomer reception centre is designed to provide temporary housing and support for asylum seekers.
“These buildings go up with full HVAC systems, sprinklers, washrooms. They will have a commercial kitchen. We’ll be providing food on site. The whole intent of this is to have everything provided on site so we can do that intensive case management and settlement work,” Brown said.
Residents would stay for up to 90 days while accessing services like translation, legal assistance and settlement support before moving to transitional housing and eventually, a permanent home.
Some people have voiced strong concerns about the project, including its location and perceived lack of community consultation, at protests and a meeting at the sportsplex last week.
While some attendees Wednesday called for greater transparency, city staff explained the site was chosen for its accessibility, public ownership and suitability for servicing.
The project’s timeline depends on securing federal funding. It could open in about a year.
The city also outlined plans to handle overflow demand with a secondary site at the Eagleson Park & Ride in Kanata should it become necessary.