Police in Gatineau, Que., moved in on Thursday to clear 13 trailers remaining at an encampment at the former Robert-Guertin arena, arresting several people in the process.
In a series of social media posts, news releases and updates to reporters, Gatineau police said they’re conducting a two-part operation at the site near the Gîte Ami service centre and shelter.
First, officers executed five search warrants to look for unspecified narcotics. Police then issued formal notice to occupants that they’re on municipal property illegally.
When just one occupant chose to leave, police said they moved in to “secure” the site, arresting three people. Two face charges including uttering threats and assaulting a peace officer, and the third was previously wanted by police.
After conducting the searches, police arrested three more suspects on drug possession charges.
WATCH | Police clear the encampment near the former arena:
Police evicted some people living in trailers at a homeless encampment near the Robert-Guertin arena in Gatineau, Que., early Thursday morning.
People have been staying in tents near the Gîte Ami for more than a decade, before the number of people without a steady home skyrocketed in the region.
The arena, which was the longtime home of the Gatineau Olympiques junior hockey team, became a temporary shelter in 2020 early in the COVID-19 pandemic.
People continued to take up shelter around the building in the months that followed, drawing complaints. By late September 2023, more than 80 structures occupied the site, the city’s mayor said at the time.
Police said Thursday they have to move the remaining structures to a nearby park to make way for the arena’s demolition and to set up dozens of converted shipping containers to be used as temporary homes on the property.
The five trailers linked to the warrants have been seized, police said. On Thursday, heavy equipment operators could be seen clearing people’s belongings and loading them into dump trucks.