The City of Kingston says part of Belle Park, where an encampment of homeless people had been set up, will be closed starting Friday for remediation and clean-up.
People have been living in tents in the area of Belle Park since at least 2020. The City of Kingston has made several attempts to evict individuals living there, which have been met by legal challenges. Earlier this month, however, an individual attacked and killed two people in the area of the encampment and injured another, prompting the mayor to call for the encampment to be dismantled.
Part of the area was fenced off for the police investigation and remained closed as of last week.
The City of Kingston said in a news release Wednesday that it has been helping people get access to their personal belongings that were left at the encampment, but the area will remain closed off to all members of the public for some time.
“Effective Sept. 27, 2024, the City of Kingston will close approximately one and a quarter hectare of Belle Park to all users for an undetermined period. The closure is under the authority of City of Kingston By-Law 2009-76 and prohibits all access to and use of the park, including recreational activities and sheltering overnight. The K&P Trail next to Belle Park is also affected by the closure and cannot be used by pedestrians and cyclists,” the release said.
The city says the park’s soil has been contaminated and it is infested with rodents.
“The City will work closely with KFL&A Public Health to ensure the environmental contamination is addressed and the property is restored.”
The Integrated Care Hub (ICH) will also remain closed at this time, but the city says it is expected to reopen.
“The ICH consortium partners (AMHS-KFLA, Trellis HIV & Community Care, KCHC, Providence Care and Home Base Housing) continue to keep the ICH and CTS (consumption and treatment services) closed while they finalize plans to provide safety for all when they reopen services for public access. They have requested that the City continue to provide fencing and security to the site while they make plans for reopening.”
Andre Wareham, 47, is charged with two counts of second-degree murder and one count of attempted murder in the deaths of Taylor Wilkinson, 38, and John Hood, 41, and the injury of an unidentified woman following the attack on Sept. 12.