THE PARKS USE BY-LAW

As of April 2, the Parks Use By-Law (#2009-76) can be used to drive the homeless each morning from Kingston’s green spaces, most notably the wild and wonderful Belle Park, adjacent to the Integrated Care Hub. A two-hour notice of trespass will be issued, the city says on its website, and once that time is up, well who knows. “Additional support, such as police services, may be required depending on the situation.” Grab everything you can, people! Clock’s ticking! It’s like one of those mad Japanese game shows, only without any prizes, or laughs.

Whatever mealy-mouthed explanation may be offered, the obvious aim of this viperous by-law is to drive the homeless from the places where they might be seen by the rest of the city’s residents. To make their remaining in the park so inconvenient that that they trudge with their bags and their tarps someplace darker, further from everything they need. Because once we can’t see them, the thinking goes, helping them becomes not important at all.