City staff moved Wednesday morning to remove a makeshift homeless camp set up under the Gardiner Expressway in downtown Toronto.Traffic slowed on Lake Shore Blvd. W. near Lower Simcoe St. as a loader and city truck cleared debris from the encampment. City staff could be seen sorting through various items in the homeless camp, including several bikes, blankets, plastic boxes, mats and small bags. By noon, the camp had been cleared and city workers had departed. The area beneath the elevated stretch of the Gardiner between Bathurst and Lower Simcoe Sts. has been home to several makeshift homeless camps this winter. City workers were following up on eviction notices given to a number of camp residents in January, said Brad Ross, the city’s chief communications officer, adding just one encampment would be cleared Wednesday.He said workers will continue to help the camp’s residents find space in the city’s shelter system.“We recognize that not all individuals are prepared to come inside, to engage with us,” he said. “But we continue to work with them to provide whatever supports they may need.”The city has several concerns over public and individual safety in the camps, he said, pointing to reports of a fire at one of the camps over the weekend.“It’s a fine balance,” he said. “We can’t force anybody to come inside. But at the same time we need to make sure public and personal safety is maintained at all times.”A few metres west of the cleared camp Wednesday morning, Dexter Wolfgang busily packed his belongings as staff worked nearby.“What they’re doing is stupid. They should give us housing,” he said. By noon, after city workers had left, his site had not been cleared. In January, city staff backed away from a plan to evict residents of the camps, saying residents who pack up would find space in city shelters. Earlier that month, several people who set up tents or makeshif ...
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