Statement: City of Kingston and Kingston Police continue efforts to address daytime camping at Belle Park

The City has been working with Kingston Police to encourage compliance with the daytime camping ban under the City’s Parks Use By-Law (#2009-76) as directed by Kingston City Council to address health and safety challenges posed by the encampment at Belle Park.

Support for those at encampments
City staff have and will continue to take steps to support people currently residing in encampments, as well as neighbours who live nearby, while at the same time trying to enforce the daytime camping ban at parks, including Belle Park. This support has included advance communication and conversations with people in the encampment on the details of the daytime camping ban and options for daytime support services, shelters, transportation, and storage opportunities – both on site and off – as well as providing individual bins to hold people’s belongings.

Enforcement of the by-law and daytime camping in public parks
The City has and will continue to work with multiple partners, including the Kingston Police, to encourage compliance with the prohibition of daytime camping from the people currently residing in Belle Park. 

Kingston Police will continue to support the City with accessing Belle Park to conduct other City activities, and to conduct enforcement activities in all other city parks. 

The City remains dedicated to its ongoing efforts with multiple community partners to find safe, supportive housing for people experiencing homelessness. The encampment at Belle Park impacts many members of the community and the City is committed to working with Kingston Police to find ways of addressing ongoing health and safety issues at this encampment.