ZINE: The traumatic impacts of encampment evictions

In 2022 and 2023, the Research for Social Change Lab interviewed 48 people with experience of homelessness in Peterborough and 42 people with experience working in the local homeless-serving sector, either in frontline or management roles.

The continued enforcement of Peterborough’s Parks and Facilities Bylaw was one of the most common topics to be raised by interview participants, and the topic elicited very strong feelings.

Peterborough’s Parks Bylaw forbids camping in public parks. To enforce the bylaw, police officers, private security guards, and public works employees attend encampments and force people experiencing homelessness to pack up their things and move along or risk getting a fine or even going to jail.

Leah, who works as a service provider in the homeless-serving sector, said people experiencing homelessness are “retraumatized every time the city comes for their fucking tents.”

“We can’t afford to live as is, never mind having to pay fines and shit like that just for trying to sleep at night,” said Blair, who was experiencing homelessness when he spoke to us. “I don’t think it’s really right.”

The fifth issue of our Park Stories zine series focuses on the what people shared about living in encampments and the enforcement of the Parks and Facilities Bylaw in Peterborough.

Click here to read “Park Stories Five: The Parks Bylaw” in a digital format.

Printed copies of Park Stories Issue Five: The Parks Bylaw. We have lots of these, get in touch if you want a copy!

In 2022 and 2023, the Research for Social Change Lab interviewed almost 100 people with experience of the Peterborough’s homeless-serving sector as part of our review of the local Coordinated Access system.

We’re sharing the stories we heard during those interviews in a series of zines called Park Stories. Previous issues have focused on people’s experiences of jail and criminalization and people’s experiences trying to hold on to their belongings.

Please follow the lab as we’ll continue to release the zines through the summer of 2023. If you prefer print copies, please get in touch and we can arrange a pick up or delivery. We have a lot of print copies and are excited to share them!