A parkette that was being used as an encampment by unhoused people has been closed by the Town of Saugeen Shores.
Police Parkette in Port Elgin is located on Goderich Street which is the main street through town, beside the chamber of commerce building which used to be the old police station.
This past summer, an encampment was established there, and by the end of summer, just one tent was left.
On Friday, the Town of Saugeen Shores announced it had closed the parkette for maintenance and repair work, and put up a fence around the property.
The Town says “While the parkette was used as an encampment throughout the summer, Police Parkette was closed as the one remaining individual vacated the site.”
They add, others who had previously stayed there had either accepted support through Bruce County or moved on prior to the decision to close the parkette. They note, Bruce County and its service partners delivered frequent, coordinated outreach at the location.
In both Bruce and Grey, it is the Counties that provide housing assistance. Bruce County recently launched a service called COAST (Community Outreach And Support Team) which aims to provide care and support to those needing assistance with mental health, addictions, and housing needs.
The Town says, “The Outreach team worked closely with each person to connect them with immediate, short-term solutions. This includes emergency shelter, health care, food programs, and outreach services such as housing, legal and income support.”
They say more than a dozen individuals were supported by finding safer, more stable housing, and added, Saugeen Shores has provided secure storage for any belongings for those who wished to do so.
While the Town does not appear to have had specific work on the parkette in its 2026 budget, the spending plan does include mention of general repair work in the event of damage or vandalism at any of its sites.
They say, “The Town’s focus is now on public safety and undertaking remediation and maintenance to return the parkette to a state for public use,” adding, “The length of the Police Parkette closure is unknown as the Town considers further improvements to the Parkette through the 2027 Business Plan.”
Last fall, there was a small encampment a couple of blocks up Goderich Street at Coulter Parkette. Occupants rallied to raise awareness about their desire for an overnight warming centre for cold winter nights.
That encampment was dismantled, and the Town said at the time, they were able to connect with the organizer of that demonstration, and were in regular dialogue with Bruce County, the YMCA, and other community partners to coordinate the response to support those experiencing homelessness in the Town of Saugeen Shores.
There are no dedicated overnight warming centres in Saugeen Shores in the winter, leaving those who are in the cold to try to find a business that is open.
During regular business hours, the library is available as a warming or cooling centre.
The Town notes, other supports are offered through Bruce County. One resource is Get the Support You Need | Bruce County.
Those in need of assistance can call 211 or go to 211ontario.ca
– Or call YMCA Rural Housing and Homelessness Outreach at 519-371-9222.
– Contact Bruce County Human Services at 1-800-265-3022 or e-mail HuSinfo@brucecounty.on.ca.
– Call 9-1-1 if someone is in serious distress or in case of emergency.