Parts of Cogswell Park were fenced off on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025 following the Aug. 20 de-designation of the park as an encampment site. Photo by Ryan Taplin /THE CHRONICLE HERALDArticle contentThe closure of Cogswell Park began Wednesday as Halifax Regional Municipality moved to de-designate the location as a place where people could shelter.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentAt 9 a.m., municipal compliance staff found 10 people still sheltering at the site as the Sept. 21 deadline to depart the area had passed. Municipal housing and homelessness staff were also at the site and assisted the individuals with transportation, along with their belongings, to alternative locations.Article contentArticle contentArticle contentBy 11:30 a.m., all but one person had vacated the site, according to a news release by the municipality’s Public Affairs Office. Staff were working with the province and service providers to explain resources and supports that would allow them to accept an indoor option.Article contentThe municipality announced Aug. 20 that Cogswell Park, near Quinpool Road and Windsor Street, had been de-designated as a location where people can shelter due to its proximity to a new 25-storey seniors facility in accordance with the municipality’s encampment policies, which prohibit sheltering within 50 metres of an adult care facility.Article contentAt that time, 11 individuals staying at the location were given written notice that they had until Sept. 21 to relocate to an indoor option, or, if necessary, to another of the municipality’s designated locations as a short-term solution.Article contentArticle contentThe area has been partially fenced to enable staff and contractors to begin the cleanup of the site. Due to the heavy use of the area as a designated location, the site needs to be remediated. It will be assessed and a plan will be developed for remediation, according to HRM.Article content Parts of Cogswell Park were fenced off on Wednesday following the Aug. 20 de-designation of the park as an encampment site. Photo by Ryan Taplin /THE CHRONICLE HERALDArticle contentArticle contentSupporting people sleeping rough in designated locationsArticle contentAs of Sept. 19, municipal housing and homelessness staff determined that there were 78 tents and four trailers in the municipality’s three remaining designated locations.Article content“From the outset, the municipality has been clear that the creation of designated locations would be temporary. They were established in July 2022 to address an immediate need to ensure people had a location to go to if they had no other option but to sleep rough,” reads the release.Article content“The municipality is constantly assessing the need for designated locations and as more indoor shelter spaces and supportive housing options become available, more municipal designated locations will be closed, de-designated and returned to their intended purposes as spaces for everyone.”Article content
People sheltering at Cogswell Park in Halifax moved as homeless encampment site closes
