Quebec’s homeless population no longer needs to worry about receiving a hefty fine for breaking curfew, after a Quebec Superior Court judge ruled against the measure on Tuesday.
The provincial government took some heat when Premier François Legault suggested that there is plenty of room available in shelters across Quebec. Judge Chantal Masse concluded that the curfew was more likely to put homeless people at risk.
“We know in Sherbrooke there was a certain tolerance with police, which was good, but without this constraint, this is a big plus,” said François Lemieux. “We’re really happy about this news.”
Lemieux, a coordinator at La Chaudronnée de l’Estrie, a soup kitchen in Sherbrooke, believes this is the right move. He added that the government should have been the one to take the initiative in amending the rule, rather than letting it drag into court.
