There's a movement afoot to pressure city council to do away with tent city - and some citizens are planning a protest outside city hall later this month.

Kyle Chapelle started a Facebook group on July 29 called Tent City Has to Go.

The page called the Victoria Park tent city an eyesore. The city has overlooked it and is letting it get out of hand, Chapelle wrote.

"Clearly these people need help, and giving them food, water and the ability to stay isn't the help they need. They need rehabilitation programs and treatment centres," Chapelle wrote.

The Examiner could not reach Chapelle through Facebook message on Friday. As of Tuesday, the Tent City Has to Go page was no longer on Facebook.

Meanwhile, Anonymous Peterborough, an activist group, announced on Facebook that it plans to host a peaceful anti-tent protest at city hall on Aug. 27 at 4 p.m.

One organizer, who didn't want to be identified, told The Examiner on Friday that city council has not planned appropriately to deal with homeless - and that's the message the protest is meant to communicate.

"I don't want a misconception that this is against the homeless," he said.

He added many citizens are unhappy with city council over how it has handled the homelessness issue but don't speak up for fear of being "labelled as cold-hearted."

People should be able to speak up, he said: "We want our voices heard."

Victoria Park, city hall and the property of St. John's Anglican Church have been called tent city this summer because many homeless people are camping there.

The proliferation of tents started July 1, the day that the Warming Room shelter in Murray Street Baptist Church closed for repairs.

There are other shelters for the homeless in the city - Brock Mission and the YES Shelter for Youth and Families for example.

But the closure of the Warming Room still meant about 40 homeless people were left without shelter.

jessica.nyznik

@peterboroughdaily.com

joelle.kovach

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@peterboroughdaily.com