Encampment prevention update in Little Norway Park grotto
- BQNA
- Oct 24
- 2 min read
Encampment Subcommittee Update: 10 October, 2025
We’re pleased to share that persistence – and a lot of emails – have finally paid off. The encampment underneath the grotto has been fully removed, and the grotto itself is now officially closed, thanks in large part to the steadfast stream of emails and phone calls from the community and the fast action by our Parks department, headed by Daniel Vala.
Many community members reached out to the city to voice concern about the encampment, which had been growing steadily for over a month. Ausma Malik’s office told us that part of the delay was due to the large-scale clearing of the Dufferin Grove encampment, which had absorbed most of the city’s resources. Once that site was cleared, attention (and resources) shifted back to Little Norway – swiftly leading to the removal of our encampment.
By the following evening, large stones were installed at the base of the grotto to discourage any future tent setups, and by morning, the entrance was secured with chain mail. It’s not exactly the “grotto of our dreams,” but it’s certainly a start.
The next step will be a community-led initiative to reimagine and redesign the grotto into a safer, more inclusive, and genuinely welcoming space once again.
Again, much thanks to our larger community for their emails and phone calls. They do help get things done.
Emergency Services contact:
911 if you witness criminal activity or the immediate safety of people are at risk
Toronto Fire Services: 416-338-9375 or tfsPubEd@toronto.ca
211 for non-immediate Community Crisis Response to mental health and wellness situations.
311 for concerns about noise, litter, hazardous materials, graffiti
Encampment Prevention Measures:
If you see tents being set up or already there, email: encampments@toronto.ca
Contact the Community Safety Officers, hired by the City to provide 24/7 support to our neighbourhood. They do rounds of the park and are stationed at the 545 Lakeshore Shelter. They can be reached by telephone at 647-455-2800 or 647-455-0062.
For Non-Emergency Services contact Toronto Police 14 Division at 416-808-1400 or 416-808-2222. You can also reach out to the Neighbourhood Community Officers Amanda Aravelo: 10996@tps.ca
Rebecca Crosby: 10928@tps.ca General email: crime.prevention14@torontopolice.on.ca
To request that Little Norway Park’s enhanced prevention measures continue throughout the summer send an email to City Counsellor, Ausma Malik at councillor_malik@toronto.ca
Contact the BQNA to find out about joining one of two committees specific to Safety and Encampment Prevention in Bathurst Quay email contact@bqna.ca or visit our website and FaceBook group.
Reach out to Ryan Evershed, Manager of Community Engagement & Client Programming at Homes First to attend their next Community Liaison Committee meeting specific to the shelter at 545 Lakeshore. ryan.evershed@homesfirst.on.ca
To keep up to date with developments about this issue please subscribe to the BQNA Newsletter. That is the best way to stay informed.
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