Bridge Street encampment in Greater Napanee deemed illegal

The Town of Greater Napanee says it is preparing to bring a Bridge Street property into compliance after a judge ruled its use of trailers and cinderblock structures to house people violated its zoning by-law.

In a release, the town says it filed for an injunction at 1388 Bridge Street after staff identified that individuals were illegally residing on the property.

The property is also said to contain numerous fire hazards that were removed by the fire department through a warrant.

Justice R. Ryan Bell made the ruling, noting in her decision, “There is no evidence that the property meets the respective definitions of group home, special care facilities, or transitional housing unit as set out in s. 3 of the Zoning By-law.”

According to a backgrounder sheet provided by the municipality, total legal costs are expected to be around $22,000 which includes court costs and the town’s initial enforcement efforts through 2025.

You can read the full press release below:

The town is preparing to bring a Bridge Street property into compliance after a judge ruled its use of trailers and cinderblock structures to house people violated its Zoning By-law.

The town filed for an injunction at 1388 Bridge Street after staff identified that individuals were illegally residing on the property, which was also found to contain numerous fire hazards that were removed by the Fire Department through a warrant.

In a March 24, 2026, ruling, Justice R. Ryan Bell ruled that the use of trailers and cinderblock homes to house people on the property that was zoned for agriculture violated the town’s Zoning By-law, meaning individuals residing there were doing so illegally. “There is no evidence that the property meets the respective definitions of group home, special care facilities, or transitional housing unit as set out in Section 3 of the Zoning By-law,” Justice Bell noted in her decision.

Prior to filing for an injunction, the town petitioned the Government of Ontario to review and amend legislation governing how provincial housing dollars could be spent after the town learned that many of the residents at 1388 Bridge Street were receiving housing supplements from Prince Edward-Lennox & Addington Social Services (PELASS). The town’s request to review the legislation was subsequently declined.

Justice Bell also found that the condition of the property, which contained scrap, refuse, and fire hazards, violated the Property Standards and Yard Maintenance By-laws and rendered the property unfit for human occupancy.

In her decision, Justice Bell ordered the owner of the property at 1388 Bridge Street to remove all trailers, construction materials, and refuse from the site, and to ensure that all occupants vacate the property by June 1, 2026.

The order also stipulates that if the conditions of the ruling are not met by June 1, the town has the authority to remove all the materials and invoice the property owner for any expenses it incurs in bringing the property into compliance.

Following receipt of the court’s decision, the town contacted PELASS to request assistance in notifying any clients residing at the property that their living arrangements had been deemed illegal, and notified the OPP, whom the Justice indicated may be required should enforcement of the ruling become necessary.

“The town will now seek to work with the property owner to ensure the property is able to achieve compliance by June 1, as required in the order issued by the Superior Court of Ontario,” said Mayor Terry Richardson. “At the same time, the town will immediately begin to make preparations to bring the property into compliance on its own starting June 2 should that become necessary, and to ensure it is done in a way that costs are not ultimately borne by Greater Napanee taxpayers.”

“The town understood that the conditions at 1388 Bridge Street represented a health and safety risk to the individuals living there as well as to neighbouring property owners,” said Chief Administrative Officer, Matthew Grant. “It is unfortunate that court action was required to achieve compliance and to ensure that the property was no longer considered suitable for housing vulnerable individuals by the various parties involved in this issue.”