Residents of a mobile park on the South Shore are facing an uncertain future as they are being forced to leave their homes with no alternative housing options.
The park, located in the municipality of Sainte-Catherine, is home to approximately 50 families who have been living there for years. However, the land has been sold to a developer who plans to build a new housing complex, leaving the residents with no choice but to leave.
Many of the residents, who are mostly low-income families and seniors, are struggling to find affordable housing in the area. They fear that they will be forced to move far away from their jobs, schools, and support networks.
One resident, Marie-Claude Tremblay, has been living in the park for over 20 years and is worried about where she will go. “I have a job and my children go to school nearby. If we have to move, it will be a huge disruption for us,” she said.
The residents have been given a notice to leave by the end of April, but they are pleading for more time to find suitable housing. They have also reached out to the municipality for help, but so far, no solutions have been offered.
The situation has sparked outrage among community members and local politicians. Sainte-Catherine Mayor, Jocelyn Bates, has expressed his concern for the residents and has promised to work with them to find a solution.
In the meantime, the residents are left in a state of limbo, unsure of where they will go and how they will afford it. They are calling on the government to step in and provide assistance to those who are facing eviction.
This is not the first time that mobile park residents in Quebec have faced eviction due to land development. In 2019, a similar situation occurred in the town of Sainte-Julie, where residents were given a notice to leave their homes to make way for a new housing project.
The residents of the mobile park in Sainte-Catherine are now hoping for a different outcome and are pleading for compassion and support from the government and the community. They deserve to have a place to call home, and it is the responsibility of all parties involved to ensure that they are not left without a roof over their heads.
