Waterloo Region - The Region of Waterloo will appeal the recent Ontario Superior Court decision regarding the 100 Victoria Street encampment in Kitchener.  

Today, the Province of Ontario also announced the intent to appeal the Ontario Superior Court Decision.  

The Ontario Superior Court decision raises complex legal questions that extend beyond Waterloo Region.  

It has implications not only for the Region, but potentially for other municipalities across Ontario and highlights the challenge of balancing the responsibility to support vulnerable residents while delivering essential public infrastructure and services. 

The Region's property at 100 Victoria Street is required to support the construction of the Kitchener Central Transit Hub. It has been the site of an encampment of individuals experiencing homelessness since December 2021. The Kitchener Central Transit Hub is a critical, long-term investment in the community’s future, connecting GO Transit, VIA Rail, the ION LRT, Grand River Transit, cycling routes and pedestrian connections together in one integrated space. The Transit Hub will improve access to jobs, housing, education, services, and opportunities for hundreds of thousands of residents and visitors, all while supporting economic growth and sustainable development.  

The Region will continue to provide supports and outreach services for individuals experiencing homelessness at the site and assess next steps as the legal process moves forward. 

The Region of Waterloo’s investment in housing and homelessness has more than doubled since 2020, reaching $165 million in 2025. Between 2022 and 2025, there was a 61 per cent increase in the number of people the Region supported from chronic homelessness to permanent housing. In 2025, the Region supported 809 people into permanent housing from homelessness, and of those, 390 were people experiencing chronic homelessness.  

The Region will file its notice of appeal with the Ontario Court of Appeal in the coming days. 

Quotes:  

 "The Region of Waterloo has worked hard to support people experiencing homelessness while also planning for the needs of a growing community. The Kitchener Central Transit Hub is a transformative project that will serve residents for generations, improving connections to jobs, housing, education and transit throughout our region and beyond. At the same time, Waterloo Region has significantly increased its investment in housing and homelessness supports over the past several years because we recognize that building strong communities requires both social supports and critical infrastructure. This appeal is about ensuring municipalities have clarity on how to move forward with both of these important responsibilities." 

-            Karen Redman, Chair, the Region of Waterloo  

“Our government is appealing this decision in order to provide the certainty and stability needed to advance critical infrastructure projects here in Waterloo Region and across Ontario. As we continue making record investments in homelessness prevention, we will also continue delivering on our commitment to keep communities safe and to advance our $236 billion plan to build the transit, homes, highways and other infrastructure that our growing province needs.”

-            The Honourable Doug Downey, Attorney General of Ontario

“As we continue making record investments to support those facing homelessness, we are also going to continue delivering on our commitment to keep communities safe and get people the help they need in the appropriate environment, instead of a dangerous and disruptive encampment. Supporting municipalities with homelessness prevention remains a top priority, as does working with them to advance the key infrastructure projects required to build Ontario.”

-            The Honourable Rob Flack, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing

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