Homeless people turn to the forest

The Sherbrooke police could however intervene to dislodge them since they are on a private ground

SHERBROOKE | The homeless who decide to settle in the forests surrounding the city are more and more numerous in Sherbrooke.

Simon Lacroix, 49, and Mario Grondin, 56, are among those homeless who decided to live in the woods. They are settled along the Saint-François River in a secret lair. They are not very far from the city, but enough according to them not to be spotted by the police.

They each have their tent and a table. They installed a clothesline, some shelves and a place to make fires.

To keep the food, they have a mini fridge, but it is not plugged. So they dug holes in the ground to preserve their provisions.

They also have a small inflatable boat that allows them to walk on the river.

Mario Grondin shows the place where he stores his food, in the ground.

Substance addiction

"It tempts me to stay here all year round," says Grondin. It was here that he often set campfires with his friends when he was young.

Her boyfriend has just ended up in the street following a separation.

"I'd rather have a roof. I ended up here because of my fault, "says Lacroix.

The two homeless have recognized that they have had a lot of substance abuse problems, which has thrown them into poverty and put them on the street.

Mr. Grondin has already inherited a large sum following the death of his father, but he has largely spent it on drugs.

"It went in the nose, in the arms and everywhere" admits bluntly the one who began to consume at 35 years.

Mr. Lacroix has indicated that he has not been eating for some time, but recently he has relapsed.

Informed of the situation of the two men by Le Journal , the head of intersectoral coordination in homelessness for the territory served by the CIUSSS of Estrie-CHUS, Charles Coulombe, stressed that they will soon have problems.

Harmful in the long run

"The people who live this kind of situation will see their situation deteriorate. For example, if they have mental health problems, they do not have medical follow-up, "said Coulombe.

"Living on the street may be a choice at first, but when they try to cope, they are not capable. Homelessness reflects a lack of choice or an inability to choose, "he added.

Sherbrooke's municipal police say the two men could be fined $ 149 if they found their lair secret because they are on private land without the landlord's permission. They would also be invited to leave the premises.