Bylaw enforcement officers watched as a hired crew cleared piles of debris including furniture and tents from an encampment located in Brock Park on Innisfil Street in Barrie.
Removal of the encampment which had grown over several weeks began Thursday afternoon.
Several police cruisers were parked on Innisfil Street. A spokesperson told Barrie 360 that the officers were there to maintain a presence and assist bylaw officers.
An elderly woman walking on the sidewalk stopped at a parked cruiser and thanked the officer for the removal of the encampment saying it made her feel unsafe, though she sympathized with the plight of anyone living there.
The police spokesperson said there was only one individual in the encampment when bylaw officers arrived and that person had been offered shelter services.
Despite the size of the encampment, a neighbour told Barrie 360 that only a handful of people were actually living on the property.
