Man found dead in tent in Dartmouth encampment, say Halifax police

Halifax Regional Police say a 56-year-old man was found dead in a tent in the Geary Street encampment near the Dartmouth waterfront on Thursday. 

The man’s identity has not been released. The cause of his death is being investigated by the Nova Scotia Medical Examiner Service.

This marks the third man in his 50s to be found dead outside in Nova Scotia since late November — William Walsh was discovered outside a fishing tent in Windsor, N.S., on Nov. 26, and Bobby Hiltz died in a park called Miner’s Marsh in Kentville, N.S., a week later. 

Advocates and family members of the deceased have stressed that these deaths highlight the need for more mental health and addiction resources, but first and foremost the demand for more affordable housing. 

The Geary Street green space is one of five sites that have been designated as approved homeless encampments by Halifax regional council. HRM’s website shows the other designated sites are Green Road Park in Dartmouth, as well as the Barrington Street green space, Cogswell Park and Lower Flinn Park in Halifax.

As of Nov. 28, municipal housing and homelessness staff said there were 62 tents and three trailers in the five designated locations. 

Four additional sites have been earmarked to be opened if required.

In early December, Halifax council narrowly defeated a motion from Mayor Andy Fillmore to retract the list of possible sites and take away power from the chief administrative officer to open them.

Fillmore said at the time that the “worst of the housing crisis in HRM is behind us,” and more provincial shelter options would be coming online soon, but councillors said the move to retract the list would be premature.

As of Dec. 18, 1,222 people were in need of housing in Halifax, according to the Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia’s by-name list, which counts people living on the streets and in shelters, hotel rooms and other precarious situations. 

In October, the Nova Scotia Provincial Housing Agency said there were 7,020 people waiting for affordable public housing, half of them seniors.