Welland has joined a number of communities asking the provincial government to help them deal with with homeless encampments.
Mayor Frank Campion says they continue to confront the complex challenges of unauthorized encampments in the city, and they need the province's help.
Campion says they have reached a critical point where more needs to be done, so he has sent a letter asking for Ontario Premier Doug Ford to use the Notwithstanding Clause.
"On November 5, I submitted a notice of motion to the clerk that, if passed, would allow Council, as a whole, to formally request the Province of Ontario invoke the Notwithstanding Clause to empower the City of Welland to enact temporary bylaws that prioritize the health and safety of all residents while ensuring responsible and dignified support for those experiencing homelessness. What that looks like, we do not yet know."
A number of big city mayors, including Mat Siscoe in St. Catharines, have asked Ford to use the clause to override a court decision preventing municipalities from clearing encampments, if their shelters are full.