Regional council will soon be presented with a third-party review of the heated encampment evictions in Halifax in the summer of 2021.

The Board of Police Commissioners have recommended the city and Halifax police assess it, then figure out an approach to situations like these, going forward.

The review was completed by a Toronto-based law firm Cooper, Sandler, Shime & Schwartzentruber LLP and was started in June 2023.

Now completed, it has 37 recommendations for HRM and police, including calls for an apology on how things were handled.

Chair of the police board, Councillor Becky Kent says, they initiated the process because this kind of review is important to build “public trust” and “confidence in policing”.

While Chief Administrative Officer of HRM, Cathie O’Toole says the city and police appreciate the work that went into the review and the opportunity it provides to “reflect on areas of improvement”.

“Much has been learned since August 18, 2021, and as indicated in the Review, significant changes have been made in how the municipality and its police department approach these types of situations. We also want to thank all the people who participated in this Review, particularly those who are municipal employees.”

What happened

On August 18, 2021, police stood behind shields standing off against hundreds of protestors as they tried to force those living in tents to evacuate.

Dozens were arrested and pepper sprayed in front of the old library on Spring Garden Rd. as officers dismantled and removed shelters.

Chief of police Donald MacLean says it was a challenging day for the municipality, officers and staff.

“We appreciate the Review’s acknowledgement of the work we have done with the municipality and Board to evolve our response to encampment communities and to protests. The Review will help form how this work continues going forward.”

The review will go to council, September 10.