On September 15, 2026, between two hundred and three hundred demonstrators assembled outside the Maison Benoît Labre shelter in Montreal's Southwest borough, calling for the facility to be shut down. The crowd gathered in the early afternoon and remained on the premises for several hours, voicing opposition to the shelter's operations.
The Maison Benoît Labre shelter provides accommodation for people experiencing homelessness and also runs a supervised injection site within its premises. Protesters cited the presence of the injection site as a primary reason for their demand, arguing that the combined services have generated community concerns.
Organizers of the demonstration did not release a formal statement during the protest, but the size of the gathering, estimated at two to three hundred participants, reflects ongoing local resistance to the shelter's dual function. The demonstration was peaceful, with participants holding signs and chanting slogans directed at municipal authorities responsible for the shelter's management.
Authorities have not announced any immediate response to the protest, and the shelter continues to operate as scheduled. The incident adds to a broader pattern of public debate in Montreal over the placement of supervised injection sites alongside homeless services, highlighting tensions between public health initiatives and neighborhood opposition.