The investigation continues into the deaths of two people at the Brantford camp

Investigators say they don’t suspect foul play the death of two people at a camp in Brantford.

The pair, who have not been identified, were found on December 26 near the intersection of Clarence and Greenwich streets.

Police said a coroner’s investigation is underway to determine their cause of death.

In the meantime, they’re asking all residents to prioritize safe drug use.

The reaction to the dead

Tim Philp, executive director of Rosewood House, Brantford’s largest homeless shelter, said he was not surprised by the police warning.

“Basically, they put out a public service announcement,” he explained. “If you’re going to use drugs, you should use them safely and contact addiction services if you want to get off them.”

The deaths also raised new concerns about the city’s response to the homelessness and encampment crisis.

“A lot of people have kind of been pushed out of the more visible locations here in Brantford,” Philp said. “They go down to the river, and when they’re out of sight, they’re in mind, and everybody leaves them alone.”

Mayor Kevin Davis admits that communication efforts can be difficult.

“While the city’s dedicated homeless response team works to help people find alternative shelter, we may not always be aware of every encampment in the city,” he said in a news release.

This team, which includes workers, police and emergency services, aims to connect those living in the camps with local resources and shelter spaces.

Davis also encourages residents to report any new encampments that appear.

“The city has made a tremendous effort to reach out to these people and let them know that there are shelter beds available, that there is help for them,” Philp said. “Unfortunately, I can’t always get people to use it.”

SOAR Community Services, a non-profit homeless support center, also said they were saddened by the deaths.

“We are working with our partners to support vulnerable people and hope that we can avoid loss of life,” they explained in a press release. “We encourage anyone who is not housed to access emergency shelter intake services.”

“The provincial government has come up with some money to try to reduce the camps,” Philp said. “This is not just a Brantford issue. It’s a problem everywhere. Every major city has a problem with camps.”