Workers tear down tiny home built illegally inside Guelph, Ont. park

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Tiny home torn down

Tiny home torn down in Guelph

A tiny home in a Guelph, Ont., park, built for a man who said he had nowhere else to go, has been demolished.

Machinery was used to take down the structure Wednesday morning.

The tiny home was built earlier this winter by Jess Damery as a place where his father-in-law, Rob, could live.

Rob, who told CTV News he has a brain injury and mental health struggles, was unable to stay in shelters or live with family.

Damery was aware the structure was illegal but called it a last resort.

“I wasn’t trying to be sneaky, I wasn’t trying to hide anything,” Damery told CTV News on Wednesday. “The fact of the matter is that Robert’s health and his safety were in question, and I wasn’t going to sit by when I would possibly do something to ensure he was going to be safe this winter.”

The demolition of the tiny home has thrust Rob, once again, into a precarious situation.

“Robert, right now, is definitely more lost than he was before this all started,” Damery said.

Damery was shocked by the development.

“There was just no compassion or caring in what they were doing and now [Rob] feels like the world is against him again. He’s back with even less than he had before.”

CTV News reached out the City of Guelph for their response.

A statement from Doug Godfrey, general manager of operations for the City of Guelph, in part, “… the involvement of city bylaw comes from a community safety standpoint.”

Damery said he was also upset with the path that was made by the crew who went in to dismantle the structure. When he was building the tiny home, he said he made a concerted effort not to damage the natural features of the area.

“The contractors have confirmed that no trees were removed during the course of their work. Some branches were trimmed or damaged as necessary to complete the work safely and to ensure the safety of the crew,” the City of Guelph said when asked about any potential damage to the area’s plant life.

Damery said they are still trying to learn where Rob’s belongings are and how he can get them back.

“A man that doesn’t have a home, first and foremost, probably doesn’t have a car,” he said.

Damery said Rob has been given hotel accommodations for the next few days, but it’s unclear what will happen when that runs out.

“After the ninth of February, we’re back to square one, where he’s supposed to fend for himself in stairwells or wherever he can stay warm through the cold nights,” he said.

The family has set up an online fundraiser to help Rob as he navigates what comes next.

Damery noted Rob’s story is just one example of the challenges many people are facing.

“Obviously there are funds within the city that they can allocate time and manpower and resources to tear down a man’s mini-home, so why can’t we take the same funding or the same attention to help some of these people instead of just keep pushing them into the corner where nobody sees them and ignoring the fact that people are struggling out there.”