Montreal mall uses Baby Shark to keep unhoused people away

In Montreal, Canada, Complexe Desjardins, a shopping mall and office complex, has drawn criticism for its unconventional approach to discourage unhoused individuals from loitering in its emergency exit stairwells. For the past year, the mall has played the widely recognized children's song, Baby Shark, on a loop at various speeds to address purported security concerns related to homelessness in the area. This tactic was implemented in response to an increase in the visibility of homeless individuals in the downtown region, which the mall's spokesperson Jean-Benoit Turcotti attributes in part to a lack of adequate shelter options in the city. Social advocates have expressed outrage over this method, deeming it as cruel and an inadequate solution to the underlying issues of homelessness. Sam Watts, the CEO of Welcome Hall Mission, which provides services for the homeless, criticized the practice as merely shifting the issue rather than solving it; he emphasized that complex social challenges cannot be addressed with juvenile methods intended to exclude vulnerable populations. Similarly, David Chapman, executive director of Resilience Montreal, condemned the strategy as inhumane, stating that it irritates individuals suffering from homelessness until they are compelled to move on. The mall management, in response to this heated backlash, has attempted to portray itself as sensitive to the issue of homelessness. Turcotti mentioned that two social workers have been hired to initiate dialogue with unhoused individuals, claiming that the intent is to support rather than coerce. However, critics argue that the playing of a repetitive children’s song is not a supportive measure. Instead, it underscores a broader societal issue where individuals without permanent housing are increasingly marginalized and made to feel unwelcome in urban public spaces. Wider trends impacting homelessness in Canada have also been highlighted, wherein over the past decade, there has been a significant reduction in funding for day and night shelters. Experts warn that such funding cuts lead to the visible increase in homelessness and subsequent tensions in downtown areas. As the number of shelters decreases, so does the availability of safe spaces for those in need, exacerbating their plight and forcing them into increasingly desperate circumstances. This situation creates a cycle where vulnerable individuals are pushed from one location to another without genuine aid or solutions in place. Thus, Complexe Desjardins' strategy is critiqued not only as ineffective but also as emblematic of systemic failures to address the complexities of homelessness in contemporary society.