Complexe Desjardins is seen in Montreal on Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. The shopping mall and office complex in downtown Montreal is being criticized for using the popular children's song "Baby Shark" to discourage unhoused people from loitering in its emergency exit stairwells. (The Canadian Press/Christinne Muschi
MONTREAL – A downtown Montreal shopping mall and office complex is under fire for playing the children's song Baby Shark on repeat to discourage unhoused individuals from lingering in its emergency stairwells.
The tune, famously catchy and streamed millions of times online, could be heard Thursday morning echoing through at least one stairwell at the Complexe Desjardins. The song played continuously, with variations in speed, from speakers installed in the area.
The complex, owned by Desjardins financial group, began this practice a year ago, citing security concerns involving people experiencing homelessness, according to spokesperson Jean-Benoît Turcotti. He stated that since implementing this measure, the company has observed "an improvement."
However, critics argue that the tactic is both ineffective and inhumane. Sam Watts, CEO of Welcome Hall Mission, which supports the homeless, condemned the practice as “cruel and unusual,” accusing the mall of shifting the problem rather than addressing its root causes.
“You can’t solve homelessness with exclusionary tactics like this,” Watts said. “Displacing vulnerable people does nothing to resolve the complexities of their situation.”
While Turcotti emphasized that the mall is sensitive to homelessness and has employed two social workers to engage with affected individuals, advocates remain unconvinced. David Chapman, executive director of Resilience Montreal, described the approach as “inhumane,” suggesting it likely stems from frustration over the visible increase in homelessness in the area.
Chapman pointed to a broader issue, noting that limited shelter availability in Montreal exacerbates the problem. “Canada has seen a decline in funding for both day and night shelters over the past decade, and this is the fallout,” he explained.
The use of Baby Shark as a deterrent is not unique to Montreal. In 2023, a Nanaimo, B.C., store owner reportedly played the song outside his shop to discourage people from sleeping there. In 2019, officials in West Palm Beach, Florida, used the same method to prevent overnight sleeping at a city facility.
Critics also highlight the rise of so-called "anti-homeless design" in Canadian cities, including park benches with dividing armrests that make lying down impossible. In one particularly controversial case in 2013, the City of Abbotsford, B.C., spread chicken manure at a gathering site for unhoused individuals to drive them away.
For advocates like Watts and Chapman, such measures reflect a troubling trend. “Rather than pushing people out of sight,” Watts urged, “we need to focus on solutions that address homelessness with dignity and compassion.”
