Encampment removal in Saskatoon ‘very sad,’ but necessary, advocate says

The removal of a Saskatoon encampment earlier this week was upsetting, but necessary, a local outreach advocate said.

The reaction comes following the City of Saskatoon’s decision to remove the encampment on city-owned private property at 20th Street and Avenue K South on Thursday. In a news release that evening, the city said 120 people left the site.

Eighty tents were removed from the encampment, the City of Saskatoon added.

“It was very sad for us to see the encampments go down, but to be honest, they needed to. There has been a lot of violence,” Shirley Isbister, president of the Central Urban Métis Federation Inc. (CUMFI), told Global News.

“There was alcohol, drugs being moved in and that’s not a good environment for safety for the people in the encampments or for the people in the community.”

Following the cleanup of the encampment, CUMFI’s president said a large number of its residents arrived at the Saskatoon nonprofit and set up in its area.

Many of them set up close to the nearby railroad tracks, she said, adding two previous encampment residents sought shelter in the group’s Mobile Housing and Community Resource Centre Bus. The bus has Wi-Fi, as well as contact information for people to get housing.

“We have a lot of encampments here. And we have the bathrooms, and we have the showers but it’s also getting cold,” Isbister said, noting that those facilities are expected to close at the end of this month in anticipation of winter weather.

“That tells me that there’s a lot of people who aren’t ready to be housed yet,” she continued.

“People gather and they stay in the encampments because that’s where they’re happy.”

Isibister said the charity will continue providing support and resources, such as clothing and blankets, to people who reach out, including those who have established encampments around CUMFI.

Melissa Zimmer, president and founder of Bridge City Warmth, a volunteer group who distributes supplies to people who are homeless in Saskatoon said her group was visiting the encampment on 20th Street multiple times a day in recent weeks to hand out business cards.

She said Thursday’s takedown led to the group assisting in finding housing for five people.

“Since the encampment’s been taken down, we’ve had all kinds of calls, text messages, emails just looking for assistance with housing, and just we’re finding that there’s just so many barriers for those looking for housing,” Zimmer said.

On Thursday night, the nonprofit had a street patrol which observed many residents from the encampment who needed a hot meal or new supplies, she continued. Those living at the now-removed site are scattered across the city – including some who found spots in shelters before they filled.

“When we showed up last night at our street patrol, we left with nothing. People need stuff. They’re cold, they’re hungry, they’re tired,” Zimmer said.

Ahead of the winter, the group has put out a call for highly requested items, such as blankets and jackets.

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