An encampment in Saskatoon began coming down Thursday as the city cites fire hazards, violence and other public safety concerns. A group of community organizations and government agencies began clearing the encampment at 20th Street and Avenue K South Thursday morning, two days after a second injunction application was filed to stop removing the encampment. Both injunction applications — filed in the past two weeks— were denied by the judge. The second constitutional challenge filed by a legal clinic on Tuesday is expected to be heard later this month. Lawyers behind the challenge argue it addresses concerns cited by the judge when the injunction was denied and questions whether the city has the legal authority to dismantle the encampment. “These people need to exist somewhere, and the legal question of where they can lawfully exist is a constitutional one,” a lawyer involved in the challenge said. The city says the encampment is on private property and the site is being removed because of growing safety concerns for residents and the surrounding neighbourhood. “Encampments are removed because they begin to become unsafe for both the residents living in them and the schools, services, businesses and neighbourhoods around them,” said Deputy fire chief Yvonne Raymer. “Every agency involved in this has the same goal: to ensure people are safe and that they are living in a safe environment,” Raymer said. “We connect people to housing, shelter, health services and other supports as part of addressing the serious safety concerns at the encampment site.” More than three dozen police officers were on scene Thursday as crews slowly moved through the encampment. Advocates for residents gathered to protest the removal and at times confronted officers as they advanced through the area. Raymer says crews have responded to four encampment-related fires since Oct. 5, including fires that damaged trees, brush, a makeshift shelter and a fence. The city also cites reports of suspected gang activity, domestic violence, assaults and open drug use at or near the site. Thursday marked two weeks since the city first attempted to clear the encampment. Despite protests and multiple court challenges, the cleanup moved ahead. The city says outreach workers have been helping connect encampment residents with housing, shelter, transportation, health care and other services. Organizations assisting include the Saskatoon Tribal Council, Central Urban Métis Federation Inc., the Salvation Army and the provincial Ministry of Social Services. David Fineday, a longtime encampment resident, was arrested early Thursday after allegedly confronting police. His daughter says residents received no warning the cleanup would proceed. But the city says notices advising residents of the planned removal were posted about three weeks ago. Community advocates say dismantling the encampment will not address the underlying causes of homelessness. They argue residents will simply be displaced throughout Riversdale and downtown Saskatoon, making it more difficult for outreach groups to provide food, services and support. Mark Arcand, tribal chief of the Saskatoon Tribal Council, says violence and gang activity at the encampment have increased in recent weeks. He says people need access to housing, addiction treatment, medical care and cultural supports in a safe environment. “At the Avenue K site, there’s too much violence and gang activity, including drugs and sex trafficking happening there, and it is spilling out onto our other programs,” he said. The city says the Ministry of Social Services staff will continue working with people at the site to provide income assistance and connect them with emergency shelter spaces, detox services, hotels when available and other supports. By late Thursday afternoon, the city said the encampment removal was nearing completion, with about 120 people having left the site, 80 tents and temporary structures removed and more than 5,600 kilograms of garbage and debris cleared. “Despite multiple and repeated efforts to offer supports, only two individuals accepted offers of support, including housing, shelter, transportation and other services,” the city said. Despite the encampment being dismantled, lawyers and advocates say they plan to move ahead with a human rights challenge scheduled for Oct. 27.
