'It was eye-opening': Community reflects on homelessness crisis 1 year after Camp Hope dissolved
Over 100 people called Camp Hope in Regina’s Core Community Park, ‘Home’ for more than a month in fall of 2021.
Alysia Johnson of Rally Around Homelessness reflected on the year since the tent city was taken down.
“It was eye-opening for the community,” she said. “The community is more organized and passionate today and we really are willing to stick our necks out and come to the table.”
At a hot stove session at the Regina Public Library Thursday afternoon, community members and advocates joined together to mark the one-year anniversary. Stories from the days of the camp, as well as questions about ongoing progress were shared.
“In my mind, I prepared for seven or eight people,” said Johnson. “To see a room full people, with great questions, comments, and a high-level of engagement was really inspiring to me.”
Marc Spooner moderated the event. He said it’s important to look back on the events of a year ago so we can move forward.
“As a community, we allowed the need for a camp where homeless people had nowhere else to go but a park in a tent,” said Spooner. “That’s a real failure.”
Spooner wanted to be a part of the solution, no matter the cost.
“[The camp] was a real wake-up call to the community,” he said. “It doesn’t matter to me what part of my taxes are paying for it, I want to get together and do what is right.”
On Wednesday, the City of Regina announced new federal funding for rapid housing initiatives. Pending approval for their proposal, new units could be available in late 2024.
“In the last year, there were 333 affordable housing units added. That’s a huge improvement,” said Mayor Sandra Masters. “We’re making progress on affordable housing and clearly, work needs to continue.”
However, given all the work by advocates this past year, Johnson said there is still a long way to go.
“I knew the day the camp shut down, the work was just starting,” she said. “Today, I’m just thinking about how we as a community learn, not forget and how do we keep the conversations going that are important and worth having in order to save lives.”
Up next in her efforts, is the public city budget discussions. Johnson said she will be in attendance with numerous other advocates to pitch their solution to end the growing crisis.
“We need to rationalize why solving homelessness in our community is the right thing to do,” she said. “We have all the heart and the hard workers here that are ready to step up.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
New Norad commander calls Canada's defence policy update 'very encouraging'
American troops will be spending more time training in the Far North, the new commander of Norad says, a strategy that fits 'hand-in-glove' with Canada's renewed focus on Arctic defence.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Are Canadians getting sick from expired food?
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
Documents reveal Ottawa's efforts to get Loblaw, Walmart on board with grocery code
It was evident to the federal government as early as last fall that Loblaw and Walmart might be holdouts to the grocery code of conduct, jeopardizing the project's success.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Improve balance and build core strength with this exercise
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.