Regina mayor says homeless camp was reaching 'critical point' before teardown
Regina's mayor says the city's fire department had growing concerns about the health, safety and well-being of those living in a homeless camp that was dismantled on Wednesday morning.
Around a dozen people were staying at the encampment on the 1800 block of Halifax Street when it was bulldozed following calls from the property owner.
While speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Sandra Masters said the city wasn't involved in the teardown, although Regina firefighters and police were on-scene to provide support.
“We understand that mobile crisis was on site to offer forms of housing," Masters said.
According to Masters, police and the fire department had been monitoring the encampment for "some time."
“It was the Regina Fire and Protective Services which flagged that we were reaching kind of a critical point as it related to health, safety and well-being issues. [Police] had been checking regularly as well with regards to the safety of the folks in the encampment,” Masters said.
The owner of the property eventually gave notice that he would be coming in to clear his land of the encampment, Masters said.
“Then there was a coordination amongst our public safety agencies as well as a community-based organization like mobile crisis being on site to make sure folks were connected with services and that things were done with compassion and safety,” Masters said.
Masters said she believes the general consensus is that an encampment is not a solution to homelessness.
Regina police and the fire department will be working on how to move forward when it comes to homeless encampments, Masters said.
She said city administration would have more information in the next couple of weeks.
“I believe what we’ve learned from across the country and North America is that while again, encampments are not a solution, they also create significant risk who stay there once it reaches a particular critical mass.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.