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
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
BREAKING Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter banned from NBA
Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter has been handed a lifetime ban from The National Basketball Association (NBA) following an investigation which found he disclosed confidential information to sports bettors, the league says.
WATCH LIVE As GC Strategies partner is admonished by MPs, RCMP confirms search warrant executed
The RCMP confirmed Wednesday it had executed a search warrant at an address registered to GC Strategies. This development comes as MPs are enacting an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power, summoning one of its contractors to appear before the House of Commons to be admonished publicly for failing to answer questions related to the ArriveCan app.
Disappointment widespread over budget's proposed $200-month disability benefit funding
Advocacy groups across Canada are expressing widespread disappointment about the amount of funding earmarked in the 2024 federal budget for the long-awaited Canada Disability Benefit.
Earthquake jolts southern Japan
An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.4 hit southern Japan late on Wednesday, said the Japan Meteorological Agency, without issuing a tsunami warning.
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Former Sask. massage therapist who sexually assaulted clients has day parole revoked
A former massage therapist who pleaded guilty to a string of sexual assaults has had his day parole revoked.