Regina's mayor says there is a biohazard where a city hall encampment stood

The grass has grown back at Regina City Hall where a homeless encampment once sat but the public is still being told to stay away and the area continues to be fenced off.

Mayor Sandra Masters claims that there is a biohazard and that the lawn must be replaced before people are allowed back on it.

The mayor didn’t stipulate what type of pollution may be in the grass.

“The ground is very polluted. It is essentially a biohazard so my understanding is you’d have to peel back at least six inches if you go back to grass again then you’re bringing back in soil and have to residents it all,” Masters said.

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Prescott Demas was involved in a 2018 teepee camp near the legislative building that was also removed.

He thinks the mayor is looking for excuses to keep the fence up.

“The fence is really just to keep people from coming back,” Demas said.

According to Demas, the city is trying to make unhoused people in the city look bad.

While Masters did not specify the exact nature of the biohazard in the city hall lawn she did admit it is related to the former encampment that was taken down at the end of July.

City of Regina officials are preparing a more detailed response.