Talks to move Camp Marjorie indoors ongoing: Regina mayor
Discussions to move Regina's Camp Marjorie indoors are ongoing with winter around the corner, according to Mayor Sandra Masters.
Masters said following Wednesday's council meeting that "almost everything" is being looked at in terms of buildings that could suit the camp's needs.
"We don't want to close the camp down without having somewhere to put folks and we know it's getting colder," Masters said. "There's a deep sense of urgency from everyone around the table to come up with a facility that we can negotiate in terms of moving indoors to coordinating the necessary services around them."
According to Masters, some requirements for a building include ability to offer showers, washrooms, food service and more.
"It'd be a huge, huge boost to everyone's general health," said Ian Betz-Wood, a camp volunteer who has been helping with the camp’s day-to-day operations like tent repair. "In a camp like this, we don't have running water, we don't have electricity.”
Masters also mentioned efforts to work with community-based organizations to make different services addressing needs available at an indoor facility including Social Services, housing, income support, detox, mental health and humanitarian aid.
“And transitioning them out when possible into housing whether that’s supportive or independent or some variation thereof,” Masters said.
Shylo Stevenson, the communications officer for Regina Needle Recovery and Community Support, said making the resources available and accessible to people like the approximately 170 living in the camp is essential.
“What we started structuring is having the services come right onto site. It’s been very welcome,” Stevenson said. “There’s a lot of mistrust and relationship building that we need with these people.”
The Wheat City Kinsmen Arena was noted by Masters as an example of a city-owned facility being considered as a possibility, although its dirt floor and the open pipes below used to create its ice surface would be factors to address.
"If we set tents up or allow people to walk on it we could end up damaging pipes and we'd be into it for millions of dollars and potentially just decommission the building entirely, that has to be considered," Masters said. "Are there mitigating solutions to that? Maybe. Even mitigating solutions are being looked at."
Other buildings in the private, provincial and organizational sectors are also being looked at, according to the mayor.
Lori Carr, Minister of Social Services, said the government is working with the City of Regina to relocate residents of Camp Marjorie.
“We’re trying to track down a location that we can move some of those camp members,” Carr said Thursday.
“As we’ve been working with the people at Camp Marjorie, we have been successful in finding housing for five individuals so far and we have 30 applications on the go.”
The province will also work with the city under its cold weather strategy to help get people into warm beds, if spaces are not available at shelters as temperatures drop
“If for some reason a shelter does happen to be full, we have the capacity to put those individuals up in hotel rooms for the evening, so everybody will have a warm place to sleep,” Carr said.
Stevenson is hopeful for the progress being made in recent weeks.
“The end of Camp Marjorie is on the horizon,” said Stevenson. “It’s what we wanted ultimately, we just wish it was faster. And we’ll just wait for the city to formally announce our plan moving forward.”
Late Thursday afternoon, camp organizers posted that they have been advised to start preparations for an indoor transition.
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.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Leafs star Auston Matthews finishes season with 69 goals
Auston Matthews won't be joining the NHL's 70-goal club this season.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
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.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
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.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.