Two camps cleared just as new city policy takes effect

One day after the city started enforcing its new ban on homeless encampments in many areas, including at schools and playgrounds, the city said two small sites had been removed.

On Tuesday, city officials said they found housing for about three to four people, which enabled them to move out of homeless camps at 395 Pacific Ave. and a property behind 655 Empress St.

“It’s meaningful, I think, particularly for the neighbours. I have a great deal of empathy for folks who are living in encampments. These are people who are surviving. But, at the same time, we have to balance that with our responsibility to the public to maintain these important public spaces” said Greg MacPherson, the city’s acting manager of community development.

“Seeing the difference in those two sites (Monday) was quite remarkable.”

While the number of people staying at each site had fluctuated, one person was believed to regularly stay at the Empress location and two or three were at the Pacific Avenue one before the city stepped in, said MacPherson.

He did not know the exact type of housing provided in each case, which was up to outreach service providers who helped the city enforce the rules.

“I’m confident in saying that… where they’ve ended up is much safer and a much better situation for them than where they were,” said MacPherson.

New housing options could include transitional units, while people could be moved to shelter spaces in emergency scenarios, he said.

He said loads of garbage were removed from the sites.

“There was a substantial amount of material on site and that’s after people took their personal belongings with them,” he said.

One of the sites shut down by the city appeared to be in disarray Tuesday afternoon. Behind 655 Empress St., the remnants of a makeshift living area were visible — discarded clothing, a stroller, children’s toys, broken glass, empty naloxone kits, and assorted debris were scattered across a wide stretch of ground tucked against a fence separating the site from nearby railroad tracks.

A city spokeswoman later clarified the property was a “complex site” that required additional work to clear.

“We completed 90 per cent of the cleanup at the Empress site (Monday). Crews were expected to return (Tuesday) to complete the remainder of remediation,” wrote Julie Dooley, in an email late Tuesday afternoon.

At 395 Pacific Ave., in clear view of a playground on Ellen Street, the only remaining sign of an encampment was a large orange tarp and a few scattered items along the western fence backing onto Ellen. Nearby, a woman’s dress was on the ground.

At both locations, the city had posted laminated signs stating that camping was prohibited.

“A violation of these prohibitions constitutes trespass and will be enforced,” the sign read.

The city noted new encampment restrictions are being implemented as the weather gets colder, which typically coincides with a decline in the number of people living in homeless camps each year.

Mayor Scott Gillingham said he was pleased to see quick action on the policy.

“We’re not just trying to move people down the road somewhere else. We’re trying to get them out of certain encampments that are near parks, playgrounds and the areas we have deemed to be off-limits. We’re trying to get those people out and into housing,” he said.

Specifically, the city is prohibits encampments from transit shelters, playgrounds, pools, spray pads, outdoor recreation facilities, schools, daycares, adult care facilities, medians, traffic islands, bridges, docks, piers, rail lines and rail crossings, as well as wherever the camps obstruct traffic or pose a “life safety issue.”

“We’re really serious about this encampment policy and about the protocols to get people out of parks and playgrounds … (A key) goal is to return those spaces to the public so families have confidence that they can use the playground,” said Gillingham.

The policy will be in effect at all times in the specified “sensitive” areas, with enforcement also prioritized at encampments at all other city properties during the daytime.

Main Street Project, the city’s 24-hour mobile homeless outreach provider, confirmed its staff help find housing for people living at homeless camps that are set to be removed due to the city’s new policy.

“As we better understand the new city protocols, we will work to ensure our community members are safe and supported while trying to survive on the streets,” wrote executive director Jamil Mahmood.

-With files from Scott Billeck

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

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