Co-ordinated homeless camp cleanup project too little, too late for neighbour By: Joyanne Pursaga Posted: 5:49 PM CDT Friday, May. 24, 2024

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A new effort to boost homeless encampment cleanups will soon target sites at Assiniboine Avenue, Waterfront Drive and Maple Street (near Disraeli Freeway), though some neighbours fear the pilot project won’t address major environmental and humanitarian concerns.

The city’s chief administrative officer said the project will begin in the next week or two at the newly confirmed locations, expanding existing city cleanup efforts.

“We’re obviously hoping it will simply look better for everyone anywhere near these areas and that it will be better for folks that are in these encampments, not only getting garbage and debris away, but also lessening any fire risks that come from accumulating debris,” said Michael Jack.

City council devoted up to $170,000 to partner with multiple outreach agencies on the project, which the CAO said he hopes will continue late into this year.

Main Street Project will engage with encampment residents to set up cleanups, Downtown Community Safety Partnership will distribute bags and collect garbage and Siloam Mission will lead more extensive cleanups. The city could provide crews and other resources as needed, said Jack.

Data on exactly how much garbage is removed and the exact cost to do so will be collected, he said.

“As long as we have encampments, we are always going to have garbage issues.… Although it’s a pilot, you can expect to see some kind of… sustained operation here,” said Jack.

Some Winnipeggers with homes near encampment sites fear the program won’t address serious environmental concerns and let people continue to live in terrible conditions.

“As long as we have encampments, we are always going to have garbage issues.… Although it’s a pilot, you can expect to see some kind of… sustained operation here.”–Michael Jack

An Exchange District resident said she’s urged the city to enforce its bylaws and address encampments that have been commonplace along Waterfront Drive for four years, while a forest and designated naturalization areas (that aim to support native plant species) have suffered damage.

“We’re well beyond the point of cleaning up the area.… The forest has basically been wiped out,” said Laurie Nealin.

Nealin said wood at Fort Douglas Park has been burned or cut to support makeshift structures, and plants have been trampled on.

“Trees have been burned because there are constant fires, so the forest is just a former shell of itself… (and) it’s just extremely mind-boggling that people in the City of Winnipeg are left to languish in encampments on the riverbank without toilets, without light, without heat,” said Nealin.

The city’s parks bylaw prohibits camping, littering or dumping in parks, as well as damaging trees, vegetation or turf.

This week, many broken tree branches, multiple tents and piles of garbage were visible from Waterfront Drive. Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service said its crews responded to two small fires at a Waterfront Drive and Heaton Avenue encampment Thursday that were quickly extinguished. No injuries were reported.

Nealin said the city should create a designated encampment area, where set rules could be enforced and public bathrooms, lights, and social services could be provided.

A recent city report notes Halifax and Victoria have set up designated encampment sites.

Nealin said she fears Waterfront’s selection for pilot program cleanups will lead makeshift shelters to stay put longer.

Jack said he sympathizes with neighbours concerned about encampments near their homes but the city response has shifted to avoid displacing people who have nowhere else to go.

“Decades ago, encampments were likely just broken up with very little regard for where the people were going to go…. We’ve evolved to a different perspective but we all remain focused that encampments are not a safe and healthy way for our population to be living,” he said.

“And we are absolutely not abandoning plans to keep our parks beautiful and thriving for everyone.”

He described the cleanup pilot as a “last resort” as the city works to secure more affordable housing and eliminate the need for encampments.

A partner in the project said the locations were chosen where success is most likely, including where camp residents have expressed interest in regular garbage service.

“This adds structure to what we’ve been doing,” said Kate Sjoberg, director of community initiatives for Main Street Project. “We really hope this is a model that… could be rolled into how the city does garbage collection.”

Sjoberg rejected the idea that adding more services could contribute to people remaining in the camps for longer periods of time.

“(What determines) whether or not we have homeless folks in Winnipeg is whether or not there’s housing… It’s not whether or not there’s garbage services being provided,” she said.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

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Joyanne Pursaga
Reporter

Joyanne is city hall reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. A reporter since 2004, she began covering politics exclusively in 2012, writing on city hall and the Manitoba Legislature for the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in early 2020. Read more about Joyanne.

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