Encampment bylaw enforcement on horizon, mayor says; homeless man throwing bottle at child ‘not acceptable’

Winnipeg is in the “in-between” stages of implementing a new bylaw to prohibit encampments near playgrounds, parks and other recreational areas, Mayor Scott Gillingham said Wednesday.

Gillingham was responding to a question about an incident last week when police reported a group of children were playing near an encampment when a man threw a water bottle and chased one of the kids.

Gillingham said the incident was “not acceptable,” adding the city is currently training bylaw officers to put the new strategy in place.

“We can’t accept having encampments in playgrounds and near parks where kids are playing,” he told reporters at an unrelated news conference.

Enforcement of the bylaw is expected to begin mid-November, he said.

Police say a group of children were passing by the Ellen & Pacific Greenspace, at the northeast corner of Pacific Avenue and Ellen Street, at about 2:30 p.m. on Oct. 8 when a water bottle was thrown at one of the kids by a man in the park, where a large homeless encampment is set up.

He then chased the boy down the street yelling at him, a Winnipeg Police Service news release said Tuesday.

The group ran to safety, and a parent was able to capture a photo of the suspect and report the incident to police.

Officers arrested a 27-year-old man at the encampment. Ryan Mark Vivier was charged with assault with a weapon and detained in custody.

The encampment remained Wednesday afternoon when the Free Press visited the site.

Enforcement of the new bylaw would be carried out primarily by the city’s bylaw officers during daytime hours — one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset.

The rule seeks to recognize that there’s not enough housing available and some may need to stay in tents overnight, Gillingham said.

“But on the other hand, we’re not going to let encampments be set up anywhere across the city anymore,” he said. “What we want to do is make sure that these places are places where kids can play and where parents have confidence to send their children to play.”

City spokesperson Adam Campbell said in an email more information on the forthcoming bylaw is anticipated in a report set to be presented to council sometime next month.

Campbell did not say how many encampments have been cleared since council passed the new regulations.

nicole.buffie@freepress.mb.ca