A small tent community in Prince Albert in 2022. (Nigel Maxwell/paNOW Staff)

By Jaryn Vecchio

Homeless Shelter

Courts continue to support homeless encampments. Could designated tent cities be a good middle ground?

Jan 30, 2023 | 3:00 PM

At least one homeless advocate hopes to see communities struggling with a large homeless population put their support behind designated encampments.

Whatever you call them – tent cities, tent communities, or homeless encampments – more and more are popping up across the country and the court system is supporting them.

Recently, Ontario’s Superior Court of Justice ruled in favour of a homeless encampment in Kitchener, Ontario as they stated evicting them when there aren’t enough indoor shelter spaces available violated their Charter rights. This comes after a similar decision was made in British Columbia.

Donna Brooks, the CEO of the Prince Albert YWCA, told paNOW she fully believes this was the right decision.

“Everyone has the right to shelter,” she said. “If we don’t have (a shelter) then there’s no place for people to go to.”

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In P.A.’s case, the city simply doesn’t have enough spaces to house everyone. The community’s main shelter, Stepping Stones, also only runs during the winter. The YWCA continues to work with the Prince Albert Grand Council (PAGC), the province, and the city of P.A. in getting a permanent shelter operational.

Brooks explained this is why several encampments were found across the city last year during the warmer months. It was either that or out in the open.

“A lot of people just slept on the streets, just with a couple of blankets on the streets and in doorways,” Brooks said.

Since the homeless will create spaces to sleep and the court system is supporting them, Brooks believes cities should just set up designated encampments. She also noted there would be a lot of benefits for these individuals and the community.

“That way there’s a little more control,” she said. “The people that perform outreach, the service agencies, will be able to concentrate on that area.”

Brooks added the P.A. Fire Department (PAFD) has an easier time ensuring safety risks are at a minimum. One of the bigger concerns raised about encampments is the risk of fires being started.

P.A.’s Fire Chief Kris Olsen said he understands the appeal of having a designated spot, but it would cause a lot of issues.

“The fire department’s mandate is to ensure that the national fire code and our bylaws, specifically the fire services bylaw, are adhered to and makeshift shelters still fall under unoccupancy,” he said. “On a broader scale, the policing and safety concerns.”

He also noted the city saw a 68 per cent increase in outdoor and wildland fires last year when compared to the previous five years. He added not all the fires were due to homeless encampments, but they were the cause of the vast majority.

If a court decision is made that would impact the city of P.A.’s ability to shut down an encampment, Olsen said it’ll be up to council to decide on how to handle it and his department will go from there.

-With files from The Canadian Press

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Jaryn.Vecchio@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @princealbertnow