After 42 days, the encampment in front of City Hall is being decommissioned.
Regina Fire Chief Layne Jackson made the decision.
“Regina Fire and Protective Service had become increasingly concerned about the possibility of a significant fire at the encampment. Today’s (Thursday) fire confirms that the lives of those living on the encampment are at imminent risk.”
“To best protect the lives of those in the encampment, and in response to an imminent risk to their safety, I’m exercising my authority under the Fire Safety Act, and we are now advising camp residents and organizers that they must vacate City Hall courtyard and the areas alongside City Hall immediately,” he continued.
Jackson said over five days, they had seen three significant fires.
“Fire inspectors have been onsite since the encampment first began, working to ensure fire safety regulations are respected,” he said. “Thursday’s fire is a clear indication that compliance is not achievable. It was very lucky that the occupant was able to flee. Had it occurred in a more densely populated area of the encampment, I believe it would have caused a loss of life.”
Jackson believes the decommissioning of the camp is the best and only response to imminent safety risks threatening the lives of those living in the courtyard.
“Our goal is to have a peaceful and voluntary decommissioning of the camp and to provide alternatives and, and work with community-based organizations to provide alternatives, safer alternatives to what’s occurring in the courtyard right now.
A volunteer pleads with an RPS officer to not take the encampment down. (Photo by Tanner Wallace-Scribner / 620 CKRM)
Mayor Sandra Masters didn’t give her opinion on Chief Jackson’s decision.
“It’s really not up to my opinion whatsoever, but it’s unfortunate. It’s also not surprising,” she said. “As far as my perspective is concerned, Cheif Jackson and the entire fire and protective service who have been on site every day since the camp started and responded to issues, they have my full support.”
Chief Jackson said that with the encampment, it was just a matter of time before it became a safety risk.
“I’ve been through this with Camp Home, and when it gets to a certain size and magnitude, the risk just becomes almost unimaginable.”
As for another tent encampment popping up in another area of the City, Masters said she doesn’t believe the city will allow another encampment to reach the size of the City Hall encampment.
“I think that we have bylaws in place that you’re not allowed to set tents up on public property. I think there’s some lesson learned from this one; we know as they grow that this is the inevitability.”
After 40-plus days of many community organizations and municipal and provincial organizations working with residents, Masters said she feels the city is no closer to ending or addressing the homelessness issue the city faces.
“Until we deal with substance use disorder, it’s never going to happen. I think one of the underlying issues we’re having is that there has been a significant amount of drug use witnesses on a regular basis out front, in our parkades, in and around the building and streets,” she said. “You’re not going to be able to house folks without those types of supports around them, so that creates some difficulty.”
According to Masters, the overwhelming majority of people she can hear or talk to have asked for the encampment to be taken down for weeks.
City Hall will remain closed to residents on Friday, July 28 and will be reopened to the public when camp decommissioning is complete. The city will issue a public notification when City Hall reopens.
