The City has called off its effort to find a contractor to dismantle homeless camps.
Mayor Brian Bowman and several members of the public service met with community advocates Tuesday morning.
The Mama Bear Clan presented a petition with more than 1,600 signatures, asking the city to remove a request for proposals to have a company clean up and dismantle camps that spring up in city parks and on riverbanks.
“I appreciated the fact that we had folks who care. And they voiced their concerns and we acted upon it,” said Bowman.
The company chosen would’ve collected “bulky waste from temporary homeless encampments on public property,” said a City spokesperson in a statement issued to Global News in May.
‘Bulky waste’ includes items like tarps, tents, mattresses, and shopping carts.
“The reason we were so against the proposal is because it blocked the chance for any meaningful outreach,” said Sharon Johnson of the Mama Bear Clan.
“The public service is committed to working together with community organizations to develop a more inclusive plan for temporary encampments going forward,” a spokesperson from the city’s Public Works department said in an email to Global News.
The Mama Bear Clan said it did significant research with people on the streets and is eager to come up with new ways to connect them with resources they need.
WATCH: Winnipeg prepares to dismantle homeless camps
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