The homeless encampment outside city hall has officially been shut down by the Regina Fire Department.
“Today, to best protect the lives of those living in the encampment, and in response to an imminent risk to their safety, I’m exercising my authority under the Fire Safety Act,” said Regina Fire and Protective Services Chief Layne Jackson. “A significant fire earlier this morning at the encampment confirms that the lives of those living on the encampment are at imminent risk.”
Residents have been given 24 hours to leave the premises.
Regina Fire and Protective Services have responded to three fires at the encampment over the past five days. Fire inspectors have been on site since the encampment first began, but Regina fire said “compliance in the encampment has been unachievable.”
“I am convinced that decommissioning the camp is the best and only response to the imminent safety risk threatening the lives of those living on the City Hall Courtyard,” added Jackson.
When asked what the fire department will do if people refuse to leave, Jackson said, “we will be cleaning up the property.”
“Our goal is to have a peaceful and voluntary decommissioning of the camp,” Jackson explained. “We have been working with social services to be on site and provide opportunities and safer alternatives for people.”
Jackson would not disclose what alternatives would be provided.
Pynk Mitton, a resident in the camp, she said she has no plans to leave.
“They can tear down my tent, and I will put it right back up,” she said. “I am not leaving until they make a change for us. We are all going to stand together. This is our home until they put us into homes.”
Regina mayor Sandra Masters said she is in support of the decision to disband the camp.
“It’s unfortunate and it’s also not surprising,” Masters said. “And as far as my perspective is concerned, Chief Jackson and the entire Fire Protective Services have been on site every day since the camp started and responding to issues. They have my full support.”
Masters said the city has heard calls from residents, social organizations and city employees to take the camp down.
“Overwhelmingly, we’ve been asked to take the encampment down for weeks,” Masters said. “It has not been the other way around.”
Regina city manager Niki Anderson said safety around the area has become very concerning as the camp has grown.
“We had our first stop-work order yesterday with some of our staff who were in charge of cleaning because they were experiencing some safety issues,” Anderson explained.
“It was resolved, but it was obvious, frankly, that from an employee and employer perspective, we really had to consider the impact of the encampment on the staff.”
City hall will remain closed to residents on Friday, July 28 and will be reopened to the public when the camp decommissioning is complete.