REGINA — An encampment in front of Regina City Hall is being dismantled with officials saying the risks are too great to allow it to continue.
Regina Fire Chief Layne Jackson says in a news release that there was a significant blaze Thursday morning and the lives of people camping in the area were at risk.
It was the third fire in the encampment over the last five days.
Jackson says fire inspectors have been trying to ensure safety regulations were followed, but compliance in the encampment was unachievable.
City hall was also closed to the public and will not reopen until the camp is dismantled.
A special meeting of city council to address the encampment that had sprang up in mid-June was cancelled last minute Thursday with the city citing a lack of quorum.
A report that was to be presented in that meeting says there were 83 tents in the encampment at city hall Tuesday.
Twenty-eight people were at the site Tuesday, but the report said as many as 76 people have been in the encampment.
There have been 20 overdoses reported in the camp, the report said, one of which resulted in a death.
Public urination and defecation has drastically increased, the report said, and there are more discarded needles.
Employees are becoming increasingly concerned, the report said. Staff and visitors must walk through the encampment to get to city hall and there have been requests for escorts to and from vehicles.
The city has spent about $55,000 on the encampment so far, and the report estimated it would cost up to $70,000 per month if it continued.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 27, 2023.
The Canadian Press
