2 Edmonton encampments dismantled as extreme cold approaches

The City of Edmonton and police dismantled another two encampments downtown, despite extreme cold expected to settle over the city in the upcoming week.

On Saturday, 20 structures were dismantled near the Hope Mission on 99 Street and 106 Avenue. City staff and police took down another 20-structure encampment near 106 Avenue and 94 Street on Sunday.

The City of Edmonton said an encampment is considered "high risk" if there is a serious risk of injury or death, environmental degradation, carbon monoxide poisoning, drug use, public health or sanitation risks, violence, weapons or criminal activity.

No details were given by the city on which of those factors led to either camp's closure.

No arrests were made, no tickets were given, no warrants were executed and no one was provided medical care at either camp.

The city said there were enough shelter spaces for the 34 residents who were displaced, and the Alberta government said Sunday that 50 new Indigenous-led spaces will be opening Monday.

People living in an encampment near 106 Avenue and 94 Street were given two days notice to pack up their things and move somewhere else. Many remained until city staff and police arrived Jan. 7 to dismantle the camp. (Darcy Seaton/CTV News Edmonton)"I don't like it, but what can we do?" Max Steinhauer, who was living at the encampment on 106 Avenue, said. "They're forcing us to move away."

Steinhauer is one of many Edmontonians who, for various reasons, choose to camp rather than use shelters.

"There's so many people that are all over today, they don't know which way to go," he said Sunday. "Some of them, they don't want to take the shelter."

Steinhauer said he's on a waiting list for housing and camps out so he can stay together with his friends, as some of them have been banned from shelters.

"[To] watch out for each other, be around each other. I'm not gonna just up and leave my friends like that," he added.

'A NASTY THING TO DO'

The camps were the sixth and seventh of eight "high risk" encampments the city was given legal permission to dismantle given certain conditions were met. Those conditions include the consideration of cold weather.

According to Environment Canada, the temperature is expected to drop Wednesday. Daytime highs are expected to range between -21 and -30 C until at least Saturday.

Overnight lows are expected to range between -21 and -37 C between Tuesday and Friday night.

Jim Gurnett, a spokesperson for the Edmonton Coalition on Housing and Homelessness, is angry the city is continuing with removing the encampments with extreme cold on the way.

Residents of an encampment near 106 Avenue and 94 Street were forced to pack up and move Jan. 7. Their camp was one of eight deemed "high risk" and scheduled to be shut down before Jan. 11. (Darcy Seaton/CTV News Edmonton) "The shelters have taken weeks to build to make them warm, to make them protected from the wind," Gurnett said.

"They're all going to be torn down on Sunday, and Monday, and Tuesday, when the [city's] cold weather protocol comes in. People are going to be struggling to try to stay warm in a much more extreme setting than if we had just left them.

"It's really a nasty thing to do with this weather change."

Sunday, a representative for the city said the response is expected to be activated and details about the timing will be released early in the week.

Gurnett said those measures won't be enough to keep vulnerable Edmontonians safe through the extreme cold.

"By tearing down places where people have created shelter, when the weather is getting very bitter, is a guarantee that people will freeze, people will even die."

'PUSHED INTO WORSE AND WORSE DANGERS'

Sunday, the city said a person was found dead at the camp near 94 Street and 106 Avenue, but they did not offer any other details. There was also a propane tank explosion at the site, but the city said it was not related to the death.

"Today’s incident highlights the dangers of fire use in encampments as temperatures drop. The city continues to encourage individuals to seek warmth in appropriate shelters where various supports and services are provided," the city said in a press release.

In 2023, Edmonton Fire Rescue Services responded 135 fires in encampments. Three people died and 22 others were hurt. The city said the dry conditions and dropping temperatures are increasing the risk of death due to warming fires in encampments.

Between the two camps, the city said it cleaned up 16 truckloads of "waste," 80 needles and 20 propane tanks.

Camps have also been dismantled at Dawson Park, the Herb Jamieson Centre, the Bissell Centre and 95 Street and 105 Avenue.

City workers throw away a tent from an encampment on 99 Street and 106 Avenue on Jan. 6, 2024. (Dave Mitchell/CTV News Edmonton) Gurnett said dismantling encampments doesn't work and it doesn't make people safer, as people camping need to be close to services like washrooms, laundry, telephones and other support services.

"I photographed two of the locations that were torn down earlier this week. Within 24 hours, there were people camping there again, because there's nothing else to do," he added. "They camp where there are those services available.

"When we tear their shelters down from there, they get pushed into worse and worse dangers by going out to outlying parts of the city where they can't access those supports."

Gurnett said safe, sanitary, sanctioned camp sites could help people who prefer to live outdoors until better permanent housing can be put in place. 

Steinhauer agrees and said it would help to have camping spaces with the facilities residents need, like garbage disposal.

"Get us housing or get us into a place where we could all be together," Steinhauer said. "In warmth, where we can keep it, keep it clean for ourselves."

Removal of the eight "high risk" encampments on Dec. 29.

Gurnett said the last camp would be removed Monday on 95 Street and 101 Avenue. 

CTV News Edmonton reached out to the city to confirm but has not received a response.  

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Miriam Valdes-Carletti