'Elaborate encampment' with solar panels and mini-power grid dismantled by Edmonton police

Edmonton Police Service (EPS) has dismantled one of the "most elaborate encampments" officers have ever seen.

Last week the City of Edmonton and EPS found an encampment that was “almost completely camouflaged” and included four multi-level structures surrounded by a fence made of trees and broken branches, EPS said in a post on social media.

• In Pictures: Edmonton encampment with washing machine

The encampment by Fulton Creek and 34 Street was built without any forms of proper support and was at risk of collapsing.

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“One big gust of wind, one bad weather night and that thing could come down and crush whoever is inside unfortunately,” Const. Brett Earley in an accompanying video posted on social media.

Park rangers and police found fire stoves with lit fire, a stone fireplace, stone flooring, a working fridge and washing machine and electrical wires hung “haphazardly.”

“To say I’m not impressed? That would be a lie. I would say incredibly unique. In my experience with the encampment team so far, I haven’t seen anything like this extensive, this elaborate,” Earley said.

The appliances inside were powered by four underground generators with solar panels powering a chop shop for bikes, EPS said.

The inside of an encampment discovered by the City of Edmonton and Edmonton Police Service in October 2024. (X/Edmonton Police Service)

In the video, officers are seen giving a tour of the structure showing an operational sink, laundry machine, coffee maker and other household appliances.

Earley says the encampment was difficult to see with the trees in the way and needed a drone to help see the full scope of the property.

Fifteen weapons including three guns and around $8,000 worth of stolen goods were recovered. Two backpack blowers and one mountain bike were returned to their owners.

Earley says one man living in the encampment had been there since last winter.

Police issued 20 violation tickets and 10 warrants.

The encampment caused “significant environmental damage” to the trees and roots and the nearby creek was dammed in many places to provide running water to one of the structures, EPS said.

Police say the people living inside the encampment were offered services and supports but they refused.

One city councillor says the refusal says something about the state of available shelter space.

"About 83 per cent of our shelters are filled, but they're not necessarily the appropriate types of shelters that we're looking for," Ward Sspomitapi Coun. Jo-Anne Wright said Tuesday.

"I think we need more for youth. We need more for women. We need more for couples to be able to live together in these shelters.

"And again, some transitional housing shelters aren't the answer. It's just temporary. We need more permanent housing for people of all kinds."

Another councillor says more support is needed from all levels of government to address the issue.

"There's around 4,000 people who are unhoused in our city. Those numbers are incredibly alarming, and we're seeing encampments in communities and areas that we typically haven't seen them," Ward Métis Coun. Ashley Salvador said.

"We know that there are not enough daytime spaces for people to go to. We know that a lot of folks don't feel comfortable going to our shelters. The city has minimum shelter guidelines that we continue to advocate for so that people actually feel comfortable going to those spaces."

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Jeremy Thompson