Regina city council is hoping to have residents of Camp Marjorie in a warmer site soon.
Mayor Sandra Masters was on the Greg Morgan Morning Show on Thursday and said residents of the encampment in the Core Community Park could have a new place to rest their heads soon before it gets any colder.
“I think we’ve gone through and eliminated about four or five sites so far,” Masters said. “We kind of have a target as a committee to come up with a site by (Friday), so we’ve got a couple more to go through (Thursday).
“(We’re) kind of hoping over the next week or two we’ve got all of that in place.”
Masters says council would need to make sure a facility for the residents would be fully insured and that there is staff available to help provide aid.
Social services officials have been attending the camp that has seen the amount of tents double to roughly 100 over the span of a week.
With cold weather on its way, the Government of Saskatchewan released a statement on its cold weather strategy.
“The Ministry of Social Services is once again working with community partners to ensure all people have a safe and warm place to stay during cold weather,” a release by the Social Services Ministry said.
“Spaces are available in shelters across the province, and people who live in communities without shelters will have access to hotels.”
Despite the statement by the government, organizers at Camp Marjorie have said shelters are so full that people are being put in hotels for temporary housing.
The ministry noted the government is focused on working with community partners to better help people without shelter.
“Saskatchewan winters are dangerous for those without a home or access to shelter,” Social Services Minister Lori Carr said in the release. “That is why our government continues to work with our community partners across the province to make sure everyone in need of shelter has a warm and safe place to stay, no matter where they live or when they need help.”
Baseball stadium a long ways away from a reality
Council also heard from delegations on Wednesday from the baseball community interested in building a new stadium for the Regina Red Sox.
After some deliberations, council voted 10-0 for Regina Exhibition Association Limited to do a needs assessment to figure out how much a new stadium would cost, to engage with shareholders, and to do public consultation to see how people are feeling about the prospect of a new stadium.
“We’re going to get a quote back on that for a time frame for how long they would need to do that and then make a decision from there,” Masters said.