Regina police say woman at City Hall encampment died after suspected overdose

Early Wednesday, the Regina Police Service (RPS) responded to a report about a suspected drug overdose at the encampment in front of City Hall.

According to an email from police, officers arriving on scene at 5:45 a.m. found paramedics with a woman who had died.

“As is the case in all death investigations, police are working in conjunction with the Saskatchewan Coroners Service to determine the exact cause of death,” the RPS said in an emailed statement.

The RPS said the death was one of three suspected overdose deaths in Regina since Tuesday morning.

“We are currently preparing further information related to recent overdoses in our city. This will be shared with the media and the public later today,” the email read.

The tent city popped up in June in hopes of raising awareness about homelessness in Regina.

In a media release Tuesday, the city said there were 83 tents in the courtyard in front of City Hall as of Monday. That was up from the 72 tents reported on July 11.

The city also said a point-in-time count on Monday estimated between 45 and 60 people were living at the encampment. That number was 47 as of July 11.

The city’s media release said the Regina Police Service and Regina Fire and Protective Services have been doing wellness checks and walkthroughs to ensure the health of the residents.

In an update on the camp on July 11, the city said the fire department had recorded nine drug overdoses at the camp. The release issued Tuesday didn’t include an update on overdoses.