‘It’s shameful:’ LeBlanc, residents react to removal of encampment

Several dozen people stood around Regina City Hall on Thursday afternoon, their faces showing many different emotions.

Some looked on in bewilderment, while others expressed anger, shock and sorrow.

Volunteers and residents of the City Hall encampment had been told to gather their belongings and leave the area. Fire Chief Layne Jackson said they had 24 hours to do so during a news conference Thursday.

“I feel like (these are) totally wrong tactics of dealing with homeless people who don’t do nothing,” said Darlene Shepherd, a Regina woman who’s had multiple experiences with homelessness.

“We’re just trying to show that they need homes. What is so wrong with that?”

Jackson said the camp was an imminent risk to safety and ordered it to be taken down after a Thursday morning fire destroyed one tent.

“(City officials) already know the issue by seeing us and they didn’t want to take us into the meeting because they’re afraid,” Shepherd said.

Shepherd said she doesn’t plan to leave.

“As far as I’m concerned, they’re going to have to drag me out of here,” she said. “I’m standing up for people who are vulnerable.”

Craig Alexson also said he’s not planning to leave.

“Are these police going to come and shake us down?” Alexson said. “Are they going to take us out of the camp? Why are the police here?

“We’re just trying to live here. We’re not doing anything bad or anything. I just want to know what’s going on.”

Volunteer Mandla Mthembu was at the site when people were told to pack it up over safety concerns.

Mthembu had signed up to be a delegate for the special city council meeting that was scheduled to be held at 2 p.m. The meeting was cancelled due to a lack of quorum.

“We obviously were kind of really confused, especially if (the issue with the camp) was about safety,” Mthembu said. “It doesn’t seem like a safe way to disperse and they didn’t co-ordinate with us or tell us beforehand.”

Mthembu felt people at the encampment were given too short notice.

“People here aren’t prepared to go anywhere; they have nowhere safe to go,” Mthembu said. “So if there’s a safety protocol issue, that’s not very safe to tell people to go into the streets.”

Jackson said Regina Fire and Protective Services has been working with Social Services as well as community-based organizations to be on site to “provide some opportunities and alternatives for folks.”

However, Mthembu voiced doubts over the efficacy of such actions.

“The timeline in my opinion doesn’t really make sense,” Mthembu said. “I’ve been here since June 15 and we’ve been discussing with services and discussing with different shelters and outreach organizations and it seems like most places are full.

“Most places are having a tough time with intake and from the Social Services side of things, if there was housing and available shelter space for people, I feel like those people would be getting that access right now.”

Mthembu said it seems unlikely that the city will accomplish more in one day than it has previously been able to do over longer periods of time.

Mayor Sandra Masters said she had reached out to six individual council members and none of them had any interest in attending Thursday’s planned special meeting. Ward 6 Coun. Dan LeBlanc was at the encampment after hearing of the order to take it down.

He said he sent an email to the city clerk asking who the six councillors were.

He said it was a “substantively wrong” decision to kick out people who had nowhere else to go.

“I think it’s desperate, LeBlanc said. “People are here at City Hall because they’re desperate. I don’t think this is anyone’s Plan A, and I think the threat of being moved from your only last marginally viable option makes for a really desperate circumstance.”

LeBlanc said this situation is being mishandled by Regina police and the city.

“I think this sort of action undermines our credibility when we talk about things like community well-being, mental health and addictions treatment and reconciliation,” LeBlanc said.

“I think the left hand is speaking in a way that the right hand can’t account for here. It’s a bit embarrassing, actually, to be associated with the city, with the organization that’s taking away the only partial shelter these most vulnerable people have. It’s shameful.”