Regina dismantles Core Community Park encampment over fire safety concerns

The City of Regina has dismantled an encampment at Core Community Park, also known as Pepsi Park, with fire officials citing an increased safety risk following a number of fires in recent days.

Police and fire crews cleared the encampment as streets surrounding the park were closed. City officials began erecting a fence around the property, while police placed tape reading “Do Not Cross” around tents.

About 150 people had been living at the encampment over the past three and a half months. Residents were not given notice that the site would be decommissioned, leaving some arriving at the park to discover their tents and belongings were gone.

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Natalie, a former encampment resident whose last name was not provided, said she did not know the site was being cleared.

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“My tent is gone. I didn’t even know this was happening at all,” she said.

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The move also caught community organizers and at least one city councillor off guard.

“This problem just keeps getting worse and I know nobody wants to look at it, but it’s not going away,” community organizer Shawn Koch told Global News.

Last November, city council approved changes to its encampment response strategy, including the creation of the CARE Team and an approach focused on care rather than enforced removals.

Coun. Shanon Zachidniak said she did not know the encampment was being dismantled until the operation was already underway.

“I had no idea this was happening until I found out as it had already started,” she said. “And so I got here as quickly as I could to try and see what is going on, what is the plan, how can we ensure that folks are going to have a safe place tonight.”

Community organizers also raised concerns about what would happen to residents and their belongings.

“When you come back to the spot that you’ve called home for over three months, and nothing is going to be here, none of your friends are going to be there, and none of your belongings are going to be here,” community organizer Mandla Mthembu said.

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He said those belongings could include keepsakes, as well as essential medication such as insulin.

Regina fire officials said the decision to clear the site followed an increase in fires and a high-risk assessment conducted over the weekend.

Mayor Chad Bachynski said the city had been working with the province to try to open some type of space where people could get out of the encampment and receive support.

“We were working with the province to try and open up some kind of space, whether it’s a triage space, a transitional space, something so they can get out of the encampment, out of the elements, and into somewhere where they can then navigate people on where they need to go,” Bachynski said.

Those displaced by the closure are now facing questions about what comes next as colder weather settles into Regina.