Dustin Cook
© David Bloom Supporters of the Peace Camp in Dr. Wilbert McIntyre Park put up posters on Sept. 18 when the city was intending to remove the camp. The camp has now relocated two blocks north to Light Horse Park.
A homeless camp in Old Strathcona has relocated to a park two blocks north of its prior location, which residents were evicted from Monday.
The Peace Camp, providing overnight shelter, meals and supports to upwards of 60 people, reached an agreement with the City of Edmonton to leave Dr. Wilbert McIntyre Park on Monday after a seven-day extension was granted . The city initially intended to remove the camp on Sept. 18 after a closure date wasn’t provided.
Camp organizer Cameron Noyes said they have found a new location at the larger Light Horse Park just up the street to continue offering services as the search for housing persists. With the weather turning colder, Noyes doubled down that an organized camp is the best option because he doesn’t want people going back into the river valley or the Mill Creek Ravine where they can’t be looked after.
“We are not going to leave anybody behind in this, we absolutely can’t do that. It’s getting cold and these people are so less vulnerable in the situation we have. They have food, they have on-site medical care if needed and they have each other,” he told Postmedia Monday morning. “If we just send them back to Mill Creek Ravine and the river valley, they have none of that. They have no security and no medical care and no meals so it would be in terrible conscience for us to do something like that.”
While support workers try to find housing for those at the camp, the city has been advocating for residents to access the 24-7 support services being offered at both Hope Mission and The Mustard Seed.
But Noyes said he isn’t a fan of that plan after a COVID-19 outbreak in the Hope Mission Emergency Shelter, the first in Edmonton’s homeless community. Seven cases have been linked to the outbreak, six active and one recovered, as of Thursday. In response to the outbreak, camp organizers are calling for on-site testing and more sanitization amenities.
“We cannot move anybody at this moment if they’re going to be in danger of that, especially our seniors and some of the pregnant moms that are in the camp,” he said.
In a statement Monday afternoon, city spokeswoman Carol Hurst called the camp’s move down the block disappointing and said the city will be “exploring all options in response to this encampment.”
“The camp organizers’ decision to relocate the camp 200 metres away, instead of closing the camp and accessing available space at shelters, is disappointing and not in the spirit of the commitment they made to the city,” Hurst said in the statement. “The city fulfilled its obligations and trusted that the organizers would honour the commitment they made to close the camp voluntarily and access supports and spaces available at local shelters.”
Speaking at an affordable housing opening Monday, Mayor Don Iveson said there is an urgent need for housing and the city is currently looking at setting up temporary emergency shelters for the winter like it did at the Kinsmen Sports Centre during the outset of the pandemic.
“I think it’s time to look at the need for another temporary shelter as things get cooler…. We’ll be continuing to work with city administration and provincial government to set up some additional space,” he said.
Until then, Noyes said the Peace Camp isn’t going anywhere.
“We can’t be bouncing people around so we’re going to stick to our guns,” he said. “We’re just as illegal in the ravine as we are in this park as we were in the last park. So if we’re going to be illegal, we might as well be illegal where we can be seen.”
A homeless camp in Old Strathcona has relocated to a park two blocks north of its prior location, which residents were evicted from Monday.
The Peace Camp, providing overnight shelter, meals and supports to upwards of 60 people, reached an agreement with the City of Edmonton to leave Dr. Wilbert McIntyre Park on Monday after a seven-day extension was granted . The city initially intended to remove the camp on Sept. 18 after a closure date wasn’t provided.
Camp organizer Cameron Noyes said they have found a new location at the larger Light Horse Park just up the street to continue offering services as the search for housing persists. With the weather turning colder, Noyes doubled down that an organized camp is the best option because he doesn’t want people going back into the river valley or the Mill Creek Ravine where they can’t be looked after.
“We are not going to leave anybody behind in this, we absolutely can’t do that. It’s getting cold and these people are so less vulnerable in the situation we have. They have food, they have on-site medical care if needed and they have each other,” he told Postmedia Monday morning. “If we just send them back to Mill Creek Ravine and the river valley, they have none of that. They have no security and no medical care and no meals so it would be in terrible conscience for us to do something like that.”
While support workers try to find housing for those at the camp, the city has been advocating for residents to access the 24-7 support services being offered at both Hope Mission and The Mustard Seed.
But Noyes said he isn’t a fan of that plan after a COVID-19 outbreak in the Hope Mission Emergency Shelter, the first in Edmonton’s homeless community. Seven cases have been linked to the outbreak, six active and one recovered, as of Thursday. In response to the outbreak, camp organizers are calling for on-site testing and more sanitization amenities.
“We cannot move anybody at this moment if they’re going to be in danger of that, especially our seniors and some of the pregnant moms that are in the camp,” he said.
In a statement Monday afternoon, city spokeswoman Carol Hurst called the camp’s move down the block disappointing and said the city will be “exploring all options in response to this encampment.”
“The camp organizers’ decision to relocate the camp 200 metres away, instead of closing the camp and accessing available space at shelters, is disappointing and not in the spirit of the commitment they made to the city,” Hurst said in the statement. “The city fulfilled its obligations and trusted that the organizers would honour the commitment they made to close the camp voluntarily and access supports and spaces available at local shelters.”
Speaking at an affordable housing opening Monday, Mayor Don Iveson said there is an urgent need for housing and the city is currently looking at setting up temporary emergency shelters for the winter like it did at the Kinsmen Sports Centre during the outset of the pandemic.
“I think it’s time to look at the need for another temporary shelter as things get cooler…. We’ll be continuing to work with city administration and provincial government to set up some additional space,” he said.
Until then, Noyes said the Peace Camp isn’t going anywhere.
“We can’t be bouncing people around so we’re going to stick to our guns,” he said. “We’re just as illegal in the ravine as we are in this park as we were in the last park. So if we’re going to be illegal, we might as well be illegal where we can be seen.”
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