Alberta government opens new support centre as police ramp up encampment closures
CBC
The Alberta government opened a new navigation and support centre on Tuesday to take in people after they are removed from homeless encampments in Edmonton.
The move comes as the Edmonton Police Service plans to take down encampments at an "accelerated pace," said Chief Dale McFee.
On Tuesday, an Alberta Court of King's Bench judge ruled that a human rights group had no legal standing to speak for people in encampments in its attempt to get an injunction against the eviction program.
The new centre will be run out of the Karis Centre in the Hope Mission shelter in central Edmonton.
When police shut down encampments, an Edmonton Transit bus will be on site to keep residents warm and take them to the centre.
At the centre, residents will be offered help with housing, financial supports, health care, addiction treatment and mental health services. The centre will have storage for belongings and residents will be able to keep their pets with them.
While the intake part of the centre is only open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday, services for people who are already registered will be available around the clock.
Seniors, Community and Social Services Minister Jason Nixon said transportation is available to move people to the next service.
"We will ensure there is a warm hand-off between that navigation centre and the next support sector that that individual will go to," Nixon said.
Nixon was joined at Wednesday's news conference by Public Safety and Emergency Services Minister Mike Ellis, Edmonton police Chief Dale McFee, Treaty Six Grand Chief Cody Thomas, Chief Willie Littlechild and Justice Minister Mickey Amery.
Photographs showing a tent fire and weapons seized from one encampment were set up on easels inside the news conference room at the Queen Elizabeth II Building on 107th Street and 98th Avenue.
The decision to open the centre came after provincial officials met with Edmonton mayor Amarjeet Sohi and city council on Tuesday.
Nixon, McFee and Ellis were adamant that the encampments were home to violence, crime and gang activity and needed to go. They dismissed complaints from encampment residents that the shelters were more dangerous.
McFee said he would question information about camp safety from ;\eople who are addicted to drugs and can't make good decisions.
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