Saskatoon man smudges outside makeshift shelter for homeless to advocate for more help

David Fineday said he spent four days straight smudging and praying outside in freezing conditions.The Saskatoon man wants more help for people who do not have a place to live.

"I'm advocating so no more people are lost on the street," Fineday, a Saskatoon advocate for the homeless, said. "No more people lose limbs, no more people go to hospitals of chronic illnesses, people dying of pneumonia out there."

Fineday said he was granted a 96-hour smudging permit by the City of Saskatoon and assembled an encampment on 20th Street in a lot across the street from Station 20 West. Fineday said the camp could fit about 12 people, but that typically ten people are in at a time. He said people come into the space to smudge, pray, warm-up, sleep on cots and have a hot beverage or something to eat. He said the group relies on donations of food and clothing from the community. 

"Last year within a month I probably lost six friends and that's what's making me do this," Fineday said.

Fineday said he was homeless two years ago and as a survivor of the Sixties Scoop his trauma played a large role in the struggles he faced later in life. 

Fineday's smudge permit began Saturday. Fineday kicked off his action by hosting a homelessness rally in the space. He said the event included drums, dancing and smudging.

A makeshift camp sprung up around the site, including a structure featuring several tarps strung up to block the wind.

Fineday's permit ended Tuesday at 6 p.m. CST . He said the city wants him to tear down the makeshift camp after that.

The Saskatoon Fire Department confirmed in a statement Tuesday that a "weather shield" would have to be removed unless the property owner obtained necessary permits and ensured the structure met safety standards.

"The weather shield on the site was set up for the purposes of the smudge. This was a temporary measure to provide relief from the extreme weather that Saskatoon recently experienced," said Fire Marshal Ryan Bradley in a written statement sent to CBC News.

"The weather shield must be removed when the permit expires," the statement reads. 

The statement said that "the City has and will continue to support cultural practices and will work with the community to assist in those efforts. However, the Fire Department must operate within the boundaries of the City of Saskatoon Bylaws." 

It also notes that the lot's property owner has agreed to work with "the applicant of the burn permit to ensure smudging can continue; however, the property owner is not permitting encampments to be erected on their property."

"It's more than a passion, it's like I have to do it," Fineday said. "I don't see anybody else out here putting up tents and trying to help the people."