Front Burner - Police crackdown and a homelessness emergency

Episode Date: January 19, 2024

The prairies are just emerging from a record-breaking cold snap, with multiple days of temperatures well below -30. But that didn't stop the City of Edmonton from proceeding with its plan to dismantle eight homeless camps across the city. CBC Edmonton's Wallis Snowdon explains why the city is so keen to remove the camps, in a city where more than 300 people died in connection to homelessness in the last year alone. For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

In the Dragon's Den, a simple pitch can lead to a life-changing connection. Watch new episodes of Dragon's Den free on CBC Gem. Brought to you in part by National Angel Capital Organization, empowering Canada's entrepreneurs through angel investment and industry connections. This is a CBC Podcast. Hi, I'm Damon Fairless. It's been a bitterly cold week across the country, particularly in the prairies. In Edmonton, temperatures hit a record-breaking minus 45 over the weekend. Despite that, Edmonton police have been dismantling camps that people who are homeless have been living in. They say the camps are a risk to public safety. Mental health and addiction,

you're talking about criminal activity, you're talking about, you know, public health issues. The reality is, is if we just allow it, it's not going to get better. It's just going to get worse. Advocates in Edmonton are angry and concerned because with shelters at capacity, they say these evictions leave people with no means to escape the cold. Stop the sweeps! Stop the sweeps! The sweeps, they're not doing anything. Literally, the cops come in, they move the tents, and the tents move down a block away. They send out crews dressed for the weather to

tear down people's shelters. It's so absurd that you could laugh if it wasn't creating incredible pain and danger for people. According to the city, the number of people without homes in Edmonton has surged since the pandemic and in the past, more than 300 people have died as a result of homelessness. City Council declared a homelessness emergency earlier this week, but that move quickly drew criticism from the provincial government. My guest today is Wallace Snowden. She's a reporter with CBC Edmonton.

She's been covering the story and she's gonna break it all down for us. Hey, Wallace, thanks so much for coming on FrontBurner. Thanks for having me. Okay, so you and I are talking on Thursday morning. Edmonton is just coming out of this record-breaking cold snap, but the police have been taking down these camps. So I guess I want to why is this happening now? Why is the city chosen this particular time to dismantle these camps?

Right. The why of this is difficult to unpack. There's a lot of things playing out at the same time here. But I guess it's important to say that encampments have been a part of the city of Edmonton for a really long time, certainly since I moved here about a decade ago. You drive around the inner city, you see them on the sidewalk, you find them in the river valley. So they're not anything new, but there is a sense that the number of encampments is growing. It started to really boil over as we headed into the winter season. And it started with this lawsuit filed by a local human rights group, the Coalition for Justice and Human Rights.

They launched a lawsuit against the city, essentially suing them for their eviction policies for these encampments. The Coalition for Justice and Human Rights is taking legal action against the city of Edmonton for their treatment of vulnerable people, saying their encampment displacement policy violates the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms. Despite the city knowing that it lacks adequate shelter space, it displaces people who stay in encampments to survive. And after that, we started hearing more and more public officials come out and share essentially a hard stance on encampments. The first one out of the gate was Edmonton Police Chief Dale McPhee. He said that encampments are inherently dangerous and they should not be tolerated in the city. I mean, we've got first responders pulling people that are

literally burnt to death out of fires. You know, then you obviously have some of the people that are in those encampments, criminal activity that's preying on some of the vulnerable population. This is not okay. This needs a different approach. These things all need to come down. And that really tipped off an accelerated winter of encampment teardowns. And it really started to boil over just before Christmas in late December. We heard that there was a plan by the city and police to tear down eight encampments the city had determined were too risky to remain standing. They had deemed them high risk and they planned to tear them all down essentially in a single day. And this came as a big surprise to frontline agencies,

to those frontline workers. And there was a real concern, especially with the cold temperatures we've had this winter, about what that would look like for the shelter system, given the strain that we're seeing there. Can you help me understand where's this directive coming? You mentioned the police chief, but is this, so is this a police initiated thing? Is it coming from the city, the mayor? Do you have a sense of that? It's hard to know exactly what the catalyst was on that sort of political side of things. We've heard both police and the city come out and defend their decision to tear down these camps. They have characterized the camps as a place where crime is rampant

and residents are exposed to the elements, right? So tent fires, people have frozen to death, people have burned to death. And so it really is that kind of push and pull between what the advocates are saying and what the public officials are saying. But in terms of who's leading the directive, it's hard to unpack that because when we speak to police, they say the city is really leading it. But the police are very much involved in enforcing this city bylaw and breaking up these camps. So you mentioned that part of the rationale for this is that they're dangerous. So they think there have been fires, that people are frozen. Do we have a sense of how many people have died or been injured that way?

We did get numbers on that just this week. And according to city administration, and now they don't unpack or detail the cause of death, but they say that more than 300 people died as a result of homelessness in 2023. And that's up from 200 people the year before. And we have seen a string of deadly tent fires in encampments since last year. Over the weekend, a 54-year-old man and a woman in her 20s died after two separate tent fires. A third person was taken to hospital with burns after another fire Monday. That's when we really started to hear fire officials say that this is a concern, that it's particularly difficult to respond to encampment fires given the conditions there. We've got tents, you know, crushed together in a small space. And it makes sense in some way

that there is that inherent risk there because especially in winter, people who are living in tents often want a source of heat. So they're using propane heaters or other makeshift sources of heat to stay warm, and that's not always safe. So that really is the argument from the political side. And police have gone even further. They've said that these are places where organized crime runs rampant, that it's essentially a perfect habitat for street gangs to take advantage of vulnerable people. And so they say that there have been assaults, violent crime, that they've taken weapons caches from tents and that sort of thing. But we still hear from advocates that

the vulnerable people who do rely on these tents for shelters are the ones that are suffering under this eviction policy and that it's really not necessarily that effective from their viewpoint because you're just uprooting the problem. What are we supposed to do because we're getting kicked out of everywhere we go. There's got to be a lot more patience right like it takes a long time for people to get into this situation so I don't understand why anyone thinks it's going to be a day or two to get out of it. It may look like just a tent to people but inside that tent is a home just like how everybody else has a home. You take that away from somebody, you take their world away. This is the last, this is all we got.

Can you tell me what the conditions are like in the camps? Like, how are people living there? Take me through this, like, you know, period of intense cold and what's life like in those camps? I don't think it's any secret that it's a difficult way to live. The folks that I spoke to that are sleeping in encampments are, you know, in a tent with some maybe a little propane heater to keep them warm. And it's difficult, right? These are harsh conditions. Throughout that latest winter cold snap we had, we had temperatures in the minus 30s, wind chills in the minus 50s.

And so it doesn't take long for that to get dangerous. 50s. And so it doesn't take long for that to get dangerous. But the encampments in Edmonton, it's hard to generalize because they are different depending on what part of the city they're in. I know we've spoken with people that choose to camp further outside the core way in West Edmonton because they don't feel safe in the inner city. And then there's other people that decide to live right next to a shelter so that when they wake up in the morning, they can walk over and get in line for breakfast. And so there is often that concentration in the inner city. Do you have a sense of how many folks have been affected by this latest dismantling, these latest evictions?

Those numbers have been the subject of intense debate because it is really hard to quantify. If we go by the city's official counts from when they moved in on these sites, it would be fewer than 200 people. But the challenges with those numbers is as part of the injunction that was set by the courts, that was part of that lawsuit that was filed back in August, they had to give residents fair warning that police were going to be coming in and tearing down those tents. And so by the time police officers showed up, often people had already made their way out of that area.

Certainly dozens and dozens of tents came down and we were seeing truckloads of tarps and mattresses and sleeping bags being moved out with each one of those evictions. The Edmonton Coalition on Housing and Homelessness were on scene at the crack of dawn watching a tow truck haul away a camper van. And by late morning, a garbage truck and a cleanup crew geared up in protective suits were on site clearing the area. I want to take a step back and try to put all this in context. So tell me, what's the homelessness situation like in Edmonton right now, just generally speaking? It's gotten worse. So the numbers that we have from the city suggest there's about 3,100 people

experiencing some form of homelessness in the city. But those numbers, that's double pre-pandemic levels. So since that downturn and the struggle that we saw throughout the pandemic, the numbers have continued to climb. And that's really put a strain on the systems that we have in place in Edmonton. The shelter beds really are struggling to meet demand. We've seen a few more come on in recent weeks, thanks in part to some money that's come in from the province. But

that has often been sort of the crux of the debate around these encampment evictions, is there enough room and good quality spaces for the people that are being uprooted from these tents? Are there places for them to go? There's just a number that's kind of stopped me in my tracks. I want to make sure I'm understanding. So you've mentioned that there's this estimate of like just over 300 deaths in the last year related to homelessness. So that's like 10% of the population.

Am I understanding that right? 10% of the homeless population? It has been a deadly year on the city streets. Now, we don't have details on that 300 number. I assume it may include sudden deaths, such as overdose deaths, and that's been part of the conversation as well. A lot of people that are experiencing homelessness in Edmonton, there's of course a crossover with addictions issues that are so prevalent in Edmonton, there's, of course, a crossover with addictions issues that are so prevalent in the city. Can you help me understand why, and I don't just mean the deaths, which are quite startling,

but just the growth of the number of folks without a home in Edmonton? Why has it gotten so bad? It's hard to know why that number has grown so dramatically. I think part of it certainly has been the pandemic, the downturn that we saw many people who were living on the edge of poverty and just sort of barely holding on, maybe making those rent payments, slipped down to another level. And we're now experiencing homelessness. So I think that is part of the trajectory we've seen. But I think that that is a question that really does need more exploring, is what is the story of all those new people that are now on the streets of Edmonton? I think that is something that we need to explore more, certainly. Simple pitch can lead to a life-changing connection. Watch new episodes of Dragon's Den free on CBC Gem.

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It has really been a focus of the city for quite some time. And the conversation has been the same for many years. The city says it's doing what it can to address this at a city level. But they're really calling on the province and the federal government to step up. Edmonton estimates the homeless population has doubled since 2019 and are asking for Alberta to match federal and municipal dollars spent on supportive housing units currently being built. They argue that this is really in the purview of the province and the federal government to address those big issues we were talking about like

addictions and the housing crisis. Part of that is what we've seen from City Hall this week, which is this new declaration of a housing emergency. And part of that is really a call to action to other levels of government, asking them to step up and help more. And we have seen the province respond to that already. They opened up a new center in the inner city just this week. They announced that they'll be opening it. It's at a mission here in downtown. And that is essentially going to be a supports center, purpose built for people that are being evicted from the camps.

People will be transported here by city bus where they'll be provided with health, addiction, financial, cultural, and housing supports. Alberta's social services minister says storage will be provided for people to keep their belongings and pets will be allowed, calling it a safer... One of the things that kind of struck me is when city council declared that emergency,

as you mentioned, that prompted the province to get involved. But it was kind of clear the province was not super stoked about that. I know the minister in charge of social services, Jason Nixon, called it performative on the part of the city. And he said, a quote here, he said, it's dangerous for the mayor and others to continue to suggest that vulnerable Albertans do not have anywhere to turn. This is false and will lead to more folks choosing not to seek out shelter. So why that pushback from the province? From their newser, from the news conference that they held just the following day,

there's a sense from provincial officials that they have been at the table. They feel like they have made the investments and that they have been funneling money into social supports in the city. And there's also a sense of frustration. That news conference was really interesting because there was a real message of the time for debate is over. Now is the time for action. Mike Ellis, the public safety minister, described encampments as gang-run drug camps where violent crime is rampant. We know that organized crime and gang members such as Red Alert are infiltrating encampments. They are violently enforcing tent taxes, forcing vulnerable people to pay for access to water, the ability to even pitch a tent. And the police chief was saying much the same, that they've had enough with encampments. It is not a humane thing to leave them standing.

It is much kinder and safer to get people moved into those shelter spaces. Fighting for people's right to live in encampments in such dangerous conditions is perhaps the biggest disservice to their humanity that I can imagine. They argue there is adequate room for everyone to find that bricks and mortar shelter in the city and that these camps are a place where gang activity is running rampant in their view and so it's time to see them come down. So let's break that apart for a sec. How much of that is, in your experience, how much of that is true? And let's take it, you know, maybe step by step here. Like, are these encampments as dangerous as the city and police are saying?

This is, these last few months is the first time we've really heard this level of detail from police about their concerns over crime in the encampments. And it's a wide sweeping kind of crime that they're talking about. Everything from a chop shop to gangs forcing people to pay tent taxes and shaking people down. So it's hard to know because this is the first time police have really been transparent about that being on their radar. Does that square with what you're hearing from the folks you've been talking to who are in these camps? in those encampments. And I can't speak for all of them, of course. But I know in some of the encampments that we visited as a newsroom, people felt safer there than in the shelters. And they had come to rely on their neighbors for support. And it's not to say that there aren't

gangs in the city. Absolutely, that is known. But I think it's really hard to paint this issue in black and white. It's certainly shades of gray for the residents of those camps. So as the city's tearing down these encampments, what kind of public reaction has there been? So City Hall in Edmonton, it's an interesting place, but it's usually not that busy. But the gallery this week, when they were talking about possibly making this declaration of a housing emergency, was packed with people. And so there was people heckling from the gallery, accusing council of not doing enough to care for people who are experiencing homelessness in the city. This is not a back and forth. I am sorry. I hate to be in this position. But if there are further outbursts, the people who are outbursting will have to be asked to leave in order to honour all the other people.

in order to honour all the other people. I would say the biggest public outcry we saw was in late December when we did hear about those eight high-risk encampments that the city planned to tear down in a single day. And there was a real concern, especially with the cold temperatures, about the imminent risk that people would face if they were pushed out of their tent and lost their sleeping bag or didn't have a place to go that night. Because when temperatures are in the minus 30s with wind chills in the minus 50s, you know, we're talking minutes before

somebody might be at risk for exposure. But those teardowns did proceed after the courts placed a few restrictions on how they could go ahead. So the residents did get fair warning that the evictions were happening. And the city did have to kind of look at its numbers and make sure that there was shelter capacity available for those people. But eight camps were taken down in just a matter of days in areas all across the city. And it's a startling thing to watch, to see police officers come in, the workers in hazmat suits, you know, the garbage trucks they're idling. And they were, for the most part, you know, peaceful, taking people out of their homes and tearing those tents down. But we did see some maybe more adversarial moments in those teardowns. I'm thinking of the eighth and final encampment that came down.

It was in the inner city. A small group of people were living there. And that is a site where the camp residents actually, for at least a short time, resisted eviction efforts. Well, one resident here actually told Edmonton police he wasn't leaving and other residents decided the same thing. He's been negotiating a little bit more with them. And they just stayed put essentially for about a day longer beyond when that planned eviction was happening. So police came and they just didn't leave. But then we found out, of course, the following morning,

as there was a debate going on at the courthouse, deliberations with that lawsuit, we found out that police had returned and did forcibly remove some people from that site. And there were some arrests. Two more people were arrested including Roy Cardinal an encampment resident. On social media Indigenous journalist Brandy Morin confirming she was one of those arrested while covering the police response. Her employer saying she refused to leave an exclusion zone set up by police saying journalists need to be able to see what is happening. So it wasn't all peaceful, it wasn't all smooth, and it certainly was, I think, difficult to watch, no matter where you sit on this debate, difficult to watch people being removed from their homes

with such extreme weather. Okay, so you and I are talking, it's Thursday morning right now, and the last 48 hours in Edmonton have been super intense, you know, with the province coming into the fray here, this dismantling of these camps. So I guess, you know, before we go, I just want to know where the folks who are living in these camps have ended up. It's hard to know where they have gone, and I know I'm answering a lot of the questions that way, but it is hard to know where these people have ended up. One of the encampments that I went to just a few days after it was broken up, the tents were already back at that site. So I think some of these people, this is the way that they're used to living and they're going to stay sleeping rough on the streets. going to stay sleeping rough on the streets. Certainly the province and city officials, police are really trying to encourage people to access shelter services and get connected to the resources that are out there for them. But there isn't really a way to track those people that have

been pushed out. And police have indicated that they're going to keep tearing these tents down at an accelerated rate. So for me, it really does beg the question, how many people are they planning to evict from encampments in the coming weeks? All right, Wallace, I know you'll be following it. We'll check in with you and keep our eyes on the story too. Thanks for coming on. Really appreciate it.

Thanks so much. All right, that's all for today. Front Burner was produced this week by Rafferty Baker, Shannon Higgins, Jyota Shingupta, Matt Mews, and Derek Vanderwyk. Sound design was by Mackenzie Cameron and Sam McNulty. Music is by Joseph Chabison. Our senior producer is Elaine Chow. Our executive producer is Nick McCabe-Locos. And I'm Damon Fairless. Thanks for listening. I'll talk to you on Monday.

For more CBC Podcasts, go to cbc.ca slash podcasts.