Court hearing arguments about injunction to stop Edmonton homeless camp removals
A court in Edmonton is hearing arguments Monday about whether or not to extend an emergency interim injunction granted late last week that briefly postponed the removal of homeless camps.
Court of King’s Bench Justice Kent Davidson granted an “interim, interim injunction” late Friday, requiring Edmonton police to wait until at least noon Monday to begin any planned camp removals at eight sites that police have deemed high risk.
The pause was extended during the hearing Monday morning until a decision is made. That is expected later in the afternoon.
The Coalition for Justice and Human Rights has previously applied for an injunction to stop the removals pending a lawsuit it’s launched against the city’s encampment removal policy. The court is scheduled to hear their application for the pause on Jan. 11.
But Chris Wiebe, who is co-counsel representing the coalition, says city police on Thursday informed a committee of social agencies that work with the homeless about their plan to remove a number of encampments starting Monday morning, and that police asked the groups to stay away during the removals.
The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) has argued in earlier documents submitted to the court that the camps pose a fire risk, Wiebe said.
The Bissell Centre, an Edmonton agency that supports low-income and homeless people, said in a statement posted on social media that people in the camps have limited options.
“Freezing temperatures are a reality for people who have to stay outdoors all night. This can lead to grave outcomes like hypothermia, amputations and loss of life. For some people, staying outside all night is the only safe option,” the centre posted Friday after the emergency interim injunction was granted.”
Whether it’s business owners complaining about negative impacts, police citing safety concerns, or human rights groups suing over alleged human rights violations, homelessness and how to manage encampments are becoming big conversations across Canada. But one group we often don’t hear from are those living within the encampments themselves. Naama Weingarten and Nathan Gross spent a day visiting several Edmonton encampments, gathering the stories of the people they met.
The Bissell Centre said the encampment removals will disproportionately affect Indigenous people “and negatively impact our community’s efforts towards reconciliation.”
EPS did not respond to requests for comment on Sunday.
Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said in a statement Friday night that the “scale and timing” of the planned encampment response on Monday was “concerning,” noting he found out about it Thursday night.
Sohi said he had immediate concerns about how vulnerable people would be supported, and said he has been advised the city isn’t leading the response, but has only been asked to provide cleaning services.
“The City of Edmonton endeavours to take a balanced approach based on the assessments of risks to individual encampment residents, the community and the public,” Sohi’s statement said.
“Given the number of people potentially impacted in this case, I am worried about how displaced people may take shelter in other spaces that are not safe or appropriate.”
Edmonton Police Service spokesperson Cheryl Voordenhout said in an email Sunday that the social agencies were notified of the removals to “engage their assistance, not prevent them from supporting people who need help.”
“Service providers were asked to remain out of the immediate worksite for their safety. Police are involved with these encampments because they have been assessed and deemed to be high risk encampments,” Voordenhout said.
Homeward Trust Edmonton, an organization working to end homelessness, said about 3,080 people were experiencing homelessness in the provincial capital as of early November — 521 more than the same time last year.
A 54-year-old man and a woman believed to be in her 20s died in encampment fires during the first weekend of November.
Edmonton police spokesperson Scott Pattison said last month that more than 14,000 complaints against encampments had been made to the city in 2023. As a result, 4,500 camps were investigated and responded to.
