Homeless in the forest of Nova Scotia who choose to stay despite ban, natural fire risk

While forest fires are burning around Nova Scotia and officials warn of the risk that more fires will break out, community organizations and government services try to let people live in the forest.

However, many cannot be convinced.

“There is restraint because it is the home of some people … That is their comfort area,” said Matthew Reid, the manager of Souls Harbor Rescue Mission’s mobile outreach program.

Reid’s team of six Outreach employees travel around Halifax in vans and connect with homeless people to offer food, clothing and other means.

The Outreach employees have an exemption from the provincial ban on entering the forest, so that they can continue their work, which has included a new urgency in recent weeks.

“We try to train as well as possible to let them know that it is not safe now to live in the forest, because the circumstances are very dry and encourage them to find shelter in other places,” said Reid.

Nova Scotia has not had any significant rainfall since June, causing widespread drought and has set the stage for forest fires. Fire brigade crews fight against several Blazes, including an important outdoor act that has forced the evacuation of more than a hundred houses.

On August 5, Prime Minister Tim Houston announced a ban on entering the forestpunishable with a fine of $ 25,000. The same fine applies to open fires.

At least a dozen fines have been levied, but the province does not yet apply them to homeless people that are sheltered in forests.

CBC News asked for an interview with an official from the Ministry of Opportunities and Social Development, but nobody was made available.

“The priority of the province is currently safety and support. Outreach efforts have been successful to encourage people to move without the need for enforcement,” said a spokesperson per e -mail.

More than 100 still sleeping roughly

From Friday, the department said that 63 people had moved from wooded camps, moved to a hiding place or moving their tents to non-stuffed areas.

But much more still sleep roughly in “high risk” settings – that is, in or near the forest. The last estimate was 137 people.

Dalhousie Legal Aid lawyer Nadia Shivji said that tax is fines discretionary and that she supported the use of that discretion.

“The fact that we have not seen any of these cases will hopefully show some compassion. … I think that is positive,” she said in an interview.

Shivji said the prohibition should be respected as much as possible because of public safety. But, she added, the province cannot reasonably force it on people who are homeless and live in poverty, unless they offer ‘practical alternatives’.

“From now on we have not seen much help from the province in tackling the problem of homelessness, or a lot of meaningful help,” she said.

Shivji said there would be no public interest to spend a fine of $ 25,000 to someone who has no means to pay it.

“On the other hand, receiving one of those fines for someone in such a vulnerable position can be harmful to their ability to get back on their feet,” she said.

Hiding place beds added

In an e -mail, a spokesperson for a department of opportunities and social development described a rapid, joint effort between several provincial departments, municipalities and community groups to move people.

They said that reception organizations have opened an additional 125 emergency beds in the past two weeks.

“Our priority is simple – keeping people safe – and we quickly moved to make that happen,” said the spokesperson.

Shivji said that the province could take the extreme step to arrest people to break the ban on being in the forest, but noted that someone who would be arrested should be released quickly because the violation would not justify.

Politicians keep mommy

Chosen officials are stuck on the issue of homeless camps in the forest during the drought.

Last week, a natural resources officer in a news conference with the prime minister unveiled that The natural fire near Susies Lake in Halifax started with an open fireMade by people. Nobody was present when fire staff arrived, which means that charges are impossible, the official said.

When a reporter asked if the fire started at a tent camp, Houston was deflected and said that an investigation will take place “after we have endured this.”

“But at the moment the focus is on containing the fire, fighting the fires and simply repeating Nova Scotians that it is a risky situation and simply obey the laws that are now present,” Houston said.

Halifax Mayor Andy Fillmore had a similar answer when he was asked what options the city is considering moving people from the forest.

“It’s a bit too early to get in detail,” Fillmore said in an interview on CBC Morning Live.

“I will say more about that after a few more conversations with the [provincial housing] Minister, but we look at a way to get people out of danger and therefore to get us all out of danger by getting them out of the forest, “he said.

The regional municipality of Halifax refused a request for an interview with the city manager for housing and homelessness.