N.L. government begins plan to clear out St. John's tent encampment
Timelines to clear tents not given
The Newfoundland and Labrador government is putting its foot down on the longstanding tent encampment at Bannerman Park in St. John's, posting signs that say any tent or unauthorized structure will now be removed.
Speaking with reporters on Tuesday, Housing Minister Fred Hutton said the signs were made and posted following a fire at the encampment last weekend involving a propane tank. The fire almost burned down a tent, but no injuries were reported.
"In light of what happened with the propane tank, the fire last week, I think it just really punctuates how unsafe it is to be living in that environment," Hutton said.
Transportation and Infrastructure Minister John Abbott — who was the housing minister when the encampment first popped up at Confederation Building near the end of 2023 — said conversations have emerged over how the site is managed.
He said they'll continue to monitor the site in the days and weeks ahead, but was firm in his stance on the encampment.
"That tent encampment has to close. There's no doubt in my mind on that," he said.
"We've determined that it is not appropriate to have tents on the site, and that we have now posted signs to that effect."
Several of Abbott's comments centred around the initial removal of "abandoned" tents — which he classified as tents that are either empty of people or belongings.
He said it may come to a point where occupied tents could be removed but added the province isn't there yet.
"We have tried everything we can possibly do. And what we're seeing now is a very, very unsafe situation," Abbott said.
"We believe the time has come that we have to, you know, be more proactive…. We have a lot of concerns, safety concerns in particular. We're getting concerns from the neighbourhood, we're getting concerns from the school. So all of these forces now are coming together, so it's time for us to really focus in on short-term solutions, medium-term solutions and long-term solutions."
Hutton said part of the solutions include what the province has already done to help people find housing options, like shelters, transitional housing, and hotels. He said they are offered to residents of the encampment on a regular basis, and hopes people choose to avail of them.
"To put somebody who is a single person into a three or four-bedroom unit that becomes available, and a family that is also facing homelessness can't go there, I mean we're battling with that," Hutton said.
"This is, again, not just an issue of putting someone in a house and walking away and our job is done. Because the cycle will continue for people who face homelessness … they need that wrap-around support."
NDP leader sounds off
Speaking with reporters following Abbott and Hutton, NDP Leader Jim Dinn said it was disingenuous for the ministers to say that adequate housing is available.
"I'm angry. I'm angry when the minister keeps talking about options that aren't really there. They talk about a continuum. The only other time I've heard a continuum being used is in Star Trek: The Next Generation. And just like that, it's a fiction," Dinn said.
"I'm angry that their solution is to start to move people, put people out of there. Where are they going to go? If it's about safety, how is this going to make it safer for them and the public if they are going to move under a bridge, another park or another public space."
Dinn said he doesn't see options like shelters as safe for residents of the encampment, and that government supports are lacking — citing over 100 vacant social work positions in the Department of Children, Seniors and Social Development.
"They turn this into a safety issue. Yeah, well, it's not. It's about their failure to address the issue," he said, adding Hutton was "stating the obvious" by saying that people need to be supported once they find a suitable place to live.
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With files from Mark Quinn
