Tent encampment on private Yellowknife lot told to move

Occupants of a tent encampment that appeared at the corner of Yellowknife’s 49 Street and 52 Avenue two days ago have been told they need to leave the lot by Monday.

Approximately 15 people are staying at the site, according to Craig Strachan, who said he had “kind-of stepped up to speak for everybody here” when Cabin Radio visited the encampment on Friday.

Strachan said the group moved to the half-acre lot, opposite Sir John Franklin High School, after being evicted from a previous spot behind the Discovery Inn, two blocks away.

“I scouted the city and tried to find somewhere where we can be seen and we’re, you know, out of the way at the same time,” Strachan said. He also wanted a place where people could be close to downtown and still access services.

The lot they chose is the privately owned former site of the Polaris apartment building, which has been vacant since that building was destroyed in a fire nine years ago.

Now, the group has been told to move out.

“I spoke with one of the Housing First members [here] this afternoon, which spoke to the property owner, and he doesn’t want any more chairs or any more tents put up,” Strachan said. “Otherwise, he said he’s going to tear it all down.”

“It kind-of puts a stop to where I wanted to go with this. I wanted to make this big,” Strachan said. “I want them to know how many people are actually on the streets.”

Now, Strachan said, “We got till end of day to be packed up and move.”

‘A difficult situation for all parties involved’

Adrian Bell, a real estate broker who owns the lot, said in an email he is “very concerned about people setting up tents on my lot because I’m liable should they get hurt or should they hurt others.”

Bell said he has listed the lot for sale for the past year and a half, while simultaneously pursuing plans to develop it with local partners – potentially as affordable housing, student housing or office space.

“Neighbouring residents are stressed out and bringing me their concerns,” Bell said. “I’ve been told they had an open fire going yesterday morning [during a fire ban], they’ve been harassing passersby, using drugs and defecating near neighbouring properties. The complaints are starting to accelerate.”

Strachan said municipal enforcement had come by the encampment to let them know there was a fire ban, “which we do respect,” he said, “because of what happened.” A fire broke out in late July at a separate tent encampment near the legislature.

The encampment has a propane stove as well as signs posted. “We’re just trying to do everything as proper as possible,” he said, “and try to take, you know, proper steps.”

In his email, Bell said he did have a good conversation on Thursday with a man from Nova Scotia named Gunner. Strachan, who also goes by that name, is from Nova Scotia.

“He said they didn’t realize the property was privately owned and asked if they could have until Friday morning to gather their stuff and depart,” Bell said. Following a call from the Housing First program, Bell agreed to give the encampment until Monday, “on the condition that they don’t add to the current camp.”

“I was there again just now,” Bell wrote just before 2:30pm on Friday, “to keep the lines of communication open and check on their progress with finding a new location, but it was all new people and a lot more stuff.”

“This is a difficult situation for all parties involved,” Bell said.

“I’m obviously not happy that a local housing agency moved them onto my property without even so much as a phone call first, but I know Gunner and Candace are working very hard to find a new location. I also just received a call from the GNWT who re-assured me that they are working with the city to find an alternative location.”

Candace Burles, manager of a Housing First program run by the Yellowknife Women’s Society, told Cabin Radio that on Tuesday morning, staff had carried out a vulnerable assessment for people staying at an encampment set up in the alley of 47 Street.

“In the midst of trying to do that, the owner of Breakaway came out and was very distraught, just over what’s happening on her property, and requested that they move,” Burles said. Breakaway Fitness and the Discovery Inn both back onto the alley between 47 Street and 48 Street.

Burles said staff offered to help the group move their items to a new location. “There was some uncertainty in where they could go,” Burles said. “So we dropped their beds off on the side of the road near Sir John, and then they put upon themselves to place themselves on that vacant lot.”  

“I think the plan was to set up in the trees behind Sir John and for whatever reason, I think just due to exhaustion and frustration, they just stayed … on that empty lot”

Renee Sanderson – executive director of the Yellowknife Women’s Society – emphasized that “we were not the ones to set up the encampments,” though they are working with local government to try to solve the issue and help find a new place where the group can safely set up.  

Staff have been checking in on people, Burles said, and supplying them with cases of water, food and supplies. “We can try to support them where we can.”

As for the group’s desire to be seen and heard, Burles said, “I think it’s important.”

“For a long time our city has, you know, pushed them off to the side, and they haven’t really addressed or dealt with the issue. So I think to make people feel uncomfortable is the only way that we’re going to get something done,” Burles said.

“It definitely highlights the broader issue of homelessness,” Sanderson said. “Being in public like that, again, is putting pressure on those that have the authority to make the calls, and to have the public involved.

“We need people involved and to help advocate for this.”

‘Better set to move somewhere else’

Deputy mayor Garett Cochrane visited the encampment on Thursday. He said he discussed the group’s location with them.

“The fact that it’s on private property is not necessarily a better strategy. I think they are better set to move somewhere else,” Cochrane said.

“At the moment, I think they’re probably better set to move to commissioner’s land, where the Government of the Northwest Territories can take responsibility for the situation, as we are currently at a 30-bed deficit with our shelters.”

Moving to a new spot “is a lot of work,” Strachan said. The group’s current setup has several tents, tables and chairs, and personal belongings. “This is a lot of stuff to move, you know?”

Strachan said he has been homeless for about a year and a half. During the evacuations last summer, he said he was sent to Winnipeg and ended up in a shelter there, an experience he describes as a “complete and utter nightmare.”

Even if there was room in Yellowknife’s shelters, Strachan said, “going into a shelter isn’t the easiest thing in the world.” Additionally, he said, some people are banned or not allowed in specific shelters for other reasons.

Trying to figure out where the group is going to go next is “very stressful,” Strachan said. “I’m mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted.”

Community support

Strachan said several people have stopped by to offer support.

“We have a couple people around here that have been bringing over necessities like water, drinks and sandwiches and stuff like that,” Strachan said. “This is just from local people … there’s still good people out there.”

“We’re civil. We clean up after ourselves, we respect the fire ban,” said Colton Migwi, who has been at the lot for the past two days. “We’re looking at new locations … where you don’t have to be a bother to anybody, but we’d like to be heard. We’d like to be seen.”

Santana King, who has a tent there, said that having the tent community around her made her feel “safe.”

“It’s good to see all of us come together again,” King said. “It shows everybody else that they’re not alone and they have somewhere to go. They don’t have to lay in a bush by themselves. They can come be with us … it’s welcome to everybody.”

“We got addictions and we go our problems,” King said, “but we’re not bad people, and we’re not all thieves and we’re not all liars.”

The lot is currently listed for sale with Century 21 at a price of $989,000, described as more than half an acre of vacant downtown land.

“Discount Available for Affordable Housing,” the listing states.