Yellowknife encampment residents and supporters have penned a letter to the territorial government requesting clarity on the encampment’s upcoming relocation.
Currently situated in the Aspen Apartments parking lot on the downtown periphery, the encampment has been told its residents must move by September 10 to accommodate renovations scheduled to begin at the adjacent building.
The letter – signed by four encampment residents and nine people listed as friends – asks the GNWT for a list of suitable locations to which they could relocate, and for transportation to any new location.
“Please prioritize locations downtown or reasonably nearby so that the residents (some of whom are wheelchair-bound) can access public services for meals, showers, probation meetings, family visits, court appearances, religious services, and other resources that are within reach for those lucky enough to have a shelter bed downtown,” the residents wrote, asking that potential locations be shared with them on a marked map.
The GNWT helped choose the Aspen Apartments parking lot as a temporary location for the encampment after residents had to move from their first location, by a high school, in early August due to issues with having set up on private property.
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The residents also ask for the GNWT to continue providing basic services like portable toilets, electricity and garbage service at any new location selected.
“Commitment to providing comprehensive transportation will also provide neighbours of the current encampment with the peace of mind that this transition will be quick, clean, and without resort to unnecessary police intervention,” the letter stated.
With winter on the horizon, the signatories also want the territorial government to confirm if adequate shelter space will be available to accommodate all people currently unhoused in the city.
If the answer is no, they ask in the letter how the territory will support a winter encampment, suggesting canvas tents and in-tent heating.
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Lastly, the letter asks the GNWT and City of Yellowknife – whose councillors were copied on the letter, emailed on Tuesday morning – to provide people involved “with a sense of their priority for shelter space” so they can better prepare for how long they may be living outdoors.
The letter requests that the GNWT respond by Friday.
Previously, the GNWT said it was “working to identify these individuals, assess their needs, and help them navigate to the most appropriate available options.”
Deputy premier Caroline Wawzonek has suggested some options could include expanding space at shelters operated by local non-profits or working in partnership with Indigenous governments.
