(Edmonton) A man was found dead in a homeless encampment north of downtown Edmonton, prompting city officials to briefly suspend plans to dismantle the camp.
Police said EMS was conducting health checks on residents following a propane tank explosion early Sunday, when the man’s body was found in a tent.
The city says in a press release that the discovery of the body and the explosion are unrelated, and a city spokeswoman, Janice Schroeder, indicated that no injuries were reported following the blast.
Police say the death does not appear to be criminal.
Dismantling of the camp continued later Sunday and the city said 15 people were evacuated from the site and 10 propane tanks were removed.
Mme Schroeder said two people suffered burns and were taken to the hospital after a fire at another homeless camp in the same neighborhood on Sunday, and she noted that the fires and explosions highlight the dangers camps as temperatures drop.
“The colder it gets, the more problematic on-site fires are,” she said.
The camp that was emptied Sunday was the seventh the city dismantled in recent weeks under a temporary court order, which was granted after the city and a human rights group reached an agreement for eight camps considered to present a risk to public safety.
The temporary order will last until Jan. 11, when the court will hear an earlier request for an injunction from the Coalition for Justice and Human Rights, which sued the City over its policy of dismantling homeless camps.
The coalition said in a Facebook post Friday that the camp closures violated the Charter of Rights and Freedoms as well as basic human rights.
“Over the past few weeks, we have supported community members during the displacements and have seen first-hand how deeply colonial and traumatic this policy is. People pack up and move to a block away. This is not a solution,” denounces the group in its message.
The City stressed that with conditions still dry in Edmonton, the risk of injury and death from fires in homeless camps remains extremely high.
It was -16°C in Edmonton on Sunday, and forecasts called for nighttime minimum temperatures below -20°C for the coming week.
In 2023, Edmonton Fire Services responded to 135 camp fires, resulting in 22 injuries and three deaths.
The City maintains that it informs the camp occupants as well as social organizations before the closures. As part of the agreement to close the camps, the City said it is also ensuring there is enough shelter or other indoor space for residents.
If there is not enough space, it is indicated that the police will close a camp only if there is a danger to public health and safety, and that the City will take cold weather into account when making decisions. decision.
“As colder weather sets in and the use of shelters increases, the City will review its plans to ensure sufficient shelter capacity exists before proceeding with the planned final closure,” said Sunday the press release from the City.