‘Help the homeless’: Saskatoon resident talks about west-side encampments

Two homeless encampments were recently cleared from a Saskatoon neighbourhood after residents said they were creating safety concerns.

One encampment located at 113 Avenue T South and the other located at 21st Street West and Avenue V has one resident saying the neighbourhoods should be doing more to help.

“Help the homeless. Don’t walk by them,” Loretta Ledous said. “Give them a blanket. Give them some food. It’s hard out there.”

She said she let one of the people living in the encampments store their items in her backyard when they were given a warning to leave by the Saskatoon Fire Department.

Saskatoon is still struggling to find locations for two planned 30-bed emergency shelters funded by the Ministry of Social Services.

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The sites must be at least 250 metres from any elementary school in the Saskatchewan Public Schools or Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools system, include some private rooms and internal and external gathering spaces.

“It’s just because they have less, that’s why people are looking down on them,” Ledous said.

She said homelessness in the city is the worst she has ever seen it, saying she was almost homeless herself last year.

“They are not bad people,” she said. “I’ve been there at one time. Help them. That’s what they need.”

Assistant Fire Chief Yvonne Raymer said the fire department is responding to encampments quickly, especially when public safety is a factor.

“Within 24 hours right now, that’s pretty much our responses,” Raymer said. “Within 24 hours we will be able to get to those encampments.”

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