As temperatures begin to dip, homeless advocates in Saskatchewan are pressing municipal and provincial leaders for concrete, long-term solutions to a growing crisis that city councillors warn will worsen without greater investment and planning.
Encampments cleared, but numbers stay high
In Saskatoon this week, a coordinated city operation removed roughly 80 tents and structures from a large encampment, displacing people who say they were left with few immediate alternatives. Officials point to a series of temporary and planned services intended to reduce street homelessness, but advocates say the measures fall short of what is needed.
Regina, watching its larger neighbour closely, is facing its own challenge: Pepsi Park has been home to a growing encampment since early August, with estimates of about 150 people living there. Councillors and advocates dispute the wisdom of clearing encampments without fully formed relocation plans.
“We need low barrier access to sheltering. We need low barrier access to housing with the appropriate wrap around supports that suit the people that need that housing,”
— Mayor Cynthia Block
Short-term openings and longer-term projects
City officials in Saskatoon discussed a handful of services at a recent committee meeting, including a women’s daytime and overnight drop-in centre slated to open on Idylwyld Drive in November. Councillors also said work continues on a shelter on 31st Street that is scheduled to open next year.
Those projects are part of a patchwork of responses that municipal staff say are intended to provide immediate relief and transition people into more stable housing. But advocates and some councillors argue the capacity still falls short of need, particularly as winter approaches.
| Service | Location | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| Women’s drop-in (daytime & overnight) | Idylwyld Drive, Saskatoon | Opening in November |
| Shelter on 31st Street | 31st Street, Saskatoon | Opening next year |
Calls for compassion and planning
Regina city councillor Victoria Flores says she will not support removing the Pepsi Park encampment unless there is a clear plan for where people will go. She points to limited resources as the primary obstacle in responding humanely to the crisis.
“Unfortunately, the resources are limited. And that’s kind of where we are stuck. We’ve been having more positive conversations with the provincial government lately. And soon we will have an answer on what’s going to happen, where do we go from here?”
— Councillor Victoria Flores
Housing advocate David Fineday, who said he was among about 120 people forced from the Saskatoon encampment, urged officials to adopt approaches rooted in compassion and support rather than displacement. He described the personal toll of losing friends to homelessness and repeated overdoses and deaths.
“Especially when they are dying on your floor, in your back alley,”
— David Fineday
What advocates say is needed
Advocates are calling for:
- Low-barrier shelter options that do not impose conditions that exclude people with substance-use or mental-health challenges.
- Wraparound supports including mental-health care, addictions services and case management to help sustain tenancies.
- More transitional and permanent housing built or repurposed quickly to meet rising demand.
Municipal leaders have signalled increased dialogue with the provincial government but concrete provincial commitments tied to timelines and funding were not detailed at the recent meetings. With winter approaching, the urgency for a co-ordinated response is growing.
For many people living outdoors, the coming months are a stark reminder that temporary measures can be life-or-death. City planners, council members and service providers face the difficult task of balancing immediate safety with the longer-term work of housing people and addressing the underlying causes of homelessness.
As discussions continue, advocates say the focus must remain on both preventing further displacement and creating an integrated system of shelters, supports and housing that recognises the dignity and complex needs of people experiencing homelessness across Saskatchewan.
