Saskatoon rally for the unhoused calls for action on forced displacement

On Saturday, a community rally took place outside Saskatoon’s City Hall, advocating for changes to how the city and police handle homeless encampments. This comes after numerous confrontations between individuals residing in encampments and law enforcement, where residents were forcibly removed or faced fines of up to $10,000 for trespassing.

David Fineday, a 70-year-old homeless man from Sweetgrass First Nation, recounted an incident where his community's camp was targeted and dismantled during a meeting that they had attended. Fineday, who has been homeless since he was 20 following his time in the child welfare system and the Sixties Scoop, currently resides in an encampment with approximately 50 others.

Fineday believes that the city and police need to adopt a different approach. "On one side, one whole side is people that work, but they have to live in a tent. Why? Because the rent’s too high," he remarked. Fineday, a former Prairie Harm Reduction worker and advocate, noted that the housing market is limited, with many people signing up for available housing only to be placed on a long waiting list. He highlighted that people often wait for six months or more before they can move into a new home.

Marissa Livedotte, a former Prairie Harm Reduction worker and advocate, emphasized that homelessness can impact anyone. "I was working full-time. I had a very well-paying job, and I actually ended up unhoused for three months. It was just a quick change in circumstance," she shared. Livedotte pointed out that the issue is more widespread than official records indicate.

"Right now, I think they said that it’s about 3,000 people that are living unhoused in our city. But you could probably double that with the people who are experiencing hidden homelessness. Hidden homelessness is just, you know, people who were couch surfing, just going from place to place wherever they can."

Fineday expressed hope that city decision-makers will take notice of the concerns raised during the rally. "I want to see the proper ears come here, the proper eyes that come here and can see what’s happening, that can hear what’s happening."