‘Intent is to try to appeal’ encampment cleanup order, Saskatoon organization says
Station 20 West says it received a notice to remove the encampment in front of its 20th Street facility from the City of Saskatoon but will not comply until the two parties meet.
A Saskatoon organization, Station 20 West, has stated they will not follow an order to remove an encampment on their property until they can discuss the implications with the city. The city of Saskatoon instructed Station 20 West to clean the encampment by November 30, noting that over 15 tents and structures are obstructing the 20th Street facility, creating a nuisance for neighborhood residents and posing safety concerns.
The organization's director, Wanda Martin, spoke with Global News at the site on Friday, expressing their intent to appeal the bylaw contravention and support the encampment residents. The organization argues that simply displacing the residents without providing them with permanent solutions would only shift the problem rather than solve it.
Station 20 West works to improve the wellbeing of city core residents and connects them with services like housing and employment assistance. The city argues that private property owners must comply with the Property Maintenance and Nuisance Abatement Bylaw, which prohibits nuisances and unsightly properties. One encampment resident, Mavis Daniels, has lived at the site for a few weeks and relies on the organization for support.
She fears that if the encampment is removed, she and other residents will struggle to find new housing, especially as winter approaches.
Written by urgent.news from Global News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
