Saskatoon fire chief admits homeless encampments have become ‘extreme’

Saskatoon Fire Chief Doug Wegren admits homeless encampments have become an issue throughout the city over the last number of years, saying the situation has become extreme.

“Unfortunately, it doesn’t surprise me,” said Wegren on Monday afternoon about the fire that started at an encampment underneath University Bridge on Sunday night.

It is the second time there has been such an incident in less than two years. In October, firefighters responded to a blaze at an encampment under the bridge.

In that case, one person was charged arrested and charged with mischief under $5,000.

“There are warming locations that the city has set up, there are shelters, there is an opportunity that people can warm up, but (the city) still does not having permanent housing or enough capacity. The demand that’s out there is a significant issue,” he said.

Read more:

• Half an Olympic swimming pool of sewage keeps University Bridge closed
• STC Chief believes 90 per cent of Saskatoon’s homeless are First Nations

The number of homeless people in Saskatoon has vastly increased over the last half-decade, more specifically in the last two years.

In 2022, the City of Saskatoon said it had 550 homeless people living in the city. By the end of 2024, a headcount found there were at least 1,499 homeless people living in the Bridge City.

Wegren couldn’t give an exact number for how many encampments there are in Saskatoon.

“I think it speaks to the fact that in extreme temperatures  … we still have people outside. Definitely, offering up homes and building up that capacity (is something) the city is working towards, but it is a significant issue that we’ve been working with for four or five years, plus before that,” he said.

Wegren the fire department couldn’t provide a specific number for how common encampment fires are, but said when it comes to getting calls about bylaw complaints for encampments and situations like fires, it’s something that is taking longer for his team to address.

“We try and be as proactive as we can. Earlier in the year, we were (acting) within 24 hours … for bylaw inspectors and fire inspectors to go out. But because the situation has grown, we’re up to 72 hours before we can get there, which makes it difficult,” Wegren said.

Advocates call on city to do more for homeless

During the City of Saskatoon’s governance and priorities committee on Tuesday, one person in attendance was calling on the city to do more when it comes to managing the homeless population.

David Fineday wrote a letter to the city calling on it to create a permanent place to support the homeless and also spirituality.

According to his statement to council, he said he lost many friends last year as a result of the cold and wanted to do something about it.

“The way things are right now, everybody’s really worried about it, everybody wants to do something about it, but nobody’s doing anything about it on the street,” Fineday told the committee.

“Or there is something done out there, but I see it’s not being done properly, and that’s why there’s so many people out there on the street that aren’t utilizing these warm up places.”

He issued a challenge to the committee.

“I’d like to challenge you, mayor and council to come out and let’s go for a field trip. Two o’clock in the morning. Let’s go talk to them and see what they want,” Fineday said. “You got $1.2 million, you got $4.5 million, what’s it going to be used on?”

Out of all the council members in attendance, only Ward 3 councillor Robert Pearce offered to take Fineday up on his offer.

When it comes to the money Fineday mentioned, the city did receive $4.5 million from the federal government to develop “new supportive housing units combined with a community space.”

The federal contribution under the Unsheltered Homelessness and Encampments Initiative requires the city to match the funding, which the city must spend by March 31, 2026.

Read more:

• Half an Olympic swimming pool of sewage keeps University Bridge closed
• STC Chief believes 90 per cent of Saskatoon’s homeless are First Nations