An application for an injunction has been filed in an attempt to stop the City of Saskatoon from clearing a growing tent encampment on 20th Street West. Community Legal Assistance Services for Saskatoon Inner City (CLASSIC) has filed both an application for an injunction and an application challenging several city bylaws on the grounds of a charter rights violation. The City of Saskatoon intended to legally clear the encampment through several bylaws that it says the site is in violation of. These bylaws include the prohibition of general nuisance, untidy and unsightly property, and a mandate for a habitable environment. But CLASSIC is arguing that these bylaws are being used to displace those living in the encampment, and violate sections 7 and 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The city declined to comment on the ongoing legal matter. However, Mayor Cynthia Block previously shared a video on social media where she addressed the discourse surrounding the encampment. “The City of Saskatoon has a responsibility to address fire hazards, exposure and sanitation risks. Portable toilets and garbage bins might help with some concerns, but they can’t make an encampment safe or remove our responsibility to act,” Block said on Tuesday. CLASSIC originally requested the injunction application to be heard on Thursday at Saskatoon’s Court of King’s Bench. However, both matters will be heard on October 27.
