‘Very sad’: Crews work to dismantle increasing number of encampments across Saskatoon

WATCH: Carla Shynkaruk tells us how workers are balancing taking down temporary shelters while assisting those facing homelessness.

With summer now in full swing, the number of homeless encampments in Saskatoon is also seeing an upswing.

City officials are faced with a balancing act: take down the temporary housing while looking out for those who face homelessness.

The Riversdale community garden site between 19th and 20th Street West at Avenue L is the latest location being targeted by the Saskatoon Fire Department and Crocus Co-op Staff who work to dismantle tents and other structures set up as housing on the lot.

• Download the CTV News app to get breaking news alerts sent to your device

A tent is thrown into a trailer, jumbled with trash being collected at the site.

“Those encampments are very sad, but seven encampments in one site, that means a lot of homelessness is going on,” Mumtaz Naseeb, Crocus Co-op program director told CTV News.

The crew from Crocus Co-op helps the fire crews dismantle camps, and they try their best to meet the demand each day.

“Sometimes nine or 10 sites in a day, or sometimes four and sometimes two, but it depends,” he said.

According to city Fire Marshal Ryan Bradley, Saskatoon’s homeless population is seeing a spike right now.

The service tracks the number of folks living on the street and has noted an excess of new faces.

“We’re seeing an increase in individuals that are not known or previously known to us. We don’t really have a complete picture on, on what that looks like yet,” Bradley noted.

Connections are made with those who are homeless and they are given options for safe housing, according to Bradley.

Encampments are being reported in all areas of the city. Fire crews move in within 24 hours and inform residents they have to vacate or be removed.

The public can report encampments on the City of Saskatoon’s website.

“We do enforce, and we do have the authority to enforce the occupancy of an unsafe living condition. So, we do serve notice to immediately cease occupancy,” Bradley added.

Crocus Co-op is part of the network of groups that help with this work alongside fire crews.

According to executive director Corinne Anthony, the co-op makes an effort to hire people with diagnosed mental illnesses.

Some employees were homeless themselves — now working with them, making a wage.

“That’s what we do, we help them, we help them get their ID back and we help them get back on their feet,” Anthony explained.

It’s only a third of the way through July, but those working to do this complicated task expect to be busy for a while.

“It’s an absolute steady increase. It’s just sad to see this in our community,” she said.

Occupants who are being vacated are given the choice if they want to take their belongings, or they’re hauled away to the landfill.

The work continues through the winter, according to Anthony, but the complexity shifts with changing weather and safety concerns — fires increase the danger.