The Saskatoon Fire Department says information circulating on social media which claims the City has granted a permit for an encampment is false. It is instead a burn permit to hold a public smudge event this coming weekend. Fire Marshall Ryan Bradley says, “There was a permit issued by myself as the Fire Marshall for an open air fire for one of our community members, a well-known community member, to hold a ceremonial fire to perform smudging activities.”

Bradley states that the City would never issue a permit for an encampment, because what they have seen in other municipalities is that large encampments can create significant health and safety risks. The goal instead is to find alternative solutions for those in need. From January through September 14th, the Fire Department says 932 encampments were found. Bradley says there has been an increase in encampments and an increase in people not previously known to the Fire Department have been found in encampments.

The Saskatoon Emergency Management Organization has activated an Internal Emergency Operations Centre with multiple City Departments to coordinate the response to homelessness in this city. Daytime winter warming locations have been in operation since October and the City says evening and overnight locations opened Tuesday night.