Community groups calling for action after deadly explosion at homeless camp
Posted February 18, 2021 12:33 pm.
Last Updated February 18, 2021 12:42 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
WINNIPEG – A deadly explosion at a homeless camp earlier this week is serving as a stark reminder of the homelessness crisis in the city and community groups are demanding action.
The explosion claimed the life of one of the eight people who call a temporary encampment along the river home.
WATCH: One person dead after explosion at temporary homeless camp
“I’m worried about the whole camp because, you know after yesterday’s incident they just dispersed, and I don’t even know where everybody is, we’re not even sure which of the members actually passed away,” said Mitch Bourbonniere, a community outreach worker at Mama Bear Clan.
Bourbonniere says they visited this camp two or three times a week. He calls says the people who live here are wonderful, kind people simply trying to stay warm.
“Accidently something went wrong in the production of trying to stay warm and get heat by any means necessary, and yeah there’s going to be some unsafe methods of creating heat, and we saw the result of that.”
An investigation into how the explosion happened is still ongoing but it’s believed to have been caused by aerosols igniting. Bourbonniere says camps are made up of people who can’t find shelter, people who struggle with mental illness, and those who avoid shelters from fear of the pandemic, or safety of their own lives.
“Let’s get more boots to the ground. Let’s get more outreach people. Let’s get people visiting those camps every day, visit, friendly visit, friendly visit every day, to get to know them, and gain trust and earn that relationship so that we can, you know, find a solution with them, you know, to this crisis.”
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Along with more outreach, is the need for low-barrier housing—something End Homelessness Winnipeg ranked number one in their unsheltered strategy report last summer.
Mayor Brian Bowman was asked Wednesday what can be done for the city’s most vulnerable, aside from opening up some libraries to use as warming stations.
“I have to be candid. I mean to send a letter requesting an urgent meeting with the Premier of Manitoba. To wait more than a week and to not even get a response from the premier directly on something that is urgent, you know, it’s on this file. Unfortunately, he’s been missing in action. And, so, we’ll continue to have a dialogue with the provincial ministers, now that we’ve heard back from Minister Squires over a week later,” said Bowman.
“Among many other initiatives, just last week Minister Squires announced close to half a million-dollar investment in a COVID isolation unit at the Main Street Project and leave it at that. Your research will demonstrate dozens of other examples where we’re supporting those in need and vulnerable people within the city of Winnipeg,” said Premier Brian Pallister.
End Homelessness Winnipeg CEO Lucille Bruce says political will is needed from all levels of government to prevent similar tragedies from happening.
“These kinds of tragedies are going to continue unless we address the issue of building low-barrier housing for people.”
She says an architect has planned for up to 22 units of low-barrier housing on the Thunderbird house property, and wraparound services to support people in hopes that’s the answer.
“It’s ready to go, we just need the funding to be able to do this! This tragedy now speaks to the need for that very kind, that very model of housing,” she said.
