Homeless encampments being dismantled in Fredericton
With two fires caused by propane heaters inside tents last week, Fredericton's homeless encampments are being dismantled for the winter.
"We've got to, someone is going to die," said Warren Maddox, executive director of Fredericton Homeless Shelters.
“We’re in this really typical position for us that we’re damned if we do and we’re damned if we don’t, so if I’m going to be dammed, I’ll be dammed for doing something,” Maddox said.
Fires and frigid temperatures are not the only fears, Maddox has major concerns about carbon monoxide poisoning in tents with propane heaters.
"We know we're upsetting you and really creating a sort of chaos in your life and we're sorry, we are, so we're compassionate about it, we're willing to try as many different things as we can but the bottom line really is, it's time, it's cold there's too much danger with the fires," he said.
Fredericton Police Chief Roger Brown released a lengthy statement regarding the fires.
"As police officers, it is our duty to ensure the safety and security of everyone. In this case, that means having to step in when someone’s living situation becomes a risk to themselves and others,” part of the statement read.
The south side tent camp came down on Friday.
At least 15 people living rough on Fredericton’s north side will be moved from their camp on Monday when the city and community stakeholders step in to move them out of the cold.
"Overall there's capacity to take them in, now know that the guys on the north side they're a little more entrenched, so we're not going to get them all, and we'll sort of deal with that situation as it arises,” Maddox said.
The city has an ongoing “by-name list” a record of those who do not have a home in Fredericton, as of this week there were 161 people on that list.
There are currently 126 shelter and transitional housing spaces, but that is projected to increase to 160 by the end of 2022.
"We've seen the approach already in terms of housing first and the John Howard project at the City Motel, and the 12 Neighbours project on the north side, and that's exactly what we need more of,” said David Coon, MLA for Fredericton South.
But until spaces become available for everyone, homeless outreach workers are concerned for the safety of those living outside in the freezing Maritime climate.
"The goal with our partners and everybody else is to get them in and get them stabilized and figure out what kind of supports are you going to need, what sort of housing will you need,” Maddox said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.