Advocates for Edmonton’s homeless population say they were caught off-guard by an Edmonton Police Service plan to begin a large-scale encampment removal program on Monday that could displace up to 400 people.
In an email Thursday, acting Insp. Michael Dreilich told social agencies that EPS is planning to take down 134 structures at eight “high-risk” encampment sites, many of them on the doorsteps of shelters and social agencies near the downtown core including the Herb Jamieson Centre, Hope Mission and the Bissell Centre.
Other locations are at 95th Street and 101a Avenue; 94th Street and 106th Avenue; 95th Street and 105a Avenue, and