Not just an urban issue: Alberta small town forms task force to address encampment

A sprawling forest encampment has brought jurisdictional concerns, community tensions, and discussions surrounding potential solutions to the forefront in the rural community of Drayton Valley, Alta.

A letter written by Brazeau County resident Rob Pollard to municipal and county officials, the RCMP, and the local MLA, called for urgent action and cross-jurisdictional co-operation on the encampment. 

The encampment, made up of tents and temporary structures, sits on provincial land leased by the town, raising questions around who is responsible for the site and the people living there.

The letter spurred Drayton Valley to create a task force which hopes to establish a formal strategy to address homelessness in the area.

The task force includes representatives from Alberta Health Services, law enforcement, community groups, town officials, local residents, and a member of Brazeau County Council.

In his letter, Pollard emphasized the need to strike a balance between maintaining public safety and ensuring that adequate support is provided to the unhoused population.

"I just decided it's time to try to get something going, try to see if we can help the community and help the people as well, as it's two sides," Pollard said. 

"It's not good for the taxpaying citizens as well as for them."

According to a presentation by administration to town council, the site serves as shelter for roughly 25 to 30 people without stable housing. 

One encampment resident told CBC that number can rise to as many as 70.

Wayne Meronowich has been living in the encampment for 2½ years and said he's been without permanent housing for a little more than a decade. 

According to him, those living in the area can range in age from around 15 to their mid-50s.

Meronowich said he doesn't mind living in the encampment, but the winters are difficult. 

He said the supports in the town are not adequate, and that officials could be doing more to help his community find affordable housing.

"The town motto … is they try to help the homeless and everything else. But they don't. They try to get us out of here as much as they can."

Brazeau County Reeve Bart Guyon voiced his support for the task force. 

"The more heads we get together, the easier it will be to actually create a solution," he said.

Working together is a step in the right direction, but Guyon also pointed out the limits rural municipalities face. 

"We don't have the finances or the resources such as mental health workers," said Guyon. "So that's where we need to have the province at the table as well."

In a statement, the office of the Ministry of Assisted Living and Social Services acknowledged the challenges in Drayton Valley and said that $186,000 was part of Budget 2025 to fund summer shelter spaces in the town. 

Additional winter funding is under review.

"While encampments are a municipal responsibility, Alberta's government firmly believes encampments are not a safe or dignified place for people experiencing homelessness," the statement read.

Drayton Valley Mayor Nancy Dodds said rural communities need more help from the province.

"Many of the individuals staying in encampments are facing deep-rooted challenges related to addiction and mental health," the written statement read.

"These are areas that fall under the responsibility of the provincial government, and as a municipality, we are not equipped or funded to provide those intensive services." 

Encampments like the one in Drayton Valley are becoming more common in rural Alberta, says Kara Westerlund, president of Rural Municipalities of Alberta.

"Most rural communities are not equipped nor do we have the expertise nor, to be honest with you, the funding to look after the complex issues that a lot of these individuals are facing," she said.

"We need real solutions. We need boots on the ground," she said.

For Guyon, a multi-pronged approach is the only way forward.

"It's not in our jurisdiction, but we can create awareness with the public, and we can try and help to find solutions," he said. 

"There isn't really any suitable solutions that have been developed anywhere in Canada because there seems to be an encampment in every community across the country."

In 2022, Drayton Valley set up small pod-style shelters as temporary overnight options. 

The pods are one of the only official shelter options for homeless residents.

For encampment resident Meronowich, the pods are more inconvenient than anything.

"There's no water for one, and you've got to always pack your stuff every morning to leave there," said Meronowich. 

"So a person needs something that's more stable where you can actually feel like home."

Safety concerns

Guyon added that while not all crime in the area is connected to the encampment, some residents have raised concerns about safety.

"There's no law against being homeless," he said. "But there are issues if they try to damage people's properties or you know, create issues around safety."

Pollard agreed and said people are feeling unsafe while walking around town. 

"We've been seeing the impact of drug use and behaviour throughout common areas, in town, playground, sidewalks, local businesses. It's really getting to a point where it's unacceptable."

Drayton Valley RCMP said in a statement that it supports the task force.

"Drayton Valley has seen a reduction in crime rates, especially property crime, in the past year," it wrote.

"Furthermore, Drayton Valley RCMP has not noted a disproportionate amount of calls of service or criminality linked to encampments or the houseless."

Drayton Valley's council will look at the first round of applicants for the members at large on July 30. 

Pollard said he hopes the change he started keeps growing.

"It's not a town problem, although it's portrayed that way … it's a whole community. So something needs to be done in that aspect," he said. 

"If we can find something that works, you never know it might be groundbreaking or it might be a failure."