Saskatoon encampment torn down after tumultuous week
New Mayor Cynthia Block went inside David Fineday's encampment Friday morning to come to an agreement
An encampment on 20th Street in Saskatoon is coming down Friday after an intense week of back and forth between the camp's leader, David Fineday, and the Saskatoon Fire Department.
The decision came after a meeting Friday morning between newly elected Mayor Cynthia Block, elder Roland Duquette and Fineday. Block went inside the encampment to negotiate a compromise with Fineday.
"I didn't want to go to there, I wanted them to come here, so they did," Fineday said.
Smoke billowed from the encampment Friday while Fineday and the people using it for shelter enjoyed their last fire in the space.
A dozen people without another place to go have been using the camp, which went up on Saturday, to stay warm during a week when temperatures dropped to as low as -30 C in the city. People came and went, and Fineday smudged and prayed with them around a fire.
Fineday, an Indigenous advocate for those experiencing homelessness, said the camp helped a lot of people during the frigid week.
"That's what's killing me," Fineday said. "It breaks my heart to have to do that, to put all these people back out on the street again after I took them off."
The smudge permit
Fineday set the site up Saturday after being granted a four-day permit to practise open-air smudging in the space. A fire permit was never granted.
He was smudging and hosting a ceremonial fire inside of a tarped encampment from that point on. His smudge permit expired Tuesday.
On Friday morning, Duquette advised Fineday to let the fire burn as bright as he could, and when it died out, that would be his cue to leave.
"He basically committed himself to out the fire and then the structure itself," Duquette said. "We had an understanding, how we do things in a cultural way."
Fire hazard
The decision came after a heated meeting between Fineday and the fire department Thursday afternoon. Fineday granted CBC permission to attend the meeting.
At the meeting, the fire department said the site was a fire hazard and expressed concern about the possibility of the fire being left unattended as people slept.
"That is our job, is to put out accidental fires," fire marshal Ryan Bradley said after the Thursday meeting.
"We fully understand that there's no intention of a fire happening here, but we just want to make sure that we minimize any risk of potential fire. Other concerns are carbon monoxide."
Next steps for Fineday and the city
Fineday said that while he would respect the counselling from the elder and leaving after the fire burned out, he is still worried about where all the people he's been keeping warm will go. He said his goal is to be involved as the city finds a new place for them, as promised by Block at their meeting.
"I want to be part of this change," said Fineday.
"They have to make a big change, that was Cynthia's number 1 thing. And I told her, I want to be in there. I don't want to be tossed aside. I want to be a major part of this."
Block said she is working to ensure Fineday's requests are met.
"I'm hopeful that people will get safely housed and the opportunity for the cultural practice of smudging can continue," Block said.
Fineday said he will work with the city to set up a teepee in the neighborhood instead. At Thursday's meeting, the fire department said a teepee would be a safer option due to better ventilation.
When CBC returned late Friday afternoon, Fineday and his friends were tearing the camp down.
He said his immediate goal is to ensure the safety of those who have been staying with him.
His second goal is to begin smudging with people facing homelessness in the city again as soon as he can find a new space.
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