Edmonton police have given notice to several high-risk encampments that they’ll be closed over the weekend.
The City of Edmonton confirmed in a statement that four high-risk encampments would be closed between December 29 and January 3.
This comes after EPS were told that, in order to clear the encampments, they would need to meet certain conditions. These conditions include giving notice, and making sure there is enough shelter space to rehome the encampments residents.
According to police, over 2,300 encampment structures have been cleared in 2023 alone.
The first closure begins on Friday at around 8 a.m. near the Quasar Bottle Depot at 95 Street and 105 Avenue. Another closure is scheduled for the following day for the encampment near the Herb Jamieson Centre.
There will also be a closure at Dawson Park on January 2, and the encampment near Bissell Centre will be closing on January 3.
Although Edmonton police will be at the closures, the Edmonton Coalition on Housing and Homelessness encourages residents to witness the closures themselves.