LAC LA BICHE - A rough shelter made of tarps, cardboard and salvaged materials that had been set up in trees near Lac La Biche's Canalta Hotel was torn by Lac La Biche County staff and equipment late last week. The site was believed to have been a shelter for at least one homeless person, but county officials confirmed it had been abandoned in recent weeks.
Several other temporary structures — commonly referred to as 'tent cities' have been removed by municipal officials from different locations around the community in recent years. The sites have been dismantled for public health and safety reasons as well as for contraventions of the community's Land Use Bylaw.
"This particular site was unoccupied for some time," said Lac La Biche County spokesperson Jihad Moghrabi, explaining that plans to dismantle the shelter had been in place for some time, and contact had been made with at least on person linked to the site. "When it was occupied, supports were offered."
At least one of those supports was to relocate the person to the new transitional housing facility near the Alexander Hamilton community park. The facility has been funded and built by the municipality to support the growing homelessness situation in the community. Mogrhabi could not comment on the outcome for this specific person.
"Attending the shelter is ultimately a decision that the individual needs to make," he said, adding that municipal staff continue to assist those in need. "Supports are always offered and encouraged by our Community Peace Officer team."
This latest removal was done with the cooperation of the private land owner and utilized a municipal dump truck and front end loader.
"The site was dismantled in partnership with the property owner due to concerns with its unsightliness, and fire safety," said Moghrabi, saying that the cleanup was an isolated occurrence and is not part of a larger plan.
"At this time, cleanup efforts are being conducted on a case-by-case basis in partnership with property owners," he said.
A Transitional Housing Task Force was created in Lac La Biche County more than a decade ago. The group of local stakeholders includes representation from Lac La Biche's Out of the Elements Shelter, municipal leaders, FCSS and the Metis Nation of Alberta. A goal of the task force was to open and successfully operate a full-service transitional housing program, complete with accommodations for those in need. More than a million dollars in funding has gone into the facility, which is slated to open this month.
