Regina homeless group sent packing again
Dean Gutheil | CBC News | Posted: November 7, 2016 11:08 PM | Last Updated: November 7, 2016
Wascana Centre officials say camping illegal without special permit
After a weekend of camping on the north shore of Regina's Wascana Lake, Harley Klippensteine was told to pack up and leave.
"I knew it was going to be short term" said the 42-year-old. " I didn't expect anything more than four or five days."
Klippensteine is homeless, as are the handful of others who set up tents and sleeping packs in Wascana Centre not far from the Saskatchewan Science Centre.
They came here after months spent camped out on an empty lot in downtown Regina next door to the Salvation Army. The lot owner finally told them to leave.
After the weekend enjoying the unusually warm sunshine off Wascana Lake, a park official arrived Monday morning and advised the campers to leave.
Permit required
"We do from time to time have homeless people stay in the park," said Wascana Centre Authority CEO Bernadette McIntyre. "When they're discovered, they're moved immediately."
Camping is not allowed in Wascana Centre without a special permit. An example would be YMCA groups tenting overnight on Willow Island for an educational experience.
As for Klippensteine and his group, they're scouting new locations to set up camp again.
"I got a guy arranging for a truck to move our stuff and he's going to scout out some abandoned properties," he said. "But eventually someone's going to boot us out of there, too."