ManitobaA plan to restrict where homeless encampments can be set up moved forward at Winnipeg city hall on Tuesday, as some outreach workers warned councillors they would only accept the changes if the city also creates a sanctioned, supervised place for people to go.St. Boniface Street Links founder calls on city to follow Halifax, introduce designated encampment sitesCameron MacLean · CBC News · Posted: Nov 04, 2025 7:50 PM EST | Last Updated: 6 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 3 minutesThe City of Winnipeg’s new restrictions on encampments take effect Nov. 17. (Prabhjot Singh Lotey/CBC)A plan to restrict where homeless encampments can be set up moved forward at Winnipeg city hall on Tuesday, as some outreach workers warned councillors they would only accept the changes if the city also creates a sanctioned, supervised place for people to go.The city’s community services committee voted unanimously Tuesday to approve new rules banning tents within 50 metres of schools, playgrounds and daycares, and within 30 metres of transit shelters, bridges and docks.Supporters on council say the changes aim to reduce risks and improve safety for residents and people living outdoors.Marion Willis, founder of the outreach group St. Boniface Street Links, told councillors the policy could work if it’s paired with a small, city-run encampment designed to quickly get people into housing.”We need to stop trying just to shuffle people and move people,” Willis said in an interview. “I can only support this if there’s a parallel action to establish a managed encampment-to-housing site.”Willis said the city should start with a small pilot of a managed encampment site — about 20 tents, with toilets, power, clean water and on-site outreach to assess needs and secure housing options. She cited the experience of Halifax, where the municipality set up several designated encampment sites starting in 2022 as an emergency response. It is now moving to phase them out.Willis said that model helped people move into housing and reduced the number of homeless camps over time.Halifax currently has three designated sites, down from five earlier this year, and city staff there are developing a new homelessness strategy that would phase out encampments entirely as more housing and shelter options become available.This designated encampment site on University Avenue in Halifax was removed in November 2024. (Paul Légère/Radio-Canada)Street Links outreach worker Claudemier Bighetty, who spent years in and out of encampments, said a supervised site could make that transition faster for others.”If there was something like that available for me, I would’ve checked it out,” he said. “You don’t lose anything by trying — if people are there to help you get housed, you’ll take that help.”Bighetty said forcing people to pack up daily risks pushing them into stairwells, parkades or abandoned buildings to stay warm, and leads to homeless people losing belongings that are hard to replace.The intention of managed encampments would be to eliminate the need for them over time by finding housing for the people staying in them, he said.”Our goal is to — when we get them in there — is we will work with them, build a relationship with them and get them out of there as quick as possible.”Daniel McIntyre Coun. Cindy Gilroy, who co-authored the encampment regulations motion passed unanimously by council in September, echoed Willis in saying that the city’s plan would only work if it included a managed encampment site.”This is the way that we’re going to resolve this issue, and so I just want to make it clear that … I am looking for a managed, triaged encampment site,” Gilroy said.Winnipeg’s encampment restrictions are set to take effect Nov. 17. City staff have said enforcement will focus on education and voluntary compliance.WATCH | Encampment restrictions move forward at Winnipeg city hall:Encampment restrictions move forward at Winnipeg city hallCity councillors advanced new rules creating buffer zones around schools and playgrounds, while outreach groups and advocates say the city also needs a supervised encampment site so people aren’t just pushed from one place to another.ABOUT THE AUTHORCameron MacLean is a journalist for CBC Manitoba living in Winnipeg, where he was born and raised. He has more than a decade of experience reporting in the city and across Manitoba, covering a wide range of topics, including courts, politics, housing, arts, health and breaking news. Email story tips to cameron.maclean@cbc.ca.
City of Winnipeg committee backs encampment restrictions as advocates call for managed site
