A Calgary man, Brendan Lowe, has been trying to get an abandoned encampment behind his home cleaned up, but his requests have gone unanswered due to a “hot-potato” situation between the city and the province. Lowe first learned about the encampment when he moved into his southeast Calgary home in September and discovered items such as paint cans, mattresses, discarded furniture, a wheelchair, and garbage scattered throughout the site. Concerned about the security risk posed by the encampment, Lowe began making calls to city and provincial officials to get the area cleaned up once he confirmed that nobody was seeking refuge there.
Despite Lowe’s efforts, his calls to both the City of Calgary and the provincial government have not been answered, with officials seemingly passing responsibility back and forth between them. The city claimed that since the encampment was located near Deerfoot Trail, which is maintained by the province, it was the province’s responsibility to clean it up. However, the Ministry of Seniors, Community and Social Services stated that encampment cleanup in Calgary is the city’s responsibility, not the province’s. The Ministry of Transportation and Economic Corridors also confirmed that the abandoned encampment is located on City of Calgary property, making it the city’s jurisdiction to remove it.
The City of Calgary operates a Joint Encampment Team (JET) to address encampments in the city, with responsibilities including cleaning up and removing encampments from public property. According to the city’s website, it can take up to 30 days to resolve an encampment complaint, depending on whether the encampment is occupied or not. Despite the jurisdictional dispute between the city and the province, Lowe expressed his frustration and desire to see the encampment cleaned up, stating that he is willing to put in effort to deal with it himself but would prefer someone to take responsibility for it.
In response to encounters with encampments, Calgarians can contact the Alpha House Society, an organization that does not directly clean up encampment sites but provides outreach teams to connect people experiencing homelessness with resources in the city. The organization’s goal is to work towards housing for individuals in need, while also identifying and addressing their other needs such as healthcare, identification documents, and access to banking services. Despite the ongoing jurisdictional dispute surrounding the abandoned encampment behind Lowe’s home, efforts are being made by various organizations and officials to address the issue and provide support for those in need of resources and housing solutions in Calgary.
