Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is saying the discovery of a substantial weapons cache in an Edmonton homeless encampment is a reminder of the dangers posed by the illegal shelters, both to vulnerable people as well as the community at large.Edmonton police announced on Tuesday they had recovered more than 60 various weapons, including Samurai swords, machetes, knives, axes and fake firearms at an encampment in the city’s river valley last week.Police have come under fire for dismantling more than seven of the various lodgings, one of which turned up a dead body. The eighth and final one was set to come down today..In December, an Edmonton judge rejected a petition to delay the dismantling of those tent cities by agreeing that they’re affiliated with organized crime and pose a risk to public safety. The courts are scheduled to hear an injunction application from Edmonton’s Coalition for Justice and Human Rights on Wednesday against dismantling any further lodgings.The group is arguing the city is responsible for providing adequate shelter. But in a post on Twitter (“X”), Smith argued that public safety is paramount in any consideration of social welfare policies.“This is a sobering reminder that illegal encampments pose a significant risk to not only our most vulnerable, who are being preyed upon by organized crime, but also to the surrounding communities at large,” she said.
