The homeless people living in tents at Regina's City Hall, also known as ‘tent city,’ were made to leave on Friday afternoon when the police started removing them.. Regina Tent City Drumming Circle .Regina's Fire Chief Layne Jackson announced on Thursday that the ‘tent city’ residents needed clear the area because of the Fire Safety Act. This happened because there were three fires, one of which destroyed a tent on the east side of the ‘tent city.’.The fire that happened on Thursday morning completely destroyed a tent, according to Jackson. .Jackson told the media that the fire was very intense and could have been deadly if it had occurred in a more crowded part of the ‘tent city.’.The Regina Police Service (RPS) press release said 11 individuals were arrested and charged with obstruction..One individual was charged with assaulting a police officer..A man in a wheelchair was arrested, but the charges were dropped when the RPS found out that he could not move on his own. He was then taken to the hospital..The 11 individuals who were arrested were brought to the RPS Detention Unit..Out of the 11 individuals arrested, four were volunteers and seven were residents of the ‘tent city.’.A total of 30 officers were involved in the operation and no injuries were reported. .The RPS officers were onsite all day to help the people at the ‘tent city’ find support services..The ‘tent city’ removal began Friday afternoon and finished around 5 p.m..Even though they were told on Thursday to leave within 24 hours, many tents, volunteers, and residents were still there on Friday morning..Volunteers and residents were surprised when they were told to leave and said that the city council had not communicated with them during the 43 days the ‘tent city’ had been in front of City Hall..According to Regina Mayor Sandra Masters, the fire department and police, along with the safety concerns raised, were more important than the decisions the city council would have made about the future of the ‘tent city.’.In a statement from City manager Niki Anderson, Mayor Masters expressed gratitude to Jackson for his efforts in “prioritizing public safety in the midst of an incredibly complex situation.”.“I am convinced his decision has saved lives,” said the statement..The city said temporary fencing was put up around the green areas of the courtyard and along the east and west sides of City Hall. This was done while the remains of the ‘tent city’ were being cleaned up..The fencing will remain in place until all property repairs are finished and the city gave no timeline on how long it would take..City Hall is scheduled to reopen to residents on Monday during regular business hours. People can enter through the front doors on Victoria Avenue.
