REGINA, Sask. — The encampment at Core Community Park, also known as Pepsi Park, has been fully dismantled as of Wednesday afternoon, following concerns about public safety, with five people arrested during the operation, Regina police say.
On Oct. 27, at 11 a.m., Regina Fire and Protective Services ordered the encampment to be decommissioned due to an imminent threat to life and public safety.
At approximately 6 p.m., five people were arrested after being asked numerous times to vacate the park. All five individuals were charged with obstructing a police officer, and one was additionally charged with assaulting a police officer. All five were released from custody and are scheduled to appear in Regina Provincial Court at a later date.
Members of the Regina Police Service's Community Services Division, Investigative Services Division, crisis negotiators and Public Safety Unit (PSU) worked collaboratively with Regina Fire and Protective Services, the Ministry of Social Services and the City of Regina to assist with the removal of all occupants from Core Community Park while ensuring the safety of community members and the public.
The encampment's removal also raised questions at the Saskatchewan legislature about where displaced residents would go. Social Services Minister Terry Jenson said provincial outreach and housing teams were offering services and housing options, while Regina Mayor Chad Bachynski expressed concern about the lack of available shelter space for more than 60 people facing displacement. Opposition MLAs also called for urgent provincial action, warning that dismantling encampments does not address the underlying homelessness crisis.
