The deputy chief of Saskatoon’s fire department is signaling a “concerning” uptick in the number of encampments across the city, mirroring the upward trend also seen in the total count of those without homes.

This year alone, deputy chief Yvonne Raymer says the city has cleared over 325 encampments and that Saskatoon’s Fire Community Support (FCS) Team, which handles encampment concerns, is backlogged by about 90 reports.

This backlog, according to Raymer, means it takes the city five to seven days to respond to a report once it comes in.

“When we look at the encampment numbers themselves, we are over triple from when we started this process in 2021, and it’s concerning,” Raymer said.

Raymer is urging residents to report an encampment to the city when they see one so that those livin

See Full Page