A familiar sight has returned to Calgary’s riverbanks as the seasons shift, raising questions and frustrations among nearby residents.
Warmer temperatures have coincided with the re‑emergence of encampments along the banks of the Bow River near the Centre Street Bridge.
For some Calgarians, the tents and makeshift structures are a sign of deeper issues that remain unresolved.
Maria Papadopoulou has lived in the city for 30 years and says the situation reflects more than homelessness alone.
“It’s not only homeless people, it’s mental health issues, they have addiction issues, and they have made a tent city out of our beautiful Calgary,” she says.
Others see the encampments through a different lens. Ella Michel is a child-care worker who describes many of the individuals as neighbours who have endured early neglect.
“I think they’ve had it figured out,” she says. “I think they like living connected to the land rather than a white box.”
The City of Calgary’s Joint Encampment Team (JET) is responsible for addressing the encampment sites.
According to the city’s publicly available guidelines, the process begins when a complaint is filed through 311. From there, they locate the structure and its occupant, connect them with social services, issue up to 72 hours’ notice to vacate, and eventually dismantle the site, weather and staffing permitting.
It’s a process that can take up to 30 days.
Some say that timeline feels far too slow. Bridgeland resident Rachael Benedetti says she has witnessed fires started near the riverbank.
“Thirty days is not acceptable,” she says. “That can’t happen, this can’t keep happening…I’m done, I’m really tired of it.”
Others are left with questions about the broader system. Fourteen‑year Calgary resident Oluchi Agbasi wonders why people remain in encampments if housing is available.
“Are there rooms? Is there housing available? If there is, why are people avoiding this? What’s going on in there? I would want to get curious,” she says.
Papadopoulou believes the current approach isn’t working.
“Somehow they are above the law, and they can even do drug use outside in front of everybody,” she says. “They cannot be touched in a way, so we need to change everything immediately.”
The city says there have been 1,492 encampment‑related calls for service so far this year.