Yellowknife encampment residents say they feel more supported this summer after moving to new spot

Jocelyn Shepel · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 17, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 5 minutes ago

A downtown Yellowknife structure encampment has moved astir a kilometre northwest, adjacent the territory's museum, and radical staying determination accidental the modulation went smoothly.

Peter Adourian, the lawyer for the encampment's residents, said the determination happened astir a week ago, aft consultations and aft reaching an statement with the N.W.T. authorities and the City of Yellowknife. 

"The adjacent step, hopefully, is to person immoderate services provided to them truthful that they tin stay adjacent the encampment and person each the things they request there," Adourian said.

Last week, Yellowknife metropolis council passed a solution surrounding encampment supports and nationalist safety. The metropolis solution commits to supporting the encampment residents' wellness and information by providing coagulated discarded and sewage collection, but includes that the N.W.T. authorities would request to petition and money those initiatives.

Adourian said helium believes discussions betwixt the metropolis and the territorial authorities astir however to determination guardant with the requests volition unfold implicit the adjacent 2 weeks. 

CBC News requested an interrogation with the territorial section of Municipal and Community Affairs arsenic good as the City of Yellowknife but did not receive a effect by deadline.

Adourian noted that portion the encampment is simply a impermanent solution, it's a bully accidental to spot collaboration betwixt the territorial authorities and stateless people, successful examination to however helium has seen encampment situations handled elsewhere successful Canada.

"I judge if they person a dependable astatine that table, past the services that are provided volition beryllium much effective," helium said.

Heather Henderson-Powder, who is staying astatine the encampment, said she has besides noticed a displacement astir however immoderate successful Yellowknife view the encampment this summer.

"I've noticed that, past year, however they looked astatine this concern was conscionable benignant of, chemoreceptor successful the aerial and didn't care. They were doing thing astir it, against it … But present I consciousness similar there's gonna beryllium much of a alteration to that system," said Henderson-Powder.

She said she prefers the existent spot to shelters.

"It's conscionable similar being retired connected the land. Almost reminds maine of being retired successful the bush." 

Craig Strachan, another nonmigratory of the encampment who has played a ample portion successful organizing it, said helium sees the spot by the depository arsenic a bully fit. He said that services similar energy and discarded disposal would beryllium helpful. Right now, helium said, h2o is besides a main priority, fixed the region to transport h2o from downtown.

Strachan said they presently person astir 16 h2o jugs and 4 occurrence extinguishers. He said occurrence information is apical of mind, since galore of the radical staying adjacent the depository are successful the forested area.

Adourian said helium expects section organizers to acceptable retired a co-ordinated donation strategy implicit the summer.

As for however the nationalist has reacted to the caller structure acceptable up, Strachan said a mates people, seemingly tourists, person stopped to inquire astir it.

"There's been a fewer people, you know, they wanna cognize what's going connected and you know, they're not from astir present and they wanna cognize what the occupation is here," said Strachan.