Ten-week camp for up to 30 Yellowknife homeless opens outside city

The GNWT is setting up a temporary campsite on the Ingraham Trail that will accommodate 20 to 30 homeless people this winter.

“The On-the-Land Camp is designed to alleviate pressure on the city’s shelter system by offering an alternative, abstinence-based environment focused on stability and wellness,” states a Monday news release.

The camp will be operated by a local NGO funded by the territorial government. The initiative’s estimated cost is $642,000, with $7,000 coming from the GNWT and the remainder from third party funds (the feds will have their own announcement later on). That breaks down to $9,171 per day, or $305 per resident if the camp is at capacity.

The project is believed to be setting up at Camp Connections, run by the Foster Family Coalition, featuring insulated dorm-style cabins, heated outhouses and showers, internet access, and a central insulated kitchen cabin for meals and activities.

Counselling services and cultural programming will be offered on site, along with 24/7 emergency medical services.

Yellowknife residents over 19 years old who currently experiencing homelessness and can commit to abstaining from drugs and alcohol are eligible to apply. Applications can be submitted individually or with the support of a service provider. Forms are available at the Integrated Service Delivery office located at 4510 50^th Avenue, Yellowknife.

NWT Premier R.J. Simpson says the camp offers “not only immediate shelter but also essential support services that can help individuals work toward stability and independence.”

The territory also states that this shelter is not a permanent solution to homeless but rather a temporary measure to provide relief during the winter while more long-term solutions are established.

This camp will run for 10 weeks, with no indication what will happen to the participants when it closes January 28.

The GNWT and City of Yellowknife faced harsh criticism over the summer as a homeless encampment took over the parking lot next to an apartment block being readied for renovations.

Read more about On-the-Land Camp in this Q&A.