Downtown Regina church fenced off after officials say unhoused people started fires on property

Fencing was put up this week around Knox-Metropolitan United Church in downtown Regina after a spate of fires started by people living on the property threatened the building, church members say.

"The board of trustees have a legal duty to protect the property and there's a high risk of fire that this building could burn down and so we felt that we must take protective steps by erecting the temporary fencing," said Barbara Shourounis, secretary of the church's board of trustees.

Shourounis said there have been four fires on the church property since June, with two during the past two weeks.

"It's been an issue since 2020 with COVID happening and the changing to the income assistance plans," Shourounis said, referring to the government's controversial Saskatchewan Income Support program that advocates have blamed for the increase in unhoused people in the province.

"There were more people that didn't have a place to live and many of them chose to stay on our front steps."

April Vivian has been living on the church property after being evicted from the land in front of City Hall where she had been staying.

She said the church didn't give people notice that they would be kicked off the property.

"Why would they do that if they're so about their faith and accepting it and respecting people like us?" Vivian said "Why wouldn't they invite us in for a warm coffee or something? Come and talk to us."

Shourounis said church trustees are meeting next week to make recommendations for a longer-term solution.

"I hope that the people who are homeless are given more social supports so they don't have to sleep on our front step," Shourounis said. "That's the big picture."