Man asked to leave encampment set up on school grounds

A one-person encampment set up near a St. Vital elementary school has been evacuated following concerns raised about student safety.

Jeff Franzmann said he noticed an individual had created a makeshift shelter on the field behind Darwin School during drop-off on Friday morning, and he brought it to the attention of administrators.

“He had two dogs with him, and that was my concern — kids and dogs, you never know how they’re going to react,” the father of three said.

Franzmann said he was disappointed to learn from staff that they could only ask the individual to leave and had limited powers to enforce an eviction.

An employee on the other end of the Winnipeg Police Service’s non-emergency line echoed those comments, he said.

“These are people in need, not a nuisance… by the same token, he shouldn’t be there,” Franzmann said, adding the individual was still hanging around the area by the time the final bell rang on Oct. 18.

Parent council member Melissa Martin said the association was made aware of concerns related to the issue, and is “actively communicating” with administration about measures to protect all school community members.

“Encampments in our community have been present for some time, near the greenway, by the river, etc. However, an individual spending extended time on/near our school late last week was a new occurrence,” Martin said in an email.

Franzmann said he learned over the weekend that a community outreach team was dispatched to the area and the man had left.

He added he wants to see governments allocate more money for shelter operations and housing-related initiatives so individuals do not have to resort to camping in public areas.

There were no remnants of an encampment on or around school grounds Monday.

School division spokeswoman Emmalee Blackadar confirmed an unfamiliar adult was near the building with two dogs last week.

The individual left the property without incident, so police did not need to be called, Blackadar said.

“If anyone has concerns about unknown individuals displaying concerning behaviour near the school, we encourage them to contact the school,” she said in a statement.

The communications manager indicated there are no encampments on any property owned by the Louis Riel School Division.

If there were, a principal would work with the board office and community agencies to co-ordinate a response that prioritized student and staff safety “while demonstrating care and concern for a vulnerable member of the community,” she said.

Manitoba Education’s administration handbook states that school personnel have the authority to direct anyone to an educational site if they are trespassing or causing a disturbance.

“Peace officers can be asked to assist in maintaining order or to enforce an eviction notice,” states an excerpt of the guide.

City of Winnipeg protocols indicate staff will only intervene if there is an “immediate risk” to public or personal safety of the activity in an encampment.

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca

Maggie Macintosh
Education reporter

Maggie Macintosh reports on education for the Free Press. Originally from Hamilton, Ont., Maggie was an intern at the Free Press twice while earning her degree at Ryerson’s School of Journalism (now Toronto Metropolitan University) before joining the newsroom as a reporter in 2019. Read more about Maggie.

Funding for the Free Press education reporter comes from the Government of Canada through the Local Journalism Initiative.

Every piece of reporting Maggie produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.

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