Sunalta residents express concern after encampment fire damages mural

CALGARY -

Residents living in the southwest community of Sunalta have been busy cleaning up after an encampment fire damaged a mural and the outdoor garden beside it.

The fire, set by a small group of vulnerable Calgarians attempting to keep warm, spread to the Sunalta Wildflower Garden on Nov. 10. The mural, the garage it was painted on, a nearby bench and a storage bin were all damaged by flames.

Jordan Hamilton, who lives nearby, saw the fire from his bedroom at around 12:30 a.m.

“We had to call 911 and we checked it out. It was shocking to see the amount of smoke pluming over the community,” he said.

“It’s never safe for people to be sleeping outside — not only are they harming themselves, but they’re not going to get the help they deserve — so I encourage everybody, if they see someone sleeping outside, to connect them to social services." 

Local artist Sarah Slaughter, who painted the mural, says it took hours to power wash the damage off the wall, but inevitably the piece will have to be repainted next spring.

The mural was inspired by the area where Sunalta was built during the early 1900s and this history of its urban planning.

“My initial reaction was just shock, you do ‘oh no’ and there’s a lot of people in the community that contribute to this space so I found it heartbreaking,” Slaughter said.

“It’s s a good reminder now of how important the resources are for the vulnerable and the people that are homeless.”

The news is especially concerning for the Sunalta Community Association.

Executive director Jenn Balderston says the gathering space is enjoyed by many neighbours on a day-to-day basis.

“The encampment fire at our Wildflower Community Garden was a terrible accident that has shaken our community as we mourn our beloved mural and (the) damage done to our community garden,” she said.

“There has been such an outpouring of support from residents who have stepped up to volunteer, and multiple city services who have offered their help.”

Balderston added there are people passing through Sunalta who are struggling financially and the community is working closely with various City of Calgary resources and non-profit agencies to support them.

“We are extremely grateful to all those who have offered to lend a hand this past week, and into the future, as we continue to navigate the complex social issues facing our community and our city," she said.  

In a statement to CTV News, the City of Calgary confirmed Calgary police officers and the bylaw encampment team responded to the fire on Nov. 10. 

“Procedures were followed and that day it was determined that City of Calgary contractors would be notified to clean up the burnt encampment remains accordingly,” the statement read.

“It appears that there was an unfortunate administrative error on the side of our contractors that led to the clean up crew not showing up in time as they attended an incorrect location and believed the work was completed.”

The city adds that it is following up with its contractor and continuing to address the issue. 

GREATER SUPPORT NEEDED FOR HOMELESS POPULATION

In a statement to CTV News, Ward 8 Coun. Courtney Walcott says he feels for the Sunalta Community Association along with its residents, adding that he is committed to working with city services and community partners to provide support.

“This was a very unfortunate accident and emphasizes the longstanding need for an expanded network of care for people experiencing houselessness and other vulnerabilities,” Walcott said.

“The Sunalta Community Association, residents, and City services were responsive to clean up and follow up after the event. The Ward 8 office has been in daily contact with the Sunalta Community Association and city service partners, and is working to provide improved coordinated responses to prevent something like this from happening again.”

Shaundra Bruvall, communications manager with the Alpha House, says the non-profit’s encampment team is working on rapid housing initiatives to help Calgarians that are sleeping on the streets.

She says camps are popping up more frequently due to the colder temperatures and the COVID-19 pandemic which has limited spaces in shelters.

“We do try to reduce displacement for camps as much as possible because that does make it easier for our team to connect with folks on a regular basis and check in, do welfare checks, provide services and we do encourage everybody if they do see a camp to call our team,” Bruvall said.

“We’re trying our best to bring people into the shelter where possible so that they are maybe shielded a little bit from some of those more extreme days that we see exposure to the elements as a more significant problem.”

Bruvall adds Alpha House is also in the process of collecting winter jackets and warm clothes right now so its outreach teams can provide basic needs to people living outdoors.

The Alpha House encampment team can be reached at 403-805-7388.