Homelessness a growing problem in oil sands country.

Homelessness is a growing problem in McMurray">Fort McMurray. The booming extraction and refining industry in the oil sands is producing the same problems as experienced in big cities. It has the most expensive rental housing in Canada. As Canada's other natural resource extraction industries face renewed world demand, this indicates what other communities can expect.

A group of 18 persons were removed from their tent camp along the Clearwater River in Fort McMurray. The regional municipality of Wood Buffalo determined that the tent city residents, located at the end of one of the main streets, were in violation nuisance bylaw by squatting on municipal land. The camp where they cooked on a fire pit and relieved themselves was declared a safety and health hazard.

Homeless people and advocates demonstrated at city hall with protest signs asking that the municipality and homeless organizations meet and give the homeless viable options.

According to a report in Fort McMurray Today, the residents were permitted to take only what they could pile into two shopping carts, mainly their clothes. Municipal officials carted their larger belongings--mattresses, tents and couches--off to the landfill.

According to one unnamed volunteer, "Everybody's got addictions, too. Social services won't help. Nobody will help them." The Salvation Army shelter is fully occupied by oil workers who come from other parts of Canada and overseas and are unable to find housing.

The region has dismantled homeless camps for years, but Centre of Hope outreach worker Cindy Nash, said the problem is getting worse. "About 13 to 35 newcomers to the region end up homeless every week. The centre has been giving out tents for people to sleep in, but they'll lose them when the region dismantles the camps. What's going to happen is they're going to be more visible, and I hate to say it but they're going to become more of a nuisance to businesses."

The regional municipality will be dismantling 20 more camps around Fort McMurray. Councillors claim the region lacks the funds, and needs financial help from the federal and provincial governments to open and operate more shelters. The current population of Fort McMurray and the region is 61,000.