City workers have filled in an apparent homeless encampment tunnelled into the side of a steep, wooded slope in the city’s southeast.
Police say in early September, they spotted a tunnel entrance bored into a hillside in the 3200 block of 25th Avenue S.E., near Spiller Rd.
“Officers observed the encampment entrance located on a steep, brush-covered slope, with what appeared to be a human-made tunnel dug into the ground with an established, fully functioning shelter structure inside,” police said in a news release.
The tunnel, they said, was about six feet high and 10 feet by seven feet in diameter, and wasn’t occupied when discovered, though officers found a homemade conducted energy weapon, similar to a Taser, lying on its floor.
No one was observed using the tunnel in the following weeks, and following extensive assessment of its interior and surrounding area, it was filled in late last month.
No one’s been arrested or charged in connection with the incident, said police, who called the tunnel complex and unsafe.
Photos provided by police show a wooden structure built into the slope containing shelving, apparent living quarters and a small tent outside.
“This was an incredibly elaborate underground structure that was highly dangerous, not only for those inhabiting it but for the surrounding community,” said CPS community engagement response team Sgt. Kristian Thorpe.
“We continue to lead with compassion and help connect those who are facing homelessness with resources and supports.”
The city says that while encampments on its property violate bylaws, some are allowed to remain for compassionate reasons if they don’t pose health or safety hazards.
While police said subterranean encampments are “not a recurring issue in Calgary,” the number of 311 calls regarding concerns over encampments as a whole have increased dramatically in recent years.
City officials say that doesn’t necessarily reflect an increase in the number of them but could be the result of heightened public awareness.
When the Calgary Homeless Foundation last did a count of the city’s unhoused population two years ago, it determined nearly a third of the people were unsheltered.
Last year, the city’s Vulnerable Persons Team was expanded to hasten the response to calls or concerns about encampments.
“We want a 20-minute response time, we’re making more contact with people and that’s what the public wants,” said Cody Snoxell, the outreach program director with the Alpha House Society, which partners with the city.
“We’re helping people move along to safe shelter and reconnecting them with family.”
About four per cent of the calls, he said, are ultimately referred to police.