We Gave Back to the Streets: Breaking Barriers and Connecting with Community in Edmonton and Beyond
Yaw Baayim, Project Coordinator
The streets belong to us. Mother earth gave us the streets and she was kind enough to bless it with different seasons. We have been on these streets for many years with no restrictions. We loved the streets until the colonial rules came to restrict us from moving freely. A lot of fun and connections were made between us. We lived like a family, connected with each other, and looked out for each other. We were a family. Our existence may have come across as disturbing, but we are still human. The streets are not meant for a particular group of people, but for all of us.
This is why the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights, with funding from the Alberta Law Foundation, launched a research project called Breaking the Cycle, along with funding from the Department of Justice Canada in honour of National Victims and Survivors of Crime Week, examining the impact of bylaw ticketing on people experiencing homelessness in Alberta. The intent of the project is to find solutions to these issues affecting folks who are mostly on the streets of Alberta to hear part of the story and to better understand the challenges faced by those living in encampments and on the streets of Alberta, and to identify solutions that address the injustices many encounter every day. Encampment issues continue to rise across Alberta, driven in part by the ongoing housing crisis, lack of supports and affordable housing options.
On May 16, 2026, JHC embarked on this research journey starting with Edmonton; but before we get into how it went, let me take it back a little bit.
Our approach is always to partner with people who are already doing meaningful work in the community and have established relationships with those experiencing homelessness and other barriers. Through our outreach and research, we connected with Curtis Cardinal and agreed to work together. Curtis is an Indigenous community leader who has dedicated much of his life to serving the community and ensuring people have access to food and support. We met with Curtis in downtown Edmonton, where he recently opened his restaurant, Teepee Treats, to discuss the project and explore opportunities for collaboration.
Curtis agreed to collaborate with us, and from there the planning process began. We scheduled the date and time, organized meals and drinks, and developed the program line up, among other logistical details. The primary focus was to document as many experiences as possible from people who had received bylaw tickets, whether recently or several years ago.
A number of folks attended the community feast at Boyle Plaza and shared their experiences, including the circumstances that led to them receiving tickets. Situations like these open up for serious conversations and most folks use this as an opportunity to share issues that are bothering them. Participants described the streets are no more safe, that law enforcement continues to bother them, including targeting and tearing down their encampments, and that they are losing personal belongings including money. This has been the issue each season. In this weather, where most folks are trying to find shelter for safety, it is good to work with organizations that are supporting the folks experiencing homelessness to understand where the real issues are.
Partnering with Curtis Cardinal was a great decision to make. He’s got the trust in the community so folks showed up. There were more than 500 people who showed up to be fed. Other folks from different mutual aid organizations showed up to support and feed folks as well. It was intense, it was a lot, and it was fun. There was a barber who showed up to shave whoever needed it. Some journalists also showed up to capture the moment. Food was in abundance and we made it happen. Young people were not left behind. A big mural was painted by a local artist and the participants at the event, which was later presented to Curtis to hang in his restaurant. It was a day of remembrance for all of us to be in the shoes of the folks experiencing homelessness who are the most targeted when it comes to the issues of bylaw ticketing. Most of these folks would rather go to jail than paying these fines because they do not have the money to. This is hard to listen to and difficult to digest. It is hard work, but the joy of helping others keeps us moving.
The next stop we make will be in Slave Lake in June; then Grande Prairie in September, with more planned events in St. Paul, then to Calgary. Stay tuned for more information.