It's been more than a week since those living at the homeless encampment near Aspen Apartments were told to leave. It now looks like things are starting to escalate a bit.

The GNWT says it will not take any legal action against the homeless encampment by Aspen Apartments, but James Kochon, one of the residents at the encampment, said that the GNWT has been turning off power at that parking lot.

"Now it's cold," said Kochon. "They shut all the power off, and they should have left at least one out house."

When the encampment first moved to the parking lot by Aspen Apartments last month, one of the perks was that it came with outlets to plug in electronics. 

Craig Strachan, one of the people who had been previously staying at this encampment, said back then they could get a generator working there.

The outhouses Kochon refers to are the three portable toilets the GNWT has since removed from the encampment.

Toyeke Adedipe, senior communications officer with the Department of Finance, told Yellowknifer on Thursday that the GNWT shut off power to the encampment on Sept. 11.

"As the GNWT has asked people to move from the site, it is no longer providing services to those that remain," she stated in an e-mail response. "The GNWT has previously confirmed that all residents on site have other shelter and/or housing options available to them."

When Yellowknifer spoke with Kochon on Thursday, he said they've been without power for about a week.

"I'm kind of used to it, it doesn't really bother me. But the for the ladies here, it gets pretty cold at night," he said. "I don't really have a choice (because) I've been waiting on housing for a while now."

Though Kochon said it's not easy living at the encampment, he feels safe living there.

Interactions with the public have been positive as well, he added.

"They've been good, they help us out, drop stuff off. That's nice of them," he said.

Adedipe had told Yellowknifer on Sept. 13 that the GNWT had been exploring legal options in vacating the site. The GNWT is still trying to get the encampment out of the parking lot because it says renovations at Aspen Apartments need to begin, but the territorial government doesn't yet have anyone to start renovating the building.

A request for tenders shows that the GNWT is looking for a company to refurbish Aspen Apartments and the deadline to bid was today, Sept. 20. The original deadline for this encampment to leave was Sept. 9, but an extension was granted to Sept. 12.

"The GNWT is focused on working with unhoused individuals to address the root causes of their homelessness. Success requires that these individuals trust that the GNWT and its partners," stated Adedipe. "Pursuing legal options would be counterintuitive to our current efforts."

Adedipe said there has been a delay in starting that project.

"The GNWT requests that encampment residents vacate the premises to allow adequate time for the necessary clean-up required to happen before the site is handed over to the contractors, to ensure a conducive and safe work environment," she said.