An Occupy Toronto protester reacts to the ruling that states the trespass bylaw under which protesters were told to take down their tents is valid, in St. James Park in Toronto on Monday, Nov. 21, 2011. Police dismantled the Occupy Winnipeg camp on December 21, 2011.Nathan Denette
Conservation officers and police have dismantled the three remaining tents at the Occupy Winnipeg encampment and briefly detained the protesters.
"We were told to leave and...we were detained by the police while they dismantled everything," protester Terry Weaymouth said Wednesday.
The camp, in a small provincial park across from the Manitoba legislature, was a shell of its former self. There were dozens of tents when the protest started in mid-October. But as temperatures dipped, many protesters left the site, usually for overnight stays in warmer surroundings.
In recent weeks, conservation officers routinely visited the site and required protesters to remove any unoccupied tents. There were three fires at the camp — ones Mr. Weaymouth said were probably started by passersby.
By last weekend, the number of tents had dwindled to three. But Mr. Weaymouth and his two remaining colleagues were proud that the Winnipeg camp was still standing while others in Toronto, Vancouver and elsewhere were shut down by authorities.
The most recent fire, set last week among some hay bales serving as a wind break, was apparently the final straw for the conservation officers.
"They said because of that, this place is no longer safe and we had to go," Mr. Weaymouth said.
There were no confrontations as officials took down the tents. The protesters were told they could retrieve their items later in the day.