The premier treaded familiar territory in her remarks when she claimed that encampments contain “organized crime and gang-run drug-use centres and drug-dealing centres,” but took the embellishment in a new direction when she alleged that these gangs were using extortion, arson and sexual assault as a means of exerting control over encampment residents.

“They’re dangerous dudes. They’re threatening people. They’re making them pay protection money. If they don’t pay protection money, they burn them out. There are people who have been burned to death in these tents because they won’t pay protection money to the gangs,” Smith claimed.

Smith’s office didn’t respond to an inquiry into where she got any of this information from. The fire department referred any questions about suspected arson to the Edmonton Police Service, which didn’t respond to inquiries about the specific crimes the premier alleged.