UPDATE: Homeless campers evicted by police from provincial property in Saanich move to campground in Goldstream Park

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WATCH: Saanich police moved in Tuesday to dismantle Saanich’s newest tent city. Calvin To reports.

UPDATE: Tent city residents removed from provincially-owned land in Saanich early Tuesday have now moved to a campground at Goldstream Provincial Park.

Camp organizer Chrissy Brett says the group of about two dozen people will spend the next two weeks there, the maximum allowed.

 

Saanich police removed former Regina Park tent city residents who set up an encampment located on provincial land on Tuesday.

In a tweet Tuesday morning, Saanich police said the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, which owns the property, has asked for authorities to help push an estimated 40 campers off the green space.

Police also advised Highway 17 travellers that the southbound lanes, which borders the encampment, would see delays.

The encampment was surrounded by police tape and police from Saanich, Central Saanich, Oak Bay and Victoria were at the scene. Saanich police confirmed one person, a supporter of the camp, was arrested for crossing the police line.

The group at the camp, calling itself Namegans Nation, moved about 500 metres away to the provincially-owned property on the weekend near the Uptown shopping centre after being ordered to leave Regina Park.

The province issued a trespass notice on Sunday.

The campers had been evicted from Regina Park along Highway 1 last week after a court decision Sep. 7 ruled for an injunction to the five-month encampment.

The tent city residents first moved to Rudd Park and then picked up again on the weekend to a green space at Ravine Way and Saanich Road.

They did not plan to leave until they got housing, with six of the 115 Regina Park tent city campers able to get a home after being evicted.

But by Tuesday morning at 8 a.m., the 42 campers were packing up their belongings. Some of their belonging were placed in a U-Haul provided by advocates.

At around 2 p.m., they tried to move their belongings to Rudd Park but were stopped by police. Police were informing campers that Saanich bylaw permits camping in 102 designated municipal parks but only between 7 p.m. and 9 a.m. Belongings can not be stored at those parks.

Saanich police said at 4 p.m. that the park had been cleared out and all occupants had removed their belongings. The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure has put up fencing around the land and will be assessing whether remediation work needs to be done. Saanich police said they will now continue to monitor parks in the District of Saanich and other lands.

John Heaney, a lawyer representing the group, said the effects of the “rapid displacement” of the tent city at Regina Park has presented a challenge to the homeless.

“The result of this rapid displacement – to nowhere in particular – has been substantial as many of the displaced have lost personal belongings and survival supplies including medicines, sleeping bags, mattresses, gazebos and tent,” Heaney wrote.

“The rapid pace of the displacement has placed a palpable burden on the health and well-being of the homeless, many of whom live with documented disabilities, who report to me they are presently experiencing heightened symptoms associated with mental and physical illness, including addictions.”

Alliance Against Displacement and Namegans Nation said the eviction “undermines due process by dodging the unresolved legal question of homeless peoples’ Section 7 Charter rights in relation to provincially-owned property.”

BC Housing has announced 25 shelter beds at the Native Friendship Centre will open up Oct. 1st every night until the end of March, regardless of whether an extreme weather alert has been issued.

Saanich Police says the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure has asked them to help remove former Regina Park encampment residents that had moved to the ministry's land on Ravine Way, which the group claimed as theirs on the weekend.

Saanich Police says the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure has asked them to help remove former Regina Park encampment residents that had moved to the ministry’s land on Ravine Way, which the group claimed as theirs on the weekend.

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