The province is stepping in to shut down an encampment at Highway 97 and Fairview Road in Penticton, B.C.
“We’ve put a notice out to residents that they have ’til the end of the day to vacate that location,” BC Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon said Wednesday.
Outreach workers have been on-site over the past several days, helping connect people with available support services. Penticton Mayor Julius Bloomfield said the situation appears to be unfolding peacefully.
“I think it’s going quite well — fairly quiet,” Bloomfield said. “I did drop down there at the site and it seemed pretty quiet from a distance.”
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Eviction notices were handed out about a week ago, but the ministry says those leaving the encampment are not being left without options. Kahlon said 12 shelter spaces have been opened at a local facility, and the province has approved 40 rent supplements to help individuals move into market housing.
“We have a mix of people — some are just short of money and need a little support to get into housing. We are providing that,” he said.
Longer-term solutions, however, are still in the works. Kahlon noted that discussions are ongoing with local First Nations, as well as with the mayor and city council.
Although the land where the encampment sits is outside of Penticton’s jurisdiction, the city remains actively engaged.
“We are monitoring very closely, because it’s right next door to our city,” Bloomfield said.
Both the province and the city have described the site as unsafe — not only for the general public but for the people living there. Efforts are being made to prevent the camp from re-establishing in the future.
“We have closed that site off. People will not be able to come back to that area because of the fencing,” Kahlon said. “There will be remediation work happening — it’s a sensitive ecological site — and there will be construction on-site for months into the future.”
While the area is expected to be cleared soon, officials say there will be some flexibility for individuals who still have nowhere to go.
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