Eight occupants were forced to leave the homeless encampment outside of Abbotsford City Hall on Tuesday (Nov. 19), but the rest are currently remaining in place.
Brittany Maple, an advocate for the campers and program coordinator for the Abbotsford Drug War Survivors, said the eight people have been identified by the city as 鈥渘ew occupants鈥� of the site since a court ruling was made on Oct. 17.
The ruling by Justice Sandra Sukstorf stated that the encampment cannot remain, but that the city must follow a 鈥減hased approach鈥� in reducing and relocating the occupants.
Maple said the city has 鈥渟elected parts of the ruling that allow them to do some enforcement.鈥�
Police and bylaw officers were on site Tuesday, and the city installed some new fencing to block off new areas of the property that had been cleared.
Maple said the eight individuals who were forced to move were connected to the camp prior to the court ruling, but some of them didn鈥檛 have tents set up at the time and were staying with others.
鈥淥bviously, people lack resources so if they鈥檝e set up a new structure or replace a structure, the city is indicating that they weren鈥檛 captured on their list (of camp occupants) and are forcing them out with threats of trespassing and arrests,鈥� she said.
Maple said some of the people who were forced out had their tents dismantled without them being on site.
She said this contravenes the court ruling that indicated shelters should not be taken down when residents are absent and that the city must store and protect individuals鈥� belongings at no cost for up to six months.
鈥淲e have a couple that had a tent (on site). The city just dismantled their tent and threw three-quarters of their belongings in the garbage,鈥� Maple said.
She described the situation as 鈥渄evastation鈥� and 鈥渉eartbreak鈥� for those that have had to leave the encampment. The residents are like a family, leaning on each other for support and care, and they are being ripped apart, she said.
Maple said they have nowhere else to go but other outdoor camps in the city. Housing and shelter options that meet their needs are minimal or non-existent, she said.
鈥淵ou cannot put a person who uses illicit substances in a shelters that does not provide some safety consumption and that has a restricted overnight curfew or offering shelter spaces that are women only,鈥� Maple added.
City spokesperson Aletta Vanderheyden said one of the requirements of the court ruling was that the city prevent 鈥渘ew arrivals or any efforts by any individuals or organizations to expand the encampment.鈥�
She said, following the ruling, the city and BC Housing compiled a list of the existing occupants. Since then, several more individuals arrived at the encampment, Vanderheyden said.
She said outreach providers have been working closely with the impacted individuals to ensure they continue receiving services while their tents are removed.
鈥淎ll occupants of the encampment, including new arrivals, continue to be provided with regular outreach support services, including offers of housing and shelter by BC Housing,鈥� Vandeheyden said.
鈥淯nfortunately, several individuals have chosen not to accept services and/or comply with the eviction notice, resulting in the need for additional decampment efforts with support from the Abbotsford Police Department.鈥�
The encampment has been in place since June 29 and was the subject of the court proceedings after the city issued a notice of trespass on Sept. 19 which was challenged by the Matsqui-Abbotsford Impact Society 鈥� the parent organization of the Drug War Survivors.
Vanderheyden said the city continues to work with BC Housing and outreach partners to address the guidelines laid out in the court order.
The order was made following a hearing in which the Impact Society sought an interim injunction to prevent the city from enforcing the trespass notice and to permit the encampment to remain in place at least temporarily until a judicial review of the matter can take place.
That review has not yet occurred.
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