City orders Nanaimo tent city occupants to clear out within 72 hours

Those camping out at a tent city in downtown Nanaimo willbe ordered to leave within three daysafter city council voted to push them out on Friday.

Councillors passed a motion toissue trespass notices to the campers. If campers don't leave within 72 hours, RCMP will issue ticketsfor trespassing.

If that doesn't work, a statement from the city said councillorswill consider taking the issue to B.C. Supreme Court to get an injunction.

Activists protesthousing issues

The tentshave been up for just over a week as both a form of protest and a space for some of the city's homeless to camp.

Activists have comefromacross B.C'sLower Mainland. They say they're unhappy thecity failed to secureprovincial funding in February for a modular housing project.

The city saiditcouldn't identify a suitable site.

On Thursday, Counc.Gord Fuller saidhe and several colleagueswere in favour of the developmentand the city will eventually find space for the units.

Rather than targeting the city, Fuller suggestedactivists direct their protests at provincial and federal governments.

"Iwould love to see a tent city up on the legislature lawn down in Victoria," he said."I'dgo down, I'd put a tent up, I'd be out there with them doing that."

Tent city organizerMercedesCourtiellesays the encampment is a safe and viable space for people to live until issues regarding social housing are resolved.

"It's very organized,it's very clean . . . conflictsare being mediated," she said Thursday.

"Generallyin the camp, there's a feeling of relief that they can sleep,relief that they can have somewhere to put their things [without them getting]seized or stolen,relief that they're not going to be arrested for just trying to sleep,"Courtiellesaid.

Fuller said the demonstrators likely have good intentions, but there's no simple fix for homelessness.

"It's unfortunate that these things end up happening and I really think there's some extremely well-meaning young people involved in this," said Fuller.

"But [solving homelessness]is notan instant process.We can't even house people with rent subsidies right now because the rental vacancy rate is so small and that's one of the easiest ways to get people housing," he added.

In December,a fire erupted in a Maple Ridge tent city, prompting safety concerns. A previous camp inVictoria was deemed a public safety hazard.

With files from CBC's All Points West