'It's time to leave': Nanaimo tent city ordered to shut down within 21 days

Residents of a contentious homeless camp in downtown Nanaimo have been told they have 21 days to vacate the site after a B.C. Supreme Court order came down Friday.

Activists set up the"Discontent City" camp in May at 1 Port Dr., on an empty lot.About 300 people are estimated to live at the tent city which has running water and portable toilets.

The protesters said they set up the camp to protest the lack of housing options for homeless people and to provide a place for themto live.

The City of Nanaimo petitioned the court for the injunction after aprevious attempt was unsuccessful.

Campers, lawyers react

Camp spokespeople, addressing reporters after reviewing the decision, spoke of sadness and fear about their future.

One of them, AmberMcGrath,called the decision "absolutely disgusting and a travesty."

"Obviously, the homeless population has to be somewhere. Where that is, I don't know,"McGrathsaid.

Campers will comply with the order, she added. They say they intend to use the next21 days to plan next steps.

Noah Ross, the campers' lawyer, called the decision disappointing and was critical of the City of Nanaimo for not providing more housing options.

However, the city's lawyer, TroyDeSouza, said Nanaimo was pleased with the "substantive" decision.

"They've had their day in court, summer camp is over, and it's time to leave,"DeSouzasaid.

'Disruption' or a 'safe and structured community?'

In his order, Justice Ronald A.Skolrood noted two competing views of the site: to the city, it is a source of "disruption" with "numerous problems involving fire safety, violence, crime, drug use, garbage and general chaos."

To the people who live there, however, it is "a safe and structured community" providing stability, safety, safer conditions for drug users and "a sense of fellowship that comes from living in a community that supports one another."

The injunction orders the campers to leave within 21 days and take any belongings with them, after which the city is authorized to move in and dispose of whatever items remain and the RCMP can arrest any person still at the site.

Justice Skolroodnoted Nanaimo was applying for a broader injunction topermanentlyban all unauthorized structures on city property.

He declined to grant that order, writing, "Any such future encampments can only be assessed in light of the circumstances existing at the time."

Other camps

Friday's judgment comes afteratent city inSaanichon south Vancouver Island was ordered removed last week.

Around 30 homeless people from that campare now atGoldstreamProvincial Parkand say they have nowhere else to go, despite assertions from local government that they must leave.

With files from Liz McArthur

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