A large and elaborate homeless encampment on the north side of Vernon is being dismantled by the Ministry of Transportation and Transit (MOTT).
The encampment has garnered a lot of attention for the last couple of months due to an unusual component, a treehouse structure.
The site is also in a highly visible location, along a busy highway 97 and 48th Ave.
It has raised all kinds of concerns, namely safety ones, including by the city’s fire chief.
Some residents have also expressed environmental concerns, given that the site is mere feet away from BX Creek.
This week, crews in hazmat suits moved in to dismantle it, displacing the people who were sheltering there.
MOTT stated that it gave camp occupants two weeks’ notice on Oct.8, informing them they would need to vacate the area.
“It’s very sad to see people displaced,’ said Kelly Fehr, executive director of operations for the Turning Points Collaborative Society.
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The organization supports the unhoused population.
“When people in a municipality that has a low vacancy rate, when you’re forced out of your encampment, you have very few options of where you’re going to stay,” Fehr said.
Fehr said Turning Points was made aware of the encampment being dismantled and says despite shelters often being at or near capacity, it’s ready to assist those in need.
“We do encourage people that are staying at the camp to come down to our shelter, the Vernon shelter and let us know and we’ll do everything we can to find you a bed,” Fehr said.
In a joint statement, MOTT and the Ministry of Housing stated, “While encampments may offer a sense of community for some people, they are not a safe or suitable form of long-term shelter and create significant risks for people’s well-being.”
There is some relief on the way for those experiencing homelessness in Vernon.
A 52-unit supportive housing complex is nearing completion and is expected to open early in the new year.
It will be operated by the Turning Points Collaborative Society.
“We know that there are people that are couch surfing regularly, there’s people that are sleeping in our parks, in our alleys, and we’re turning people away from shelters, you know, on a fairly regular basis, because housing capacity doesn’t meet the need,” Fehr said. “There’s absolutely a gap.”
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