There appear to be signs that a haven for vulnerable Squamish residents will be closing soon.
On Tuesday, the gates to the municipality’s discount campground were locked and police paid a visit to the area.
The District told The Chief that officers have been visiting the grounds daily.
Activists from the Vehicle Residents of Squamish Advocacy Group, or VRSAG, told The Chief they saw police in the campground again yesterday with a tow truck.
A handful of residents remain in the campground.
The District told The Chief that it was responsible for locking the gates.
“This is to ensure that no additional vehicles could move into the campground,” said spokesperson Christina Moore. “The ground has deteriorated significantly, is water-logged and the facility is no longer open.”
Trespass notices were issued to campers on Dec. 2.
“RCMP have been visiting the site daily with the goal of trying to move campers peacefully to other locations and options that have been offered to them,” Moore said.
However, in at least some cases, activists say that the options given to campers are unfeasible.
On Dec. 15, Leanne Roderick and Thomasina Pidgeon of VRSAG told The Chief that in one case, officers offered to move a resident to a campground with a $1,200 monthly fee.
This is a far cry from the $200 a month they are paying.
Rodney Moule, a resident at the campground, told The Chief on Dec. 15 that he and several other residents have appealed to the Residential Tenancy Branch about their case.
VRSAG has continued to advocate for remaining residents.
“Many vehicle residents want to keep paying to stay there,” reads a statement issued by VRSAG.
“They are happy to help contribute in any way to further winterize it, or move to another lot which is winterized, such as the one just behind them. Pushing these people off publicly owned land makes absolutely no sense. What’s a better use of tax-payer money? RCMP stopping in there multiple times a day as well as on the random streets where they are deemed an “eyesore’ or threat to the housed community - or - a permit system and safe lot system that vehicle dwellers pay for?”
The closure of the campground has been a topic of great interest, as earlier this year it was offered up at a heavily-discounted rate to provide a place for residents hit hard by the economic uncertainties posed by COVID-19.
However, the municipality decided to close the ground for the winter, saying it would cost too much to keep it open in the colder months. The District cited problems such as flooding as an issue.
On the other hand, campers have asked the municipality to keep the area open and let campers stay there at their own risk. Activists have also said that the District has overestimated the costs for keeping the ground open.
Campers and activists have argued that the closure of the campground has left vulnerable people with few or no places to go.
However, in a written statement issued on Dec. 18, Squamish’s mayor said that authorities have made every effort to relocate campers.
“It’s important for us to assure the community that we have made every effort, with our community partners, to provide support and alternatives for those in need, and have helped to provide many of them with better options than what they were facing at the municipal campground over winter,” said Mayor Karen Elliott.
“Our local and provincial agencies have been compassionate, responsive and creative with the solutions and assistance they have provided as options over the last seven weeks.”
Elliott said authorities recognize the challenges caused by a lack of supportive housing and a challenging rental market.
“We are working to better understand who is living in vehicles in Squamish and why, and create more sustainable policies that address different groups including those with complex needs, those who are employed and wanting access to affordable housing, and those who are van dwelling visitors,” she said. “This is a multifaceted and complex problem that is not easy to address in Squamish or in any other community grappling with the same challenge.”
